UWMC discharge after OHS

 Tuesday June 30, 2020

Five days after open heart surgery I was discharged from the hospital! I had an incredible medical team watching over me and did I mentioned that the hospital food was scrumptious?!

 

Day 1, post-op, the nurse removed a large catheter from my neck.

  

Day 2, I wasn't having a bowel movement so a 2 ft. ng tube was inserted to help. This meant that I wasn't able to eat for a day. The ng tube strategy didn't work so I was given three different laxatives that got things moving. It was a glorious feeling to remove the ng tube!

 

Day 3, my chest tubes, that had removed approximately a gallon of fluid, were removed and stitched up. 

 

Each day I practiced breathing exercising to increase my lung capacity. 

Day 4 was relieving because I didn't have to push the nurse call button each time I had to go to the bathroom! I was walking a few laps around the floor of the hospital and slowly increasing my appetite.

Day 5, at 7am, I was told that I was being discharged and I was elated! I took my first shower by myself, which is tricky with sternal precautions. At 8am a nurse told me that my red blood count was too low for me to be discharged and that I would need a blood transfusion. Thankfully someone's generous blood donation did the trick and I was able to leave by 4pm.  

Once I left the flat predictable hospital floor everything was jarring with each step. I took as deep of breaths as possible and tried to give myself grace. My husband drove us home and I gratefully crawled into bed. He willingly went to pick up my prescriptions and patiently was at my beckoning call. Thankfully I had the next nine weeks off for summer break and to heal before I needed to return to the classroom, possibly.