Emergency Heart Catheter

"lealonnie1,"

So glad everything went well with your husband's triple bypass! You and your family have been extremely busy these past several days with a wedding along with everything else. Hope your husband realizes he's been given a second chance to get it together so to speak.

My uncle has had several quadruple bypasses and will NEVER quit smoking or eating a high cholesterol diet. Same with my ex- BIL, he's had them too and has diabetes to the point of losing a big toe - no changes with him either. Go figure!

Here's to better days ahead!

Update: No release date scheduled yet. DH has a lot of fluid on one lung from the chest tubes that were placed for surgery (and just came out yesterday). He's been coughing a lot and unable to sleep as a result. The doctor said he's doing well, in spite of all the pain & coughing.

"lealonni1,"

At first I thought "oh, no" when you mentioned the fluid in one lung but, I'm glad the doctor said he's doing well in spite of the pain and coughing.

It's unfortunate that he's unable to sleep well as a result of it because we all know the good sleep is essential when it comes to healing of any kind whether it be physical, emotional or psychological. It is so necessary!

Hope he gets past this part soon so the real healing can begin.

Thank you for the update and hope you and your family are doing a little better now with a new week ahead of you.

Continue to take care of yourselves in the meantime!

I can remember when my parents had bypass surgery that they were given a pillow to hug to their chest and made to cough periodically in order to keep the lungs clear, they said coughing was worse than the operation. I hope they keep his bed elevated?

Has he been given an incentive spirometer?

That really helped my DH in the days and weeks post surgery. And yes, the big red heart pillow to hold when coughing of sneezing.

When DH was in the hospital, his mom had pneumonia. She was trying to find out what hospital he was in so she could visit.

I called my BIL and said, "your one and only job is keeping your mom away from here. If he gets pneumonia, he will die".

Fortunately, BIL was able to get her doctor to intervene and tell her she needed to stay put for her own health.

I remember my dad hugging a pillow each time he coughed or sneezed for weeks post op. He definitely thought coughing or sneezing hurt the worst, more than surgery.

Yes, he has the pillow to hug which is VERY helpful. He also has the dreaded spirometer and his bed is quite elevated at the head. They're also giving him albuterol treatments via nebulizer 4x a day which are helping, although he coughs MORE after a treatment (I know that from experience myself from asthma). He's in good spirits though, and we went for a walk up one hallway & down 1/2 of another, so that's good. The 2 docs said they were happy with his progress............it's just a tough thing for the body to go through (and for me to witness). The coughing is the worst.........and I pray to God he doesn't have to SNEEZE!

Barb............yeah huh? MIL wanting to visit with pneumonia. Good lord, people just don't think, do they?

He may be released on Wednesday if all goes well, and if he's able to have a BM by then. They won't release him until they can SEE the BM! As we all know, it's hard to poop with so many pain meds even though they're giving him a ton of stool softeners, Miralax, etc. Tonight they bring in the next level laxatives........the big guns. LOL

Lea; Yeah, that spirometer needs to be his new best friend!

Be aware if he was catheritized (I'm sure he was) that the possibility of a post-op (once he is home) UTI is there; if he develops fevers/chills, get him back to the original hospital asap. This happened to my DH and I was clueless as to what it might be. We called our PCP who guessed immediately what it was. Forewarned is forarmed, I think!

Thanks for the heads up Barb; his cath came out 2 days ago; he s/b released tomorrow so I'll keep an eye on that (and 100 other things) in case he gets a UTI. SO many details to keep track of, it's mind boggling.

If the opiates are causing him grief you might want to rethink their necessity, when my BIL had open heart surgery for a valve replacement he was not given any opiates after discharge but took OTC pain killers instead - this is becoming the post surgical norm here.

DH can't stop coughing..........so he's getting a chest xray in a bit; they're thinking pneumonia or that he has aspiration pneumonia from the surgery.

Cwillie..........opiates are the only thing causing him SOME relief right now, so taking him off of them isn't being discussed; he hasn't slept for the past few nights from coughing, so things are kind of a mess right now. Please continue to send prayers and good thoughts our way.

Thanks to everyone for everything

"lealonnie1,"

Gee, this sounds like it could be a setback for him as far as not being able to be released as planned tomorrow.

It reminds me of when I had the worst bronchitis ever in my mid-20's. I coughed non-stop and since I was still living at home, I had to sit up all night in the family room so as not to keep my parents up. I literally couldn't sleep for an entire week and the delirium set in. Then it got to a point where I was afraid to fall asleep for fear I wouldn't wake up - real strange time.

I hope they can do something for him if the chest x-ray shows pneumonia or aspiration pneumonia as I'm sure it's painful to be continuously coughing!

I guess he's fortunate to have the opiates at this point - continued prayer for him to start feeling better as well as gaining some strength, getting some sleep and strength for you!

He is in for a chest xray now... I'm sitting in the room. The cardiologist ordered a hemoglobin transfusion for when he returns from xray. His numbers are low ish. Should help oxygenate his blood and make him feel better. Never seen him look so bad or anxiety ridden.

I hope he feels better after the transfusion. He needs some good rest. He has been through so much but he should start to feel better a little each day. Thoughts and prayers sent to both of you.

Lea, good thoughts and hugs.

I hope they get a handle on that coughing; yes, keep the pain meds going. I always think that day 3 to 5 are the worst after a big surgery such as this. The cough has to be so painful for him. Tell him to hang in there. I always think they sent people home too early these days, anyway. It gets tough to "hang tough" for the family about now, as well, an added burden for the men. Keeping you in loving thoughts through all this.

DH is being released today at 2 pm. The coughing has subsided, he slept well yesterday, and the blood transfusion helped a LOT. Fingers crossed that all goes well here at home.

Always await your update, so glad to have them. So relieved the cough subsided and the docs are happy with the chest xray or would not send him home. I will say that homegoing is ALWAYS scary. Is your daughter able to be around to private-duty for a while? Don't forget, you can always call EMS if you feel you need it. Safe better than sorry in early days. You and your hubby have the hopes and they prayers of so very many of us.

"lealonnie1,"

Well, that's quite a change from yesterday. After that, I wasn't so sure they would release him today - good to hear!

Hopefully, once he's in his own surroundings and bed, he will do even better and of course it's great your DD is around to help out if and when needed.

You both take care of yourselves!

Lea, I can tell you from experience that being home is going to be scary for you both at first.

Remember that it is FINE to call the docs about ANYTHING!!

Thanks ladies. Alva, DD works full time but is only a phone call away & lives 3 minutes down the road, too, fortunately. She sent me a pamphlet called What to Expect After Heart Surgery which is excellent; lists all the things that can/may/will happen and when to call 911, etc. Really, he's like a roller coaster from one hour to the next, literally, all over the map. I'm feeling very down today myself.......like teetering on the edge, you know?

"lealonnie1,"

It would be normal for you to feel down - it's been a long week since his surgery and you're probably just worn down from the whole experience - the adrenaline and so forth. I'm sure you're all over the map just like he is even though it's in a different way.

At least with your DD close by and her giving you a pamphlet to have as a reference those two things will at least be a comfort.

H

Great news! Fortunate your DD is 3 minutes down the road and is readily available. Hope your husband continues to do well. Thoughts and prayers sent to both of you. Thanks for updating us.

"lealonnie1,"

Was just wondering how your first day is going after bringing your husband home yesterday afternoon?

Lealonnie, at some point you are going to kind of collapse a bit. It is post traumatic stress in a very real sense. Hubby needs to keep those stool softners on board because pain meds are constipating; know DD will have warned you. His all over the place is normal. Hope each day gets a tiny bit better. Pamper yourself whenever you can. This is exhausting. The worry alone is tough.

DHs first day home was a bit better in a way than expected, although he's a bad patient. Only 1/2 of an oxycodone today with 4 Tylenol throughout the day so the BMs are ok with only stool softeners, fortunately. Eating more solid food and only 1 Boost Plus. Worst is he's short of breath and can't use his CPAP to sleep; makes him feel like he's suffocating. Pulse ox is fine Alva, although fluctuates from 88 - 98 but here in Colorado it's normal to have a lower pulse ox. The xray at the hosp showed flattened alveloli so this breathlessness goes with the territory I guess, although DD said keep an eye out to make sure it doesn't worsen. He IS using the flutter valve they gave him along with the incentive spirometer. Kaiser nurse is coming here tomorrow morning to check him out and I'm grateful for that & will bring up the breathing issue he is having.

Just getting those compression socks on this morning was a nuisance, although the nurse in the hosp had a good idea to use a baggie over the foot to slide them on..........which DID work. Oh, and then he said he was cold about 5:30 pm and it's very hot today so I took his temp again and it was 100. Nurse said anything over 100.5 to call the office. Scar looks fine, tube incisions look fine...........so IDK. Again, it will be nice to see the Kaiser nurse tomorrow & see what she has to say.

He is in the shower now & this is truly one of the only times I've sat down today. When I pulled back the blanket on his bed, I saw the clean sheets are now filled with about 20 spots of blood (the chest tube incision is still leaking), so that was like UGH, now I'll have to wash linens tomorrow. I'm worn out, mentally & physically and my mother is back to having a pity party saying 'everyone has forgotten all about me' for crying out loud. Just ONE MINUTE of peace for me would be nice. In fact, DD was again telling me last night that I'm 'stressing DH out' and blah blah, which I'm not, so I told her to STOP LECTURING ME or leave. Does anyone EVER THINK ABOUT the spouse, I wonder?

Thanks for checking in. I'll post tomorrow after the nurse leaves. Hopefully I won't have to get up 100x tonight to check on him. He sleeps in the bedroom directly across the hall from me due to CPAP and restless leg issues.

Lea, just big hugs to you.

Tomorrow, go out for a walk. 30 minutes to yourself. And have a cry if you need that.

Barb, tomorrow I have a phone appt with my doctor for an issue I'm having; just another worry to add to the plate, right? I've had this lump in my throat for what feels like 2 months now............I can *and do* cry at the drop of a PIN! And that's not my usual character, either. Thank you........I will go for an extra walk tomorrow...........besides the dog walks I go on.

Hello, lealonnie, I bet you are exhausted. Hope you both get some sleep tonight. I am glad DH had a good day. Good luck tomorrow at your appointment. Hope things go well for you. Keep us posted when you have time. Hugs.

Thanks for your update. Hoping for a restful night for you both