Hey guys, just need some personal feedback. My mom went in for what she thought was going to be day surgery angioplasty 2 weeks ago. They started the procedure and found the blockage to be too great, so they nixed that and scheduled her for a quadruple bypass the next day. She came out of surgery fine, was out of ICU the end of next day. She was discharged 5 days later, and has been home about a week. She is 64 and has diabetes. She has been resting at home, but had been complaining of being really tired. She only take medication for her diabetes, no insulin, but her sugar was really high when she was discharged, now it's real low, like less than 100. She went back to see her surgeon today because she felt so weak, but he didn't seem to:o concerned. How long did it take you to get to feeling better? She has very little appetite, nothing takes good to her, therefore she doesn't eat much. I am going over after work every night to help out and help take care of her, and just want her to get back to her old self. Are these symptoms common? Her doctor isn't much help, i don't think, and i don't find much on the web. Just looking for some first hand feedback. Thanks guys!

 

That's really rough surgery. It's going to take some time to recover. My fiance's father just had a double bypass last week and he has pretty much the same symptoms. I'm not too sure how diabetes might affect it, but I wouldn't be too worried if the doctor isn't. It's very common surgery now a days and millions of people have it and do just fine.

 

Blood sugar less than 100 is not considered really low. I wouldn't be concerned unless it reaches less than 70. Optimally, her fasting BS would be somewhere between 80-120.

Sorry, no experience with bypass surgery. I would think that weakness after a major surgery would be expected to a degree.

 

My mother had the surgery under the exact same circumstances a few years back. She went in for an angioplasty and the doctor came out and told me she was better off with a what ended up being a triple bypass.

She's also an insulin using diabetic.

The bad news is it too the better part of the summer for her to get out and about again. The absolute most important thing are the breathing exercises, and walk.

walk walk walk. As much as possible without going overboard.

I'd say about 2 1/2 months before she was able to live on her own again.

-Fatz

edit: I just re-read your post and it describes my mothers recovery identically--all the way down to the blood sugar. No appetite, no energy. Keep the blood sugar as close to 100 as you can. 'sweet' diabetics don't heal.

 

This story is a complete mirror of my mother 4 years ago.

Next day quad by-pass, diabetes, quick discharge,tired, everything right down to the letter. My mom was 62 at the time. It took her about 4 months to really start feeling good enough to become active with her gardening and stuff again.

Hang in there. Everything turned out for my mom in the end. She now has been able to crawl around on the floor and play with my kids and everything. She even says that she hasn't felt this good in 30 years.

 

I had the pentagon (quintuple) by-pass done last December at the tender young age of 41. It took me three months to return to normal activities, work, ect. In the beginning, walking is the key. Did your mom get a daily walking plan from her doc? They started me out by taking baby steps....walking five mins. once a day the first week, then twice a day during the second week, then ten mins. once a day, and so on. Before I knew it, I was damn near speed walking for an hour a day! I could actually feel myself getting stronger and stronger EVERY DAY! One of the key things to do to help the heart after this kind of procedure, besides eating healthy and not smoking, is exercise!!! Cardio exercise at least three days a week is a phenominal way to get and stay healthy. Just be sure and tell your mom NOT to swing or move her arms when she starts out walking, for at least 6-8 weeks, (I'm sure her cardiologist will tell her this, if he hasn't already) as this could lead to the breastbone not healing properly, I've heard some horror stories. Please tell her, and you too, not to worry, in time she will be back to being herself again, or like me, even better. Both of you will be in my prayers.

 

cant say that I have... but look forward to a Aortic Root replacement with possible vavle replacement along with kidney transplant later in life. :o

 

Well, thanks for all the input guys. I had to make a housecall last night. Her incision got infected and the doctor had to pull some stitches and clean it out. Without getting too gross, there is a quarter size hole in her chest about 2" deep that needs to be cleaned and dressed 3x a day. i did it last night for her (good thing i am an Eagle Scout, huh?!?) Only problem is my dad and her don't get along and he is taking care of her, and not very well. She has a home healthcare nurse coming out today. Her blood sugar was really low the last two days, like 55 one day and 70 the next. I think once she gets past this hump, she will be ok. My dad told her she was supposed to be walking 1 mile a day. I asked him what color the sky was on his planet. You have to build up to it, not all at once. I live 10 minutes away, so i will continue to keep close tabs on her untill all is better, just hope it's soon for her sake...

 

Dude that sux about your dad not taking very good care of her, if it wasn't for my wife and my mom and sister babying me for the first two to three weeks I don't know what I would've done. Thank God that you're there for her, she just went through one of, if not the most, invasive surgeries there is and she needs TLC 24/7 until she's able to do things for herself again. Stay strong for her, and if you need to have any questions answered please send me a personal message or e-mail me anytime. Good luck to the both of you.

 

That's the one thing the surgeon nor her cardio-vascular doctor didn't give her was a go-by excercise schedule, what she can do, how far, how soon or anything. Last night, after her doctor visit, she was complaining of her ribs hurting on one side. I noticed high on her chest where the rib cage was cut in half, there was a huge knot, right near her collarbone. The doctor did see it and said nothing, but i wonder if her ribs got josteled. I know her rib cage has not healed back, that will take probably 6 months from what i have heard. That's the worst, you don't ever want to see someone you care about and love be in pain, but i can't do anything about it. Hopefully, she can get back to feeling better. I think once she builds up a little energy, she can start excercising and get back on track.

 

I would get in touch with a nurse ora physical therapist right away, one who specializes in cardiac rehab and get a walking schedule for mom. She really needs to start walking asap! Also, you should chek out a Cardiac Rehab program. I went to one, starting 6 weeks after my surgery, and I truly believe that the therapy I recieved there is what helped me get back to normal so quickly, the nurses that specialize in that area are heaven sent. Again, good luck!

 

Quick update on my mom: I get a frantic, half-garbled call from her Friday morning about 9:45 that she is shivering and having chills, i told her hang up and call 911. I could barely understand her, she was shivering so bad. So, i hang up and haul the 18 miles to her house from work, made it there 20 minutes before the ambulance did. What the hell is that about??!?! Oh, and can someone tell me how to disable the speed limiter on this truck!?! If i still had my T/A, i could have shaved more time off. No matter, i get there, she is shivering uncontrollably, i call 911 twice more before they get there. They load her and take her back to the ER. Her incision got infected, due to my dad thinking it was better to pour the alchol down his throat rather than clean and dress her wound, like he was supposed to. So, she was admitted to the hospital, but still sitting in the ER a day later waiting for a room. Biggest thing is she has a siatic nerve pinching in her back, causing her more pain than anything. Morphine and vicatin can't touch it. So, her saga continues. Pray for her, but mostly my dad, because if my brother gets a hold of him, he will need a room of his own. If my dad was caring for her like is supposed to be, she would have not been bending over to do stuff, and her stitches would not have pulled out. They had to tranfuse two pints of blood last night to her, she was low on volume, causing her to be weak and short of breath like she has been complaining of for 4 days. Ugh.. nothing worse than seeing someone you love be in pain and nothing you can do for them...