Three Weeks Later

I am amazed at how quickly these three weeks have gone!  Three weeks ago we were trying to pass the time while Daniel’s surgery was underway.  It is so nice to have all the worry behind us.  I can’t believe how much stress I was carrying around related to heart surgery and recovery!

When Daniel left the hospital 15 days ago, this is what his chest looked like (with electrodes still attached)…

Three weeks later, and the wounds are almost healed!

The human body is an incredible thing!  The scabby area below the main incision is from the middle chest tube, which was the first one to come out.  It must have been a bigger tube, as the mark is larger and the opening did have a stitch in it until we left the hospital.  The other marks are from the other two chest tubes and where the pacer wires were. 

Daniel is still receiving supplemental oxygen to help his heart.  I guess I never really explained that part.  When they did an echo the day before we came home, they found that the pressure in the right side of his heart is a bit higher than they want it.  Having the extra oxygen helps to bring the heart pressure down to a better level.  (Hopefully he’s getting enough oxygen.  The cannula seems to spend more time in his mouth or above his nose than anywhere else!  Pulling it out is one of his favorite things to do right now.)  It is a pain in the neck to leave the house right now, but maybe I’ll get my arms toned from carrying around the tank!

Daniel is also still taking medication to lower his blood pressure.  The cardiologist said we would work on weaning off of it over a period of time.  We should see him in a couple of weeks, so we should get a better idea then as to how his blood pressure is responding.

He is also still taking Lasix (the diuretic) to help keep fluid out of his lungs.  We go down to Salt Lake tomorrow for his post-op follow-up, and I’m hoping he’ll get to be done with it.  (It’s a bit of a tricky drug for him.  The liquid form gives him diarrhea – which is a bad thing when you’re on a diuretic – so we have to divide tiny pills into fourths, crush one-fourth of a pill, mix with milk, and give to him through a syringe.  Which means I have to think ahead!)

He came home on Tylenol for pain, and hasn’t had a drop for at least a week.  Isn’t that amazing?!?!  Like I said…the human body is INCREDIBLE!

The best news is that Daniel is back to nursing full time.  (I never did like that little relationship I was having with the pump!)  He seems to be doing well, so we should see some weight gain tomorrow when we go for his check-up.

Now, if I could go back in time, I’d tell myself to not worry so much.  Haha!  That’s easy to say when I’m on this side of things.  I was told the waiting and anticipation really are the worst parts, and how true that is!  An incredible peace washed over me as we walked through the doors of the hospital.  Handing him over was the hardest thing I’ve done, and I don’t think I could have done it without that peace.  I just knew he would be OK, and I knew he was being watched over.