5 ms·

Would have been interesting to hear what the feeling was like 2 weeks later (ie lethargic? walking alright? breathing well?) TFA only says he's alive "with his

Would have been interesting to hear what the feeling was like 2 weeks later (ie lethargic? walking alright? breathing well?) TFA only says he's alive "with his new heart beating soundly", which could mean a lot of things.

sdenton4 5y ago
I think two weeks after heart surgery is never fun... A few days ago I noted that recovering from having your sternum broken open takes 6-8 weeks to be able to resume daily basic activities under the best circumstances.
- thehappypm 5y ago
  When I was in high school we video chatted with a heart surgeon while he was doing heart surgery. It was an insane, incredible thing to see.
- newaccount74 5y ago
  Two weeks after the surgery he probably still has plastic hoses sucking fluid from his thorax and he can maybe sit up with assistance.
- sagarun 5y ago
  The doctors want you walking (with help) as soon as possible after a heart transplant, unless something is horribly wrong.
- KineticLensman 5y ago
  > A few days ago I noted that recovering from having your sternum broken open takes 6-8 Can also confirm. I received CPR which cracked some ribs. I had to sleep in a chair for the first 5 weeks because lying down flat and getting back up again was so painful. Sneezing and coughing were excruciating until I found the trick of 'hugging' oneself just before to reduce chest movement.
  - kingsloi 5y ago
    I was amazed at how soon I could pick up my baby after her 4 heart surgeries. Obviously, it was a bum scoop as opposed to picking her up under the arms (never had that luxury), and she was medicated, but literally 3-5 days after surgeries, we're back to having skin-skin. Maybe it's because their bones aren't as strong as an adults and there's more flex, but still, really took me by surprise. Even hours after surgeries, her diaper/nappy needed to be changed, so the nurses/I/we would carefully do it, but it was really eye-opening considering she just had major open heart surgery.
    - Shocka1 5y ago
      As a father of two little ones, my thoughts go out to you and your baby :)
__s 5y ago
Relevant: https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/heart/process/after https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/heart/process/after discusses the usual timeline after a heart transplant. tl;dr 2 weeks in he likely still feels like shit
kamaal 5y ago
My dad took weeks(like more than 2 months) to back to being some what confidently ok'ish with things after his coronary artery bypass graft. He needed physiotherapy. His knees were weak and he needed a knee replacement only an year later. But in the after math of bypass surgery I had to hold his hand and make him walk, even feed and took him to rest room personally, I would even bathe him. It took like ages to let him confidently use the toilet on his own. And I'd always keep the toilet door open 'Just in case'. The Knee replacement a year later was obviously more brutal given the bypass was only an year back and we were peak in COVID times. He was infected, and I had sleep on the road as I caught it too(couldn't go home out of fear of infecting the family). Pretty much saw hell in bare form during that(weeks in anxiety, walking in COVID wards and suffering every single minute), and of course that recovery took months, as the drugs they gave him caused a huge spillover of issues. It might just be that as a I child I felt more for my father. But let me tell you major surgeries like bypass grafts, or knee replacements are nightmarish experiences, even more more so in the COVID times today. P.S: This is in Bangalore, India.

sdenton4 5y ago

I think two weeks after heart surgery is never fun... A few days ago I noted that recovering from having your sternum broken open takes 6-8 weeks to be able to resume daily basic activities under the best circumstances.

thehappypm 5y ago
When I was in high school we video chatted with a heart surgeon while he was doing heart surgery. It was an insane, incredible thing to see.
newaccount74 5y ago
Two weeks after the surgery he probably still has plastic hoses sucking fluid from his thorax and he can maybe sit up with assistance.
sagarun 5y ago
The doctors want you walking (with help) as soon as possible after a heart transplant, unless something is horribly wrong.
KineticLensman 5y ago
> A few days ago I noted that recovering from having your sternum broken open takes 6-8 Can also confirm. I received CPR which cracked some ribs. I had to sleep in a chair for the first 5 weeks because lying down flat and getting back up again was so painful. Sneezing and coughing were excruciating until I found the trick of 'hugging' oneself just before to reduce chest movement.
- kingsloi 5y ago
  I was amazed at how soon I could pick up my baby after her 4 heart surgeries. Obviously, it was a bum scoop as opposed to picking her up under the arms (never had that luxury), and she was medicated, but literally 3-5 days after surgeries, we're back to having skin-skin. Maybe it's because their bones aren't as strong as an adults and there's more flex, but still, really took me by surprise. Even hours after surgeries, her diaper/nappy needed to be changed, so the nurses/I/we would carefully do it, but it was really eye-opening considering she just had major open heart surgery.
  - Shocka1 5y ago
    As a father of two little ones, my thoughts go out to you and your baby :)

__s 5y ago

Relevant: https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/heart/process/after https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/heart/process/after discusses the usual timeline after a heart transplant. tl;dr 2 weeks in he likely still feels like shit

kamaal 5y ago

My dad took weeks(like more than 2 months) to back to being some what confidently ok'ish with things after his coronary artery bypass graft. He needed physiotherapy. His knees were weak and he needed a knee replacement only an year later. But in the after math of bypass surgery I had to hold his hand and make him walk, even feed and took him to rest room personally, I would even bathe him. It took like ages to let him confidently use the toilet on his own. And I'd always keep the toilet door open 'Just in case'. The Knee replacement a year later was obviously more brutal given the bypass was only an year back and we were peak in COVID times. He was infected, and I had sleep on the road as I caught it too(couldn't go home out of fear of infecting the family). Pretty much saw hell in bare form during that(weeks in anxiety, walking in COVID wards and suffering every single minute), and of course that recovery took months, as the drugs they gave him caused a huge spillover of issues. It might just be that as a I child I felt more for my father. But let me tell you major surgeries like bypass grafts, or knee replacements are nightmarish experiences, even more more so in the COVID times today. P.S: This is in Bangalore, India.