I am having Major Heart surgery next week

[katedan]

I read the posts all thew time but have not posted much before but I wondered with so many peole posting if anyone had experience of my situation. Next week I will be admitted to hospital for open heart surgery to repair my aortic valve. I am terrified as I have a 5% chance of dying. I have a wonderful DH and a 2 year old son and it is so hard watching them thinking I may not be with them much longer. I will be in hospiatal 7 - 10 days and then unable to do anything for 6 weeks. I will be 30 this weekend and feel too young for this. Please any advice on coping with this or preparing my ds for my abscence would be appreciated.

No advice, just lots of best wishes ands!

I have no advice really Katedan but I am sending you lots of {{{{hugs}}}} and am wishing you all the very best over the next few days.

x

that means you have 95% chance of surviving

will be thinking of you, where will the op be done?

btw, my dh is only 26 and has had open heart surgery, has an LVAD and is waiting for a transplant. one thing i have learnt is that you are never too young

It will be at the Heart hospital in London. I was born with this heart defect and as a chld was opearted on but I was always told that further surgery would not be necessary till I was at least 40 so it has all come as a shock.

Thank you for your thoughts and all the best to your DH misdee.

i know it wil lbe a shock to you as you expected another 10years with no ops. i hope everything goes better than ok, and you will be bacl afterwards to tell us awful stories of hospital food.

No advice here either, just wishing you the best and sure you will be back on here with us all soon {{{Hugs}}}

katedan, no advice with regards to op, but I wish you all the best next week. I can understand how scared you are but do keep in mind that that 5% also includes many elderly with poor heart function, with a much poorer prognosis.

One thing I can tell you though is how wonderful the heart hospital is. I stayed in there for several days a fortnight ago for an ICD implant. I was on the coronary care ward. I've never come across such a posh hospital. My family had to sign in just to come and see me. Every bed has a phone next to it, my dp could phone me direct at any time, that was a great comfort. I couldn't complain about the food neither, not bad for hospital food. I was even able to use their portable DVD player whilst in bed.

Although I'm sure reading material won't be on the top of your agenda, do bear in mind though that because it is such a small hospital, they don't have anywhere to buy a newspaper/magazines, sweets etc, no-one comes round with their little trolley. Oh and one more thing, I have never come across so many good looking doctors......I wanna go back

Best wishes x

katedan - wishing you all the best for next week. Try to look at the 95% and not the 5% - it's tough I know. Have you looked at the GUCH website ? They have message board and you'll probably find someone in a similar situation to yourself.

Again, no advice to give but you can have my best wishes for the op and I will be thinking of you on the day.

Thanks everyone, have had a bad night of not sleeping and worrying about it.

Potty1 - I am a member of GUCH and there website is great but I have not found anyone who is also a mother and I think that element is making it harder.

Macwoozy - I am so pleased your operation went well and you liked the heart hospital. I did a tour last week but it really helps to hear from someone who has stayed there.

Macwoozy's advice is good, remember that your age puts you in a lower risk category!.

Good luck for the op, try (I know, it sounds silly) to focual on the 95% as opposed to the 5%, maybe do somethngs like planning Christmas shopping lists? Anything that focuses on the notion of a furure.

Thinking of you, and take care XXXXX

Good luck Katedan.

My partner had a Ross Procedure in his early thirties - if you don't know what that is, its taking both valves out, chucking the one from the high pressure side away and putting the one from the low pressure side in its place and then replacing that one with a porcine valve. He had his first ops as a baby, followed by heart bypass at 13. Have to say though, it took him until well after the Ross to accept his body, so I empathise with what you say about feeling too young. Once he accepted it, he started to live life in spite of his heart, and not because of it.

A couple of months ago, his mum had her valve repaired - she is in her 60's.

Obviously, the repair takes a lot less time than the replacement so that is a great start. DPs mum took about 8 weeks to fully recover - in the meantime, she just took things very slowly. Bear in mind she is in her 60's too, and as someone has already pointed out age is most definitely on your side!

So... whilst not having first hand knowledge, I have seen it first hand, so the best advice I can give you is make arrangements for childcare -you will need plenty of rest as you will be tired afterwards. You will also not be able to lift anything, and that most definitely includes a 2 year old!
Have you got that level of support around you? - also, put in a claim for attendance allowance? I'm not entirely sure of the rules on claiming, but if you are eligible, it may help with childcare costs. The Dept for Work and Pensions will be able to tell you.

Let us know how you get on