Undergoing heart bypasses and replacing aortic valve.

The recovery is way more effective than dying.

It hurts. Hope you have a recliner to sleep in because getting in and out of bed is painful. It gets better after the 1st month but your chest is going to be sore for another month.
You're going to start feeling good all the time.

No one looks forward to open heart surgery, but once done, the people I've personally known feel like they have a renewed purpose in life and seem happier in the years after.

Thank you for that. That is what I am looking for.

You will do great. I see a lot of people the morning after for therapy in the hospital.

Remember that it’s completely normal for them to walk with you afterwards. You will likely use a special walker.

Remember to “move in the tube” not bringing arms too far away from your body so you don’t overstretch your sternum.

The chest tubes are the worst once those come out you are going to feel 75%+ better more than likely.

It’s completely normal to have a lot of pressure between your shoulder blades and in various places during the time when the tubes are in. Nothing is wrong you’re just feeling them move around in sensitive spots.

You got this

My father in law had a heart attack and aortic valve replacement back in February. Following surgery, he was in the hospital for about a week, three days of which was intensive care. He’s 77, by the way and it is an artificial valve (not a pig one),. The heart attack is what really got him; not so much the surgery. For the first month, he was very weak, gaining a bit of strength day by day. During that time he stayed with my sister-in-law who looked after him. After a month, he was pretty much back to normal. Never a man for idleness, he made sure he didn’t overdue things. He followed the doctor’s orders to a tee, did his physical therapy as required. Now, eight months later he look better than he has in years, says he feels better, and is doing his thing. He lives in his own and doesn’t have any issues. His neighbor keeps an eye on him for us. Of course like after any surgery he couldn’t drive for awhile, lift stuff, etc.

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The chest tubes are the worst once those come out you are going to feel 75%+ better more than likely. It’s completely normal to have a lot of pressure between your shoulder blades and in various places during the time when the tubes are in. Nothing is wrong you’re just feeling them move around in sensitive spots.

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My father in law would agree. He was so happy to get that crap out.

Too bad. Once the doctors get their hooks into you it’s over. They’ll use you like a pin cushion and it will be one procedure after another. You’re just a new beach house to them now. If you let them do it you’ll be dead within 2-4 years I promise you. And your quality of life will be shite. If you don’t let them do it, you’ll still die but your quality of life will be better. Remember this. I tried to tell you.

Doctors don’t cure anything. They’re trial and error body mechanics that only treat symptoms. They love a yes patient that never question them. Most people are “whatever you say doc” and it’s sad. He wants to cut you open and do major surgery and it’s “whatever you say doc!”

Doctors aren’t infallible so you should question everything! And you should have taken better care of yourself. (Unless you’re 85, then my apologies) Was stuffing yourself full of jambalaya at the tailgate worth it now? This didn’t “just happen to you” and you’re not unlucky or have bad genes. You didn’t take care of yourself.

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nd replacing aortic valve.

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Is this open heart or TAVR?

I had a couple bypasses just about 10 years ago. The valve replacement, I can’t speak to…
But for the bypass surgery I would offer this advice: decide before the surgery, decide now that you will endure this, that you have too much to live for to let this steal anything but a short period of time from you. Now, when your surgery is done and you are in recovery, and you are able to think at all for yourself, take deep breaths! The only thing I thought about was taking deep breaths to clear my lungs and under the influence of the anesthesia and heavy pain meds is the time to do it! You’ll barely be conscious, but if you can remind yourself to just breath as deep as you can while you are sedated, your future self will be grateful. I did this so much that my wife was concerned and kept asking nurses if it was ok. Most said they didn’t know why I was doing it but it wasn’t hurting anything. The point of it is to clear the lungs and work them out immediately after surgery, while still under heavy sedation. What I believe it did for me, is prevented me from having any buildup in my lungs that would cause me to cough or get choked up. I literally didn’t cough for almost three full weeks after the surgery. I assume this helped and I was very grateful. This tip was shared to me by an older nurse at the hospital the morning of my surgery, and I just listened and did it. lol.
After that, use the few weeks that you will recover to find some healthy but “good tasting” meals you can prepare. There’s enough good food that is healthy out there to make some diet changes. I don’t eat perfectly by any means, but some changes were made and it matters. Lastly, get up and get to walking as soon as your cleared to do so. Not fast, not too long, but get in the sun, get the walk in and then enjoy some of the deepest sleep you’ve had in a long time! lol.
After your walks, at least for the first week or so, you’ll be so fully exhausted that you likely just pass out once you hit the recliner. Oh, if you don’t have a recliner, get one.
You’ll do fine, your body can and will do amazing things if you just allow it to. Decide now, you will be better a version of yourself for the foreseeable future and keep your thoughts positive.
Don’t doubt your endurance, don’t doubt your body, you got this. Sadly, thousands of people go through this daily, you are way more equipped to handle it than most. Go attack this and recover strong and well, then enjoy your new life.
Lastly, Find a friend that’s been through it, make one if you have to. No need to go through it all alone, mentally it can wear you out, but once you realize your not alone and you talk through it with someone that’s done it, you’ll feel relieved, renewed, and motivated.
You got this! You won’t even remember any pain, you’ll just remember the experience.
You got this.

Not bad, post op 24 hrs are actually the most dangerous.

They will place rigid tubes into you that are uncomfortable as frick. A few days in, theyll pull them out, and thats when actual comfort starts setting in.
My best friend did it 2 weeks ago...triple