Triple bypass in 2 days
Discussion
2 weeks ago I had a heart attack.
Seems I was having it for a few days before the blue light run to A and E. Cut to a couple of days ago and the angiography showed that rather than some stents it's the full replumb for me. My heart didn't stop, it's actually quite healthy, it just couldn't shift enough to let me breathe.
Feels like a real big thing is happening and I'm almost looking on from the side. I don't feel nervous or worried although part of me thinks I should.
There are some lifestyle changes to follow but I'm kinda looking forward to those.
All a very strange sense of anticipation.
As a reasonably active 62 year old there must be others here who've travelled this path on here........so whats the best advice.
Seems I was having it for a few days before the blue light run to A and E. Cut to a couple of days ago and the angiography showed that rather than some stents it's the full replumb for me. My heart didn't stop, it's actually quite healthy, it just couldn't shift enough to let me breathe.
Feels like a real big thing is happening and I'm almost looking on from the side. I don't feel nervous or worried although part of me thinks I should.
There are some lifestyle changes to follow but I'm kinda looking forward to those.
All a very strange sense of anticipation.
As a reasonably active 62 year old there must be others here who've travelled this path on here........so whats the best advice.
Wacky Racer said:
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
Bloke across the road had one at 70, ten years later he is still active,
It's a fairly common operation carried out by extremely talented people.
I think you're right. I've met a lot of heart surgeons over the last 2 weeks and they all exude calm confident knowledge. Impressive people.Bloke across the road had one at 70, ten years later he is still active,
It's a fairly common operation carried out by extremely talented people.
My dad, 79, had a quadruple bypass in September after his heart attack and is now back walking miles with the dogs.
He’s followed the given advice to a T and had never been better.
There was another thread I read around the time as understandably I was worried about it: it’s worth searching for, a lot of people on here have successfully had the op in one form or another.
All the best with it.
He’s followed the given advice to a T and had never been better.
There was another thread I read around the time as understandably I was worried about it: it’s worth searching for, a lot of people on here have successfully had the op in one form or another.
All the best with it.
My brother in law had a quadruple bypass about 4 weeks ago. In and out in roughly 5 days, making good progress until this week when he came down with an infection. Abscess started on the heart. Drained and on the mend now.
I saw him a few days after the initial op and I was surprised how spritely he was - taking long walks etc.
Good luck with it OP, don’t let it stress you too much. The surgeons know what they’re doing.
I saw him a few days after the initial op and I was surprised how spritely he was - taking long walks etc.
Good luck with it OP, don’t let it stress you too much. The surgeons know what they’re doing.
Not had a bypass myself, but still the open heart surgery. There were a lot of bypass candidates on my ward.
It is indeed quite a scary prospect, but nothing the surgeons haven't done loads of time before. At 62, you are quite young (thank me later), so recovery should be good. I was in hospital for a week after and most of the guys having by passes were roughly the same.
You will be knocked for six the first couple of days. The next few will be a mixture of wanting to do something, but being too tired, and feeling crap. Drugs help.
Boredom is also a real issue. You are encouraged to get up and walk, but not allowed to go anywhere. Take books, magazines, phones, pads etc.
Make sure someone visits you regularly and brings snacks.
The guys I spoke to, who had bypass surgery, complained mostly about their legs (where the new veins were taken from). My chest pain certainly was manageable.
Good luck.
Don't forget to report back.
The BHF have a great website forum for us patients. Great to let it all out on.
It is indeed quite a scary prospect, but nothing the surgeons haven't done loads of time before. At 62, you are quite young (thank me later), so recovery should be good. I was in hospital for a week after and most of the guys having by passes were roughly the same.
You will be knocked for six the first couple of days. The next few will be a mixture of wanting to do something, but being too tired, and feeling crap. Drugs help.
Boredom is also a real issue. You are encouraged to get up and walk, but not allowed to go anywhere. Take books, magazines, phones, pads etc.
Make sure someone visits you regularly and brings snacks.
The guys I spoke to, who had bypass surgery, complained mostly about their legs (where the new veins were taken from). My chest pain certainly was manageable.
Good luck.
Don't forget to report back.
The BHF have a great website forum for us patients. Great to let it all out on.
Double bypass three weeks ago yesterday. Mostly good. Excruciatingly ticklish left man boob about the worst followed by hiccups. So annoying.
And I can black cat you with the blue light run. I had Royal Berks in Reading to St Barts in the City of London in an hour and twelve minutes in the rush hour. Including being escorted round Trafalgar Square by four unmarked police cars that burst into life when my ambulance was baulked in traffic and cleared a path for us.
Fire away with your questions.
And I can black cat you with the blue light run. I had Royal Berks in Reading to St Barts in the City of London in an hour and twelve minutes in the rush hour. Including being escorted round Trafalgar Square by four unmarked police cars that burst into life when my ambulance was baulked in traffic and cleared a path for us.
Fire away with your questions.
DickyC said:
Double bypass three weeks ago yesterday. Mostly good. Excruciatingly ticklish left man boob about the worst followed by hiccups. So annoying.
And I can black cat you with the blue light run. I had Royal Berks in Reading to St Barts in the City of London in an hour and twelve minutes in the rush hour. Including being escorted round Trafalgar Square by four unmarked police cars that burst into life when my ambulance was baulked in traffic and cleared a path for us.
Fire away with your questions.
Don't mention hiccups or coughing or sneezing... And I can black cat you with the blue light run. I had Royal Berks in Reading to St Barts in the City of London in an hour and twelve minutes in the rush hour. Including being escorted round Trafalgar Square by four unmarked police cars that burst into life when my ambulance was baulked in traffic and cleared a path for us.
Fire away with your questions.
Road2Ruin said:
Don't mention hiccups or coughing or sneezing...
Cough and sneeze management is the answer. I can do a silent cough which just involves a bit of chest flexing, not too much, and beating a sneeze by blowing my nose first if I feel the sneeze coming. I clear my throat by growling loudly rather than coughing, too. We're a resourceful species.Pain relief was odd. I've written about it on the forum recently. I reacted badly to the painkillers I was on immediately after the operation and was repeatedly sick. That's not fun. So they prescribed Paracetamol. It felt like, "We've tried you on Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin but they were no good, here, have a Morris Oxford."
But it works fine for me.
Thanks all and I'm approaching it all with a positive mindset. Pain is something I can deal with having had a replacement knee and toe amputated but hiccups! Lol
I'm not good on morphine so hope big drugs are short lived but I'm just going to go with the flow and do what I'm told. As you've all said, they do this every day. I'm actually in Barts in the City which is a main centre for this stuff so all ducks are as lined up as can be I suppose.
I've been in hospital now for just over 2 weeks now and I'm well set up with phone and a good tablet with access to everything I want. I've avoided too much Google g about this though, just concentrated on listening to what I'm told.
However scary it might be, however painful it might be there'll be someone in here having a worse day than I am so ill be counting my blessings and looking forward to my grandkids, kids, dogs my own bed and my wife.
The most important thing for anyone to have in hospital is, without doubt, noise cancelling headphones! The best you can get!
I'm not good on morphine so hope big drugs are short lived but I'm just going to go with the flow and do what I'm told. As you've all said, they do this every day. I'm actually in Barts in the City which is a main centre for this stuff so all ducks are as lined up as can be I suppose.
I've been in hospital now for just over 2 weeks now and I'm well set up with phone and a good tablet with access to everything I want. I've avoided too much Google g about this though, just concentrated on listening to what I'm told.
However scary it might be, however painful it might be there'll be someone in here having a worse day than I am so ill be counting my blessings and looking forward to my grandkids, kids, dogs my own bed and my wife.
The most important thing for anyone to have in hospital is, without doubt, noise cancelling headphones! The best you can get!
Ask the people visiting you to research the parking at Bart's. Particularly when they come to fetch you. My lad parked in a side road and it was torture. It was the furthest I'd walked by far and set me up for a rotten drive home. They turf you out less than a week after the operation and unless you are expert at wringing the last drop of assistance from the NHS - as some you will meet seem to be - the hospital is keen to transfer responsibility for you to someone else.
There was a woman in the Discharge Lounge who pretty much blackmailed the hospital into providing transport for her. She said if they didn't she'd go back to the ward and go back to bed.
It does seem disconcerting that the NHS provide Emergency transport to hospital, world class care in hospital and then you're on your own. In the mountain of advice pamphlets is a note about them preferring you don't use public transport. A tube and train ride of several hours would be awful but some people must have to.
And, back to visitors, there is no mechanism for buying something you fancy from the hospital shop. You can't go. The last day i was there a trolley with goodies came round but it cant carry everything. Have visitors bring stuff.
There was a woman in the Discharge Lounge who pretty much blackmailed the hospital into providing transport for her. She said if they didn't she'd go back to the ward and go back to bed.
It does seem disconcerting that the NHS provide Emergency transport to hospital, world class care in hospital and then you're on your own. In the mountain of advice pamphlets is a note about them preferring you don't use public transport. A tube and train ride of several hours would be awful but some people must have to.
And, back to visitors, there is no mechanism for buying something you fancy from the hospital shop. You can't go. The last day i was there a trolley with goodies came round but it cant carry everything. Have visitors bring stuff.
I have been getting over intestine surgery that i had three weeks ago so very different to what you are going through (and will be shortly) but i just wanted to wish you all the best.
Amazing surgeons and hospital staff will have you in great shape in no time.
Focusing on all the good things in your life that you will be able to do again certainly helps..
Amazing surgeons and hospital staff will have you in great shape in no time.
Focusing on all the good things in your life that you will be able to do again certainly helps..
Edited by Norton850 on Sunday 23 July 10:18
I'm lucky with good regular visitors and they keep me well stocked with stuff. I've not got much of an appetite but the odd treat is lovely.
We've thought about the home trip. Lucky that our youngest lives in the City and can drive here in 15 mins and we know the area well. It's either that or an Uber exec back to NE London.
Travelling further, as some must do must be a massive challenge post any surgery.
We've thought about the home trip. Lucky that our youngest lives in the City and can drive here in 15 mins and we know the area well. It's either that or an Uber exec back to NE London.
Travelling further, as some must do must be a massive challenge post any surgery.
Blimey! From heart attack to triple bypass in 2 weeks and 2 days?
You lucky lucky Pistonheader!!!
Here's my record of progress: Warning, this contains a tedious and excruciatingly boring account of lengthy delays and complete lack of communication by certain elements of our mostly wonderful NHS here oop norf.
It all started early in 2019, when I began suffering from shortage of breath upon exertion. It gradually got worse up to the point when I decided to do something about it.
I managed to arrange an appointment with my GP ( by telephone only because Covid ) in March 2021 and was treated for COPD from then, up until I was able to have a breathing test ( Sedentary ) at the local hospital in July 2022. In September, the Specialist consultant had reviewed my results, said that there were no abnormalities and cancelled my prescriptions for inhalers and relief sprays. He said he would review my case in a few weeks ( He didn't!
) I still kept using my Salbutamol inhaler because it helped ease my bouts of breathlessness.
I had my heart attack ( Myocardial Infarction ) on the 9th November 2022 and went to bed for 4.5 days. I thought it was a severe adverse reaction to the 'Flu jab I'd had earlier that day Managed to get a GP Appointment ( not easy ) on the 5th day. Blood samples taken 14th Nov > ECG 18th Nov > fast tracked to Echocardiogram at local (Stepping Hill) hospital on 7th December, referred to the "Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic" on 19th Feb 2023, Angiogram on 21st April > "coronory arteries beyond stenting" > prescribed drugs that I should have already been on since December! > referred on 9th May for bypass surgery asap.
Collapsed during severe angina attack 19th May, ambulance to A&E > ECG, bloods, Chest X-ray. > conditionally discharged after 28 hours because alread referred to different hospital for pre-op Carotid Doppler ultrasound, leg vein mapping & Lung Function tests on 25th May, duly carried out.
12 June, Phone call from hospital Specialist Nurse to tell me Doppler tests had revealed "severe stenosis of my carotid arteries, especially RH side" Will this delay my operation? "I cannot say, the Cardiac Specialist will need to review the situation."
On 7th July, I pestered both hospitals plus my GP because I'd heard nothing about a date for surgery. My G[P revealed that a request dated 7th May from the Cardiac Specialist at Wythenshawe to have sight of my Echocardiogram(7th Dec) readout had been answered ( just over one month later!) by the Senior Cardiac Consultant at Stepping Hill saying that he would forward the results, and that he had noticed a problem with my mitral valve that required a further test procedure (TOE: Trans-Oesophagal Echocardiogram) to further investigate. He would make a referral.
I knew nothing of this. Whoop de doo.
Shortly after I received a letter offering me a "Pre-0p Assessment"appointment at Wythenshawe for 7th August, which was subsequently cancelled and brought forward to 18th July. Lots of tests and a long discussion with the Senior Cardiac Surgery Nurse to prepare for my op. Yay! When? Not sure, it depends on the Surgeon's review of my case.
Arriving back home, there is a letter from Stepping Hill informing me of my TOE appointment at 08:00hrs on 16th August.
I should find out next week if the Operating Surgeon wishes to wait for those results before proceeding.
It's looking likely, so I'll most probably be having a 3-for-1 Special Offer Jobbie:
Double?/Triple?/Quad? Bypass, Mitral Valve repair /replacement and my carotids sorted "While-U-Wait". When? I still have no idea.
Hopefully fairly soon. My fitness levels are declining because I can't get enough exercise.
It's certainly something to look forward to, and for me it's been a long time coming.
I was a young man when I first started on this journey, but now I'm 75.
Sorry to bore you all.
Good luck, OP.
You lucky lucky Pistonheader!!!
Here's my record of progress: Warning, this contains a tedious and excruciatingly boring account of lengthy delays and complete lack of communication by certain elements of our mostly wonderful NHS here oop norf.
It all started early in 2019, when I began suffering from shortage of breath upon exertion. It gradually got worse up to the point when I decided to do something about it.
I managed to arrange an appointment with my GP ( by telephone only because Covid ) in March 2021 and was treated for COPD from then, up until I was able to have a breathing test ( Sedentary ) at the local hospital in July 2022. In September, the Specialist consultant had reviewed my results, said that there were no abnormalities and cancelled my prescriptions for inhalers and relief sprays. He said he would review my case in a few weeks ( He didn't!
) I still kept using my Salbutamol inhaler because it helped ease my bouts of breathlessness.I had my heart attack ( Myocardial Infarction ) on the 9th November 2022 and went to bed for 4.5 days. I thought it was a severe adverse reaction to the 'Flu jab I'd had earlier that day Managed to get a GP Appointment ( not easy ) on the 5th day. Blood samples taken 14th Nov > ECG 18th Nov > fast tracked to Echocardiogram at local (Stepping Hill) hospital on 7th December, referred to the "Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic" on 19th Feb 2023, Angiogram on 21st April > "coronory arteries beyond stenting" > prescribed drugs that I should have already been on since December! > referred on 9th May for bypass surgery asap.
Collapsed during severe angina attack 19th May, ambulance to A&E > ECG, bloods, Chest X-ray. > conditionally discharged after 28 hours because alread referred to different hospital for pre-op Carotid Doppler ultrasound, leg vein mapping & Lung Function tests on 25th May, duly carried out.
12 June, Phone call from hospital Specialist Nurse to tell me Doppler tests had revealed "severe stenosis of my carotid arteries, especially RH side" Will this delay my operation? "I cannot say, the Cardiac Specialist will need to review the situation."
On 7th July, I pestered both hospitals plus my GP because I'd heard nothing about a date for surgery. My G[P revealed that a request dated 7th May from the Cardiac Specialist at Wythenshawe to have sight of my Echocardiogram(7th Dec) readout had been answered ( just over one month later!) by the Senior Cardiac Consultant at Stepping Hill saying that he would forward the results, and that he had noticed a problem with my mitral valve that required a further test procedure (TOE: Trans-Oesophagal Echocardiogram) to further investigate. He would make a referral.
I knew nothing of this. Whoop de doo.
Shortly after I received a letter offering me a "Pre-0p Assessment"appointment at Wythenshawe for 7th August, which was subsequently cancelled and brought forward to 18th July. Lots of tests and a long discussion with the Senior Cardiac Surgery Nurse to prepare for my op. Yay! When? Not sure, it depends on the Surgeon's review of my case.
Arriving back home, there is a letter from Stepping Hill informing me of my TOE appointment at 08:00hrs on 16th August.
I should find out next week if the Operating Surgeon wishes to wait for those results before proceeding.
It's looking likely, so I'll most probably be having a 3-for-1 Special Offer Jobbie:
Double?/Triple?/Quad? Bypass, Mitral Valve repair /replacement and my carotids sorted "While-U-Wait". When? I still have no idea.
Hopefully fairly soon. My fitness levels are declining because I can't get enough exercise.It's certainly something to look forward to, and for me it's been a long time coming.
I was a young man when I first started on this journey, but now I'm 75.
Sorry to bore you all.
Good luck, OP.
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