Bypass problems

Hi and Welcome to HealingWell, David!!

I will be celebrating 1 year post op triple bypass on Aug. 24th! 

I do know what you speak of as I am plagued by a few things as well, though I have to tell you, that I'm so happy that I had my bypass, cuz it gave me 6 months of pain free time from Angina!

It's no secret that there has been a term given to the after effects of 'on pump surgery patients being called Pumpheads'.  I've read that 85% of all post op patients regain most if not all their memory by a year.  The other 15%???   

Recently, though, there have been studies reputing this info??  I'll see if I can find something on that.

I have a pain on my left rib and it continues to cause minor pain when I cough or sometimes just because -- I had pleurisy after the surgery, though fortunately no Pleural Effusion (PE).  The Dr. told me that is still from the surgery and I really don't worry much about it, as during this type of surgery, you have trauma to muscles, bone, nerves, etc.

I'm so sorry to hear that after 10 yrs. you seem to have these problems!!  Write back and I'll see what info I can find, David!

Hugs, Teri

Thankyou so much for replying, I cannot tell you how much it means to me that I have found this site as I have found the last 10 years so isolating. people expect you to get well after an operation and blieve me I wanted to as the angina was crippling in the final months and so debilitating. i agree 10 years is a long time, it feels like a lifetime to me sometimes. I feel that what we have here is a classic chicken and egg situation. I have read in in last few days that the shock and trauma of the op can cause problems such as CFS and also that pump head can cause severe probs. My opinion is mixed I guess. and i am so confused but gratified that suddendly after 10 years of beating my head against a wall with weird symptoms, being called a hypocondriac, crazy, etc information seems to be flooding in and its difficult to cope with the flow. Suddenly I feel that even though there maybe no cure as such for CFS or pumphead a diagnosis as such is a relief. i cant tell you how lonely it has been even with a supportive family. Its almost as if the way I am is accepted as who I am and I have never felt that. I always did want a solution, a confirmation, a way back to the life I used to have. i feel that I have made a start.
I can honestly say that prior to my op I could sleep on a clothsline as we say here in GB and since then in these last ten years I normally only get 2 hours of light unrefreshed sleep, sometimes days will go by. in all this time i have struggled to work in a tough industry (haulage, i am a small haulage co.) and not to give in even though i was exausted most of the time but since christmas I have slowed right down and my body seems to be packing in. i guess the price must be paid at some time and none of us get a ride for free. i guess my abiding fear is that i will need another bypass soon as my surgeon told me he was sure he would see me again in 10/15 years. he was not as bad as he sounds, he sat by my bed the night before the op and tryed to reassure me but he was an honest man and said that 10/15 years is often the limit of the grafts. Mabye things have changed. I was only 43 when I had my first and i followed a genetical path forged by all the male members of my fathers family
sorry if this is a bit rambling, I am tired and my eyes ache. thanks once again for your support and i will log in for the chat. I guess that will make it 01.30 or so in england. I look forward to speaking to you all then
david

Hi David! I'm glad to hear you feel better today!

Re:  To fix time the time of day - just go to Control Panel, then Edit Your Profile...

If you have any other questions here, please feel free to ask! 

Hugs, Teri