We arrived back in Nashville one week after surgery. I traveled with Jim and another family member, who took great care of me on the trip. Our roommate picked us up from the airport and we went home. The most important thing to remember when recovering from this type of surgery is to not use your arms / hands. I was not able to use my left hand from the vein issue anyway, so this was easy to remember.
When we were originally thinking about my recovery, it was pre-pandemic, so we were hoping to have help from friends and family. Unfortunately, by the time I could have surgery, it was during the pandemic and therefore, we quarantined ourselves at home and did not see any friends or family for months.
I was placed on “sternal precautions” for eight weeks after surgery. This meant I could not lift anything heavier than five pounds (a gallon of milk is eight pounds) to prevent pulling on the incision. The first few weeks, I could not do much. Jim helped me shower, get beverages, food, clothes, etc. He also started handling everything around the house; dishes, laundry, taking care of our dogs, etc. I am not one to sit around, so this was very difficult for me. I am so thankful to have him.
Some tasks that were surprisingly difficult were pushing or pulling. For instance, pushing in or pulling out electrical plugs, like plugging in my computer. Lifting my arms at all hurt for a few weeks, but even when I could lift them, doing things like holding a towel on my hair and pushing my hands together to dry it was painful. The Mayo Clinic sent me home with a variety of what they called “binders”, which I wore daily for 8+ weeks post-op. These wrapped around my chest and kept everything in line, so I was less likely to hurt myself.
In the hospital, I received an incentive spirometer to practice deep breathing to open up my lungs and prevent fluid from building up. The highest mL inspired volume you can breathe in on this device is 5000. When I arrived home, I was able to get it to 1250. I continued to use this through my recovery, much longer than doctors recommended, to ensure that my lungs continued to heal and did not build up any fluid. At my eight week mark, I was able to get my breath up to 2750 and at 10 weeks I was up to 3000. I will continue to use this device to increase my lung capacity and help prevent future infections during my recovery.
The first 6 weeks after surgery, I was to wash my incision with soap and water and pat it dry. I was not able to use scar creams or ointments until after six weeks. The incision was stitched extremely well by the Surgeon and is healing nicely. After the wound vac was removed in the hospital, the bottom part of it opened a bit, but eventually healed. I used gauze in between my breasts to help keep the incision clean and dry to heal.
At 2.5 weeks post-op, I was on around-the-clock pain medicine and was pushing myself to feel better. I tried to stretch my arms up over my head and then out to my side. I also used a drinking glass that was heavier than expected and one of these things did not sit right with my body. I found myself in increased pain and almost went to get an x-ray because I thought something was seriously wrong. I pushed myself too far too fast and did not mean too. This set myself back and I had to slow things down again.
At 3 weeks post-op, I was able to shower standing up by myself. This process was slow and painful, but I would take pain medicine beforehand and then take my time in the shower. It was painful to use a washcloth against my skin due to the pushing effort that entails.
At 4 weeks post-op, I was able to finally get the lid off my cup and get water and ice refills by myself. I was also able to put on my own socks and start to slowly stretch my arms up and out, as well as, start to stretch my legs by lifting them on chairs or couches. I started having trouble sleeping around this point. I am guessing it is due to all the medication, but taking Melatonin or sleep gummies helped.
At 5 weeks post-op, I went in for an x-ray to check on the wire placement and to see how well my lungs were healing. The ride to and from the lab was still a little painful thanks to the bumpy Nashville roads.
The following week, I had a video call with my Surgeon at the Mayo Clinic and she was pleased with my healing and my x-ray. I had been concerned with my healing process because in the hospital, the nurses and doctors talked about what happens the first eight weeks, but do not mention what happens after. Also when you Google (which I know you shouldn’t) how long it takes to heal from a sternotomy, it says 4 – 6 weeks for a full recovery, HAHAHA (NOT TRUE). I was feeling that I was not going to be healed at the eight-week mark and thought I was behind. Luckily, the Surgeon eased my concerns and told me that I should expect to be on prescription pain medicine for roughly three months and on over the counter pain medicine for six months. It was a serious surgery and would take a long time to heal. This information was a weight off my shoulders and made me feel so much better. I was right on track, it just turned out that the track was longer than I thought.
At 6 weeks post-op, I was able to start using scar cream, Vitamin E and essential oils on my incisions. I used Mederma scar cream on one of my chest tube incisions and then frankincense essential oil on the other one to see which one was most effective. I have also used Vitamin E by popping the oil and rubbing it on the large incision. This is a recommendation from my Mom that has had success with it in the past. I will continue to do this and will give updates.
At 8 weeks post-op, I was still having difficulty opening Tupperware, yet can take longer showers and am having less pain putting on deodorant. The action of reaching across your body to the opposite shoulder is something that took longer to be comfortable because you can feel the constriction in your rib cage. I am still sleeping with the pillow wedges to keep my legs and head elevated. It is still difficult to sit up to get out of bed, but using my legs against the side of the bed to leverage myself up, and not use my arms, helps. I can get down on the ground and lay down flat to stretch, as long as I move like a sloth. I am also finally able to cut up my own food, such as chicken or steak. Big win!
I am hoping to be able to take a bath soon and am allowed to since my incision is past the six week mark. Unfortunately, though, I still am unable to use my arms to assist in getting up and down because it pulls on my chest. This would make it impossible to get in and out of the bath tub at this point.
At 9 weeks post-op, I am feeling a little more sore and am having more pain. A few days ago I went on a car ride for approximately 30 minutes. I had my binder on very tight, the ride was a little uncomfortable but it felt much better than it did 3 weeks prior. I also tried to lay flat on the ground again for a good stretch. I think the combination of these too actions set me back a little.
At 10 weeks post-op, I am starting to have more good days. I tried to reduce the amount of medicine I am taking, but my pain and shortness of breath increased again. When I am taking medicine around-the-clock I am in less pain and am starting to be able to be more active. I have started doing a light leg workout, consisting of squats, leg lifts, calf raises, etc. as well as my arm workout using the resistance band that Mayo Clinic provided. I have also been able to fold clothes and have started cooking some easy dishes in the kitchen. I get very tired after these activities, but at least I am able to be more active with out being in too much pain.
At 12 weeks post-op, Mornings I have the most pain but throughout the day I feel okay. I am continuing to do my leg workout every few days and am stretching more and more. At this point I can lift 10 – 12lbs at a time and am able to do the laundry without getting as tired. I have also finally had enough energy to shave my legs, big win!
July 20th my friends Sarah and Cassie came over for my first socially distanced gathering in my backyard. It was so nice to see people in person and to do it safely from my home. July 22nd I will be starting an elimination diet to correctly identify any food sensitivities and hopefully relieve some of the headaches, shortness of breath and joint pain that I am still experiencing.
Pain Medicine:
Week 1: I was in the hospital on several IV and oral pain medicines around-the-clock.
Week 2 – 4: Alternating 1000mg Tylenol, 400mg Advil, 2mg Dilaudid every TWO hours
Week 4 – 12: Alternating 1000mg Tylenol, 400mg Advil, 2mg Dilaudid every FOUR hours
Week 13 – 16: Alternating 1000mg Tylenol and 400mg Advil every SIX hours, 2mg Dilaudid as needed
At 7 & 10 weeks, I tried to reduce my medication amounts and noticed being in more pain and more short of breath. I am hoping this is just due to the swelling. I increased the medicine I was taking, with my doctors permission, and started feeling better.
Week 16 and Beyond: I hope to start reducing the frequency of pain medicine as much as possible to limit damage to my stomach. I have been taking probiotics, one a day vitamins, fiber and stool softeners to help keep my stomach healthy.
I have also been using heat and ice packs on my incision to help reduce the swelling and manage my pain level.
It is going to be a long journey and I will need to pace myself, but once I am fully healed I will feel better than I have in years!