saphire947
12-14-2004, 11:01 PM
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for all you support and prayers during my recent surgery. My myectomy was a complete sucess, but I ended up back in the hospital four days after discharge with pneumonia and CHF. After 10 days of IV antibiotics and Heparin, I was sent home still on O2 with 10 more days of antibiotics. After a second 10 day course of antibiotics my lungs are finally clear and I feel human again. I am no longer experiencing any of the disabling symptoms I had before the surgery. No SOB, no tachycardia, no discomfort after my evening meal, no fluid retention. I have even lost 15 pounds. I went back to see Dr. Rastegar last month and was taken off of all my meds except Lopressor. My gradient which was about 70 prior to surgery is now 11. Other than some residual fatique, I feel better than I have in years.
I want to give a special thank you to Pam for all her expert advice prior to my surgery. Because of the time Pam spent sharing her experience, I was able to go into surgery completely relaxed. The team at NEMC was fantastic. While I was being prepped , each person answered my questions. I was given an explanation about how the heart-lung machine would be attached and what to expect when I woke up. After the A-line was inserted and sutured in, they told me it was time to go to sleep. Can you believe the walls in the OR are pink? I was used to the institutional green. A couple of deep breathes and I was waking up in the CICU.
Pam's advice to ask for plenty of ice chips was great. I hardly had any discomfort from the endo tube.
Am I glad I had the surgery? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. The quality of my life is so much better, better than I could have ever imagined. Dr Rastegar is a very gifted surgeon. Again, thank you all.
Marilyn
Thank you all for all you support and prayers during my recent surgery. My myectomy was a complete sucess, but I ended up back in the hospital four days after discharge with pneumonia and CHF. After 10 days of IV antibiotics and Heparin, I was sent home still on O2 with 10 more days of antibiotics. After a second 10 day course of antibiotics my lungs are finally clear and I feel human again. I am no longer experiencing any of the disabling symptoms I had before the surgery. No SOB, no tachycardia, no discomfort after my evening meal, no fluid retention. I have even lost 15 pounds. I went back to see Dr. Rastegar last month and was taken off of all my meds except Lopressor. My gradient which was about 70 prior to surgery is now 11. Other than some residual fatique, I feel better than I have in years.
I want to give a special thank you to Pam for all her expert advice prior to my surgery. Because of the time Pam spent sharing her experience, I was able to go into surgery completely relaxed. The team at NEMC was fantastic. While I was being prepped , each person answered my questions. I was given an explanation about how the heart-lung machine would be attached and what to expect when I woke up. After the A-line was inserted and sutured in, they told me it was time to go to sleep. Can you believe the walls in the OR are pink? I was used to the institutional green. A couple of deep breathes and I was waking up in the CICU.
Pam's advice to ask for plenty of ice chips was great. I hardly had any discomfort from the endo tube.
Am I glad I had the surgery? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. The quality of my life is so much better, better than I could have ever imagined. Dr Rastegar is a very gifted surgeon. Again, thank you all.
Marilyn