Me

What I had was a septal myectomy (Info Here) instead of valve replacement.  Once the surgeon got in there and removed the obstruction, he noticed that the valve closed properly and didn't have to do more.  So no pig jokes. 

I was in ICU until Tuesday evening.  The cardiac ICU is different in that they allow visitors from 9-9 as long as it's two at a time.  Kathy spent the night in the room with me and didn't get any sleep because of the beeping.  If I didn't breathe slowly and deeply enough, it beeped, so every time I drifted off to sleep, there it went over and over. 

The Percoset made me nauseated and so sleepy I couldn't hold my eyes open.  I had some Phenergan last night which totally put me to sleep and stopped the nausea.  This morning I was in pain from leaving off the pain meds and just taking Extra-Strength Tynenol (not enough) that I thought I would never feel good again.  I talked to my mother and sister-in-law this morning and told them how bad I felt and was just pitiful.  Then they took out the tubes and gave me some Loritab.  That stops the pain but doesn't make me sleepy or nauseated.  The tubes hurt and were worse every time I moved.  Very bad.  Getting them out really helped just as the nurses told me it would.  I didn't believe them, but fortunately they were right.  They've seen a few of these! 

I'll get the leads out tomorrow.  They are some wires that monitor my heart.  So I might get to go home tomorrow later in the day or Saturday morning.  I'm hoping for Saturday since that seems like a better time to go. 

I can't believe how much more quickly this recovery is than I thought it would be.  They started cardiac rehab Tuesday with my walking very slowly on the treadmill for 5 minutes and then 7 that afternoon.  Yesterday I did more a little faster, etc. 

Kathy, Brian, Sally, and Tina were here during and after the surgery.  Kathy spent the night with me in ICU as I mentioned earlier.  Brian came back the next morning and stayed all day Tuesday.  Between the two of them they could translate my charades since I couldn't talk with all those tubes in my throat.  I could write some on a board, too.  Very interesting. 

Kathy went back home Tuesday evening, and Brian has been back every day.  He sits there with his iPad and helps with things when I need him to.  He also has his laptop and works from here some, too.  Mother, my brother, and sister-in-law came Monday afternoon, and Mother and Janelle again this evening.  It's good they did after how pitiful I was this morning and yesterday.  They were amazed that I was sitting in the chair and could get up and out of it easily.  Don't get me wrong.  This is not fun.  Do not do it.  You won't like it.  I'm just saying that I feel so much better today that's it's a relief to know I can go home.