What is Other Heart Problems
The heart is a hollow, muscular organ in vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids,...
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Surviving aortic dissection operation repair
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Greetings everyone, I am new to this sight found it while trying to find some sort of support group to help understand why my emotions are so up and down. At the begining of Febuary, I was admitted to the emergency room for what I thought was an anxiety attack. It turned out via Cat Scan that I had what is call an Aortic Dissection. And that this was the severest case the doctor had seen and was rather amazed that I was still alive. I was also told that I had a very slim chance of surviving the operation. Real encouraging eh? This topic is not so much about having an Aortic Dissection so much as it leans towards asking anyone else who has undergone any major heart surgery (as if any heart surgery isn't) finding themself with emotions going all over the place. I was told that it was rather common for someone to go through this like post tramatic stress disorder. Has anyone else had to deal with this after surgery? I am grateful that I am alive and count each day a blessing. It is one reason why I don't understand why I find myself crying at the drop of a dime. Especially due to the fact that on top of all of this I had to deal with a collapsed lung and have fluid drained out of it two weeks later, as well as being anemic and having heart murmers. Life sometimes throw turds at us and it is how we deal with that which makes a difference and the level of acceptance also has a huge impact. I don't know where I am going with this except for the fact in a very weird way, I feel alone. As if no one understands. And I know I am loved. So I guess what I am asking for is to hear someone elses experience strength and hope. Thank you.
Posted on 03/06/09, 12:03 am |
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Hi ChrisitneB, and I'm glad to meet you and you know that you are alive! I too had a mojor heart surgery, back in 2002, and I can certainly realate the to the wild emotional swings that this event has on your life. In my case I had critical aortic stenosis, this is where my aortic valve was frozen, turned to bone really, and I was fortunate that it 'froze' in a position partially open so I could survive until the surgery. The entire shock of finding out I needed this, and my investigations, all the things the docs told me, it was about the operation. Scared me mostly, all the talk about heart nad lung bypass, machines, tubes. To this day I can't tell you what a bypass machine looks like cause I never saw it, I wasn't there for that. So I had the operation, and guess what, I survived! Thank God! Of course, I was in no way prepared to live.
So I wnt home, and my emotions were all over the place. At times I was happy, at times sad, some crying, anger, shouting. I felt sorry for anyone who knocked on the door. I've done reading on this, and this is quite common actually. While it is so immediate to you living it, know that it and you will get better. 
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Sorry that it took a while to respond.
Thank you for sharing that the emotional upheaval is normal (whatever normal is lol) I cannot imagine that the valve turned to bone. I didn't realize the body can do that. What a wondrful feeling it must be to have lived through that too. I dont know about you but I am still going through a lot of mental thinking in awe that I lived through it. I guess that will continue for a while dunno. Thank you again for responding I am glad you are alive.
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Yes we're alive and that should be amazing to me. I have faith, and I believe that God has purpose for us, and that He reveals this to me as time goes by. A week before I found out I needed this surgery, I had a work associate need the exact same operation, and he did not survive the surgery. Why not? And why did I survive? Only the Creator knows.
Do you have this type of belief?
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If it were not for having faith I wonder if it would have changed the outcome. I don't mean the outcome of surviving but the healing rate. My spritiuality (sorry if it offends anyone reading) is not really based on any religion since I have studied so many different ones and observed that the root of all of them are basically the same. But I digress. I know that it is through prayer that makes a difference. My mum has friends that I don't know praying for me and sending cards to me not just here in the states but all through England as well through prayer chains. Just from people she knows who have told other people and so on and so on. It is quite amazing whta the collective can do. And yes Steve I do agree that we do have a purpose what it is just remains to be revealed in its own course by my guess. I know I have amazed people that I don't know just from hearing my experience. Anyway I can go on forever.
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There is a national group called Mended Hearts, its a volunteer group of people just like you and I, ones who have gone through heart operations, and wish to help others (and their families) facing the same. There is no group here in Jacksonville but I have contacted the organization and may be working on recruiting to have a group here. There is so much good that can happen, for the patients, and for the volunteers.
You may want to check to see if they have a group in or near your city.
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