Major Surgery
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Major Surgery
Back on February 27 I underwent "open heart" surgery for a triple bypass.
Let me say right now that all of the cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, french fries, etc. aren't worth the price later on. I had no idea how badly bypass surgery would kick your ***. When they cut open your breast plate they also cut through all of the tendons attached to it. Those tendons and the muscles attached to them range from your diaphragm to your ribs, shoulders, and base of your neck. Critical in your recovery is to not fall. Any landing could put enough pressure on your chest to rip apart the healing tissue.
Initial recovery was a week in the hospital. Upon my release I went home, where it took 3 passes to walk up the stairs (14 steps) to the main living area. 4 or 5 steps and sit. I didn't venture back down the stairs for another week.
It's now been 5 1/2 weeks and I'm well ahead of most recovery schedules. The surgeon has released me, as have the home health nurse and physical therapist. My cardiologist doesn't want to see me until June. I'm driving, walking, and doing most everything I want as long as it doesn't involve heavy lifting or upper body stress.
That surgery is a lifesaver. But not needing it is even better!
~Bass
Let me say right now that all of the cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, french fries, etc. aren't worth the price later on. I had no idea how badly bypass surgery would kick your ***. When they cut open your breast plate they also cut through all of the tendons attached to it. Those tendons and the muscles attached to them range from your diaphragm to your ribs, shoulders, and base of your neck. Critical in your recovery is to not fall. Any landing could put enough pressure on your chest to rip apart the healing tissue.
Initial recovery was a week in the hospital. Upon my release I went home, where it took 3 passes to walk up the stairs (14 steps) to the main living area. 4 or 5 steps and sit. I didn't venture back down the stairs for another week.
It's now been 5 1/2 weeks and I'm well ahead of most recovery schedules. The surgeon has released me, as have the home health nurse and physical therapist. My cardiologist doesn't want to see me until June. I'm driving, walking, and doing most everything I want as long as it doesn't involve heavy lifting or upper body stress.
That surgery is a lifesaver. But not needing it is even better!
~Bass
Super Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 40,035
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From: Maine, Virginia
Holy cow brother! Was wondering where you've been.
I'm pleased that you're doing well and just know that you're missed in the club.
Hopefully the plumbing job was performed before any damage was done to your heart.
Get well soon brother.
I'm pleased that you're doing well and just know that you're missed in the club.
Hopefully the plumbing job was performed before any damage was done to your heart.
Get well soon brother.
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Joined: May 2007
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From: Greenfield, MA
Bass...hoping your recovery continues to go well. I had a couple heart attacks about a year and a half ago...cardiac catheterization and a couple stents took care of me...rather lucky.
As my father used to say..."If I had known I was going to live so long...I would have taken better care of myself."
Hopefully folks who read this will take your words to heart. (No pun intended)
As my father used to say..."If I had known I was going to live so long...I would have taken better care of myself."
Hopefully folks who read this will take your words to heart. (No pun intended)
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 342
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Back on February 27 I underwent "open heart" surgery for a triple bypass.
Let me say right now that all of the cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, french fries, etc. aren't worth the price later on. I had no idea how badly bypass surgery would kick your ***. When they cut open your breast plate they also cut through all of the tendons attached to it. Those tendons and the muscles attached to them range from your diaphragm to your ribs, shoulders, and base of your neck. Critical in your recover is to not fall. Any landing could put enough pressure on your chest to rip apart the healing tissue.
Initial recovery was a week in the hospital. Upon my release I went home, where it took 3 passes to walk up the stairs (14 steps) to the main living area. 4 or 5 steps and sit. I didn't venture back down the stairs for another week.
It's now been 5 1/2 weeks and I'm well ahead of most recovery schedules. The surgeon has released me, as have the home health nurse and physical therapist. My cardiologist does want to see me until June. I'm driving, walking, and doing most everything I want as long as it doesn't involve heavy lifting or upper body stress.
That surgery is a lifesaver. But not needing it is even better!
~Bass
Let me say right now that all of the cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, french fries, etc. aren't worth the price later on. I had no idea how badly bypass surgery would kick your ***. When they cut open your breast plate they also cut through all of the tendons attached to it. Those tendons and the muscles attached to them range from your diaphragm to your ribs, shoulders, and base of your neck. Critical in your recover is to not fall. Any landing could put enough pressure on your chest to rip apart the healing tissue.
Initial recovery was a week in the hospital. Upon my release I went home, where it took 3 passes to walk up the stairs (14 steps) to the main living area. 4 or 5 steps and sit. I didn't venture back down the stairs for another week.
It's now been 5 1/2 weeks and I'm well ahead of most recovery schedules. The surgeon has released me, as have the home health nurse and physical therapist. My cardiologist does want to see me until June. I'm driving, walking, and doing most everything I want as long as it doesn't involve heavy lifting or upper body stress.
That surgery is a lifesaver. But not needing it is even better!
~Bass
Bummer. Back in 2016 they opened me up and found surprises in there. What was supposed to be a routine out patient surgery turned into 2 weeks in the cardiac unit. They didn't open my chest but did cut 60% of the abdominal muscles. I was told recovery time would be two years to fully recover. After two years, I was mostly pain free when using my abdominal muscles. On the other hand, 8 years later, I still get charlie horses where they cut me. Those are as bad, or sometimes worse than the ones where your big toe pulls away from your other toes.
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Ken -- I was lucky. I've got a family history of cardiac issues so at my physical last year I asked my doctor for some routine heart tests. The stress-echo showed that the lower half of the heart wasn't beating as strongly as the rest of the heart. This is apparently typical of bad blood flow in the coronary arteries. So we scheduled a heart cath to insert stents into the partially blocked arteries. They found the central artery (AKA "the widow maker") was 80% blocked and the other two 70% blocked. I wasn't a good candidate for putting stents in all 3 arteries so they ended the procedure and scheduled the bypass.
I'm extremely lucky in that we found the issue before there was heart damage. No heart attack, stroke, etc. This should last me the rest of my life. Hope yours lasts you, too!
I'm extremely lucky in that we found the issue before there was heart damage. No heart attack, stroke, etc. This should last me the rest of my life. Hope yours lasts you, too!
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Thanks, guys!
It's now 7 weeks post surgery and I continue to heal, slowly but surely. I'm actually a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Barring a setback of some kind I'm probably 6 weeks from returning to the gym for a light workout.
~Bass
It's now 7 weeks post surgery and I continue to heal, slowly but surely. I'm actually a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Barring a setback of some kind I'm probably 6 weeks from returning to the gym for a light workout.
~Bass
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Joined: Mar 2006
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@BassFantasizer continued good luck on your recovery. I had a "major" arthroscopic surgery (reconstruction) on my hip a week ago and limited to what I can do. I was bored to tears by Monday. Just bought a new truck and can't drive it yet.
First post-op visit today, hoping they turn me loose to do a few things.
First post-op visit today, hoping they turn me loose to do a few things.
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I've been release by all the doctors, home health, and physical therapy. And am told that I can return to the gym as long as I don't do any "pushing" exercises (like bench press) for another month.
Reconstruction of a hip has a lot of limitations. How much weight can you put on it now? What about routine walking, etc.?
Reconstruction of a hip has a lot of limitations. How much weight can you put on it now? What about routine walking, etc.?
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Toe touch weight bearing immediately with weaning off crutches in 1-3 weeks. I have already ditched the crutches. This is the second scope on this hip and the other has been scoped as well. Simply pushing replacements down the road a few years.
I know I can't be dumb. Walking short trips (around the house) and steps one at a time leading with the good hip. No stooping, squatting, kneeling, running - well just about everything else...
Really no pain post op - except for pulling the bandage off the day after - that is some serious tape!! And hair to boot. Bruising like I have never seen, but has subsided, some still present.
Having been here and done this before, I have a pretty good idea of how this will go. Like you, months for full recovery.
I know I can't be dumb. Walking short trips (around the house) and steps one at a time leading with the good hip. No stooping, squatting, kneeling, running - well just about everything else...
Really no pain post op - except for pulling the bandage off the day after - that is some serious tape!! And hair to boot. Bruising like I have never seen, but has subsided, some still present.
Having been here and done this before, I have a pretty good idea of how this will go. Like you, months for full recovery.
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