Wife Having Open Heart Surgery

Just need to vent amongst some fellow brewers. Long story short, my wife Denise (46) had been diagnosed with a ''sub aortic membrane'' about 5 years ago. Basically, if they remove the main outlet of the heart after stopping it and bypassing the blood through a machine during the operation, they can look into the heart there's a membrane/tissue growth in front of the valve causing a bottleneck effect. For 5 years you could hear her heart make a squish sound rather than a boom boom just listening with my ear against her chest.

Well, they operated on her yesterday to pretty much stop the heart, bypass the blood and cut this membrane thing out and back together again...no problem...wrong, long day BS. First, this is one of the best facilities in the world and the head of the department did the surgery. All went well except the heart was enlarged from all the back pressure which damaged the opposite valve a bit causing it lo leak when it's supposed to be closed. That was easily repaired with a small mandrel part that is permanently attached to the valve to make it maintain it's proper shape. Not a problem and the heart will naturally shrink down to size. Just glad this was found now and not years from now causing a permanent valve replacement. Another problem was the electrical signals from the brain to the heart stopped working all together. They had to restart the heart and use a pacemaker to complete what the nervous system usually does...complete the electrical circuit to keep the heart beating in proper time.

That was cleared up and the heart started doing it's own thing within 5-6 hours...great, right? Wrong! My wife's cousin and I were standing there in the ICU room at her side and we noticed her right arm and leg had NO movement. The nurse wasn't too startled by this and made no big deal about it other than repeatedly saying ''Denise, can you move your toes and squeeze my hand?'' They made no big deal about it.

Then the head of the heart dept surgeon (the main man) Bartley Griffith came in just strolling through (he performed the surgery, world renowned big shot, great guy). He asked me, ''how's she doing sir?'' I said, looking good other than her lack of movement on her left side''. He yanked the sheets off of her and stepped up the team like a shot of caffeine in the arm. The immediately did a CT scan and sent her to the hyperbaric chamber to squash what may have been air bubbles in her blood causing stroke symptoms. At that point it had been 18 hours and I went home for pair of IPA's and some sleep.

OK, got some sleep , called the hospital and got some better news. She's getting some movement on the left side and doing a little better, but 24 hours after the surgery is still on the breathing tube. They said she may be headed back to the hyperbaric chamber today. Well, cofffee, S..., Shower and shave, I'm heading back to the place that gives most men instant shrinkage...the hospital.

I want to thank Revvy for some encouraging words he gave me to pass to my wife weeks ago because she has been freaking out all through the holidays do to the anticipation and build up to this surgery. She was terrified of something going wrong and she was right, but it looks like things may turn out right. Thanks for listening, drink one for her!!

Sounds like she's in good hands and is doing better. Hopefully you slept for more than the 20 minutes between these posts.

I can't imagine what you are going through. Praying for you guys.

Prayers Sent!!!

Glad to hear she's doing better. I think I'd demand a new set of nurses after explaining what happened. You're the patient and you can do that. I learned all about being assertive last year when my daughter was in the NICU. You're there to take care of one person, your wife. Don't let their experience be an excuse for negligence. If you doubt something one bit, ask for a cardiologist or the surgeon. Go over the nurses head if you need to.

Sorry she's having to go through it but am grateful for the good news.

I wish her a speedy recovery!

Wow, definitely praying for you guys. We're here to listen if you need/want to vent more.

sorry to hear about the complications. my brother underwent open heart surgery almost 5 years ago for an aortic aneurysm and had all kinds of complications from the surgery that weren't expected... i know how ya feel man, but it will continue to get better!

Good thoughts and vibes sent your way. Hang in there...

I was looking at the thread the other day, and was wondering when her surgery was. Glad she's doing ok.

You hang in there yourself.

Reading your post brings back some old memories/feelings. Just said a prayer for you and your wife. My daughter had open heart surgery twice. The first was at a month old and second time at a year old. That was 20 years ago and she's fine today. God Bless your family.

Dan

Damn, best to you and your wife. I truly hope everything goes well. Keep us up to date.

Thanks guys, and Dan your daughter's situation had to make you feel helpless. I feel that man, believe me. Revvy, what the hell's been going on with you???

Remember this, my wife is a BEER loving girl. 130 lbs of I'll have a ''real beer'' American girl. Won't touch a light beer and knows how have a good time. Don't get me wrong, she can get a good drinkin' feisty attitude going at will, but that's better than some broad bitchin' 'cause I drink. You guys would love her I know it, she's genuine and good to the very core.

Update: After a couple of long hyperbaric chamber visits (5-6 hours each), she's made great improvement. I'd say 60% of her left side came back, so not a stroke, but a ''bubble in the blood/in the brain incident'' has been what seems to have been the problem. The sedation from medicine used while in the dive chamber has kept her on the breathing machine for 36 hours, but they hope to get her off of that sometime through the night. I stopped by our favorite pub/restaurant on the way home for a beer (maybe 2-3) and came home. We live 1 hour from the hospital and it's now snowing it's a$$ off just before I go to bed and type this.

This has a good side to it, believe me. I'll never look at her the same again. I may have loved her for certain, but I've never seen her so helpless as this. I've grown a bit here.

Yes that situation made me feel totally helpless. As a father I felt helpless and got to admit cried like a baby when the doc told my wife and I how how critical the situation was, a priest gave our baby Last Rites. I wasn't very strong through it.

And then one day I was taking my little baby home. At times like you and your wife are going through ya just got to have a lot of faith, prayer and trust in the surgeons, medical care and most of all, a higher power.


GB.

Here here brother!

See you're offline now. That's good, you need some sleep. When you get a chance tell your wife Dan wishes you folks the best!

I'll be sending thoughts and prayers your way. Keep us posted on any updates.

They took the oxygen tube out of her throat today and she's breathing well on her own. She's talking a little, but is very tired and has most of her movement back on the left side. Things are looking up.

Great news!

glad to hear she's getting better!

Great news indeed. Said a prayer just now for her continued improvement and for your family overall. Cheers dude!

Good vibes continue to head your way from East TN!

Good vibes headed your way from Seattle. Sounds like a very similar situation to my Mother in 2007. Hang in there brother!

Thanks guys! I appreciate the support because this has been quite an event. This evening they got her up and walked about 150 feet after having her sit up in a chair for a few hours. When I got there this morning she had the breathing tube out and it was nice to hear her voice again. Strange thing is, she remembers everything from the moment she hit the recovery room and started to wake up.

I got a chance to take a wet comb to her hair to snaz her up a bit. She seems pretty content most of the time, but itches a lot from the pain meds. My friends, her friends, my mom and dad and me went to a pub near the hospital two days in a row now for food and a few beers. One pub had Loose Cannon IPA on tap and the other had Ranger IPA. It ain't all bad and I'm relieved big time now. Before I know it, life will be back to normal, only better.

I am glad to hear your wife is doing better. More good vibes coming from Mississippi.

Hope you continue to get great news that your wife continues to improve.

Spent the day with her and watched the playoffs. She had a bad night and all day today into tonight when I left. Threw up a few times and they gave her a fit trying to tap a vein repeatedly due to swelling. Just having trouble getting to that next level. She was out of it today and heavily sedated due to the discomfort. She even said today was the worst day of her life, some of the very few words spoken.

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that. Hang in there dude, you've got a lot of fellow homebrewers praying for you. And if it was the worst day of her life, then it can only get better from here, right? Be encouraged the best you can and keep on loving on her - you're a good man.

Thank you bro! Just got home after a new day with her which was the best day yet. Big time improvement. She was eating again, walked a little again, refusing any pain meds and had a few trips to the bathroom. She would have been sent to a step down room from the ICU, but they had to wait until tomorrow because the hospital is full. They are waiting for a room which is fine with me just in case something should go wrong the ICU is a good place to be.

Things are looking great. Maybe she will be able to come home by the end of the week or if we're lucky maybe Thursday, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I really appreciate the support from you guys when I'm here at the house as my youngest just moved into his own house around Christmas and I'm here by myself.

Fantastic update, great to hear. Praise the Lord for bodies that heal!

You guys have to hear this one. Almost 2 days after she was supposed to be transferred to a step down room they finally moved her to a wonderful room (not shared, single bed) on the 6th floor. This was at the end of a hall with two 5ft by 5ft windows on the corner of the building in downtown Baltimore. Now I'm talking about a corner view that is something else for a sick patient. We waited patiently until they had a room open up and really hoped it would be one without a neighbor and it was....but...

We were just settled in the room. I put all her junk in the closet, they got her hooked up with all the medical crap and I pulled a chair up next to her bed, sat down, held her hand for about 5-10 minutes while watching the TV and enjoying the view during this tough time in our lives when just then, a male RN walks in (not her nurse, but a nurse that volunteered to come in with the news) and said, ''Hello, I'm sorry, but we have to move you to the other side of the building to a dual bed unit because unfortunately we need this room for...'' Well, I cut him off right there and said, ''I don't think so pal! We aren't going anywhere and if you try to move her, I will make a scene you won't ever forget, so you need to go to your boss or whoever it is that needs to know that she ain't going anywhere, so get lost''. He walked out without a word, no exaggeration, that's how it went.

I stayed seated and thought to myself, ''I'm not bluffing and they will have to drag us out, so I was ready to have security on my a$$''. I guess 5 minutes passed and he walked back in and said, ''I went to the supervisor (or whoever it was) and told him exactly what you said. We will make other arrangements so you don't have to leave. Nobody was willing to come in here and confront you or start that ball rolling.'' I told him that I didn't mean to be rude, but I meant what I said and I appreciated him getting the message right. At that point he stayed in the room with us for about 10 minutes to get on my good side which wasn't difficult...I mean, I'm not unreasonable or hard to get along with. He even said that he thought I was completely right. He walked out and my wife just looked me in the eye, smiled and whispered, ''I'm glad you're here.''

This is one great hospital with huge resources and that was my first complaint. I'm now enjoying a nice homebrew IPA at home by myself and that's ok.

Wow! You and your wife have been through some trying times for sure. I can see why the two of you are winning this fight! Keep on doing what you're doing you guys are going to do fine. GB. Dan.

Outstanding again. Way to fight for your wife. Too many guys these days don't have the cajones to do what you just did, and I applaud you for doing it, and for doing it tactfully.

keep it up. my wife was in the hospital for 3 weeks recently with a major surgery, and something very rude and mean happened. i told the charge nurse i'd beat the hell out of 1 staff member, then physically throw him out and he'd be their next patient (i'm not a big guy by any means; i was just losing it) if he went into her room again. glad to see more men stand up for their families

My thoughts are with you. My wife recently had fairly major spinal surgery in November and just had her first shifts back to work this week. Folks on here also know I went though a scary time with our daughter in the ICU after being struck by the car. I know how trying this can be, planned or not. Will be thinking about you and your wife. Good health to you both!

lumpher said:

keep it up. my wife was in the hospital for 3 weeks recently with a major surgery, and something very rude and mean happened. i told the charge nurse i'd beat the hell out of 1 staff member, then physically throw him out and he'd be their next patient (i'm not a big guy by any means; i was just losing it) if he went into her room again. glad to see more men stand up for their families

Click to expand...

What did this jackbag do?

glad to hear she's doing better! also glad you told them how it's gonna be! kudos man.

Again, thank you all. I think there's a chance I'll be able to take her home tomorrow. (thursday) They removed the drain tube from her chest today and she's talking about wanting to leave. They said it's very possible so my fingers are crossed.

Excellent! Home is good.