Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Okay, so this lady is day 11 after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting Madam, tell us about your experiences in your own words When I first came in? Yeah, all of it. Yeah, I was very nervous Obviously to start with, you know, and obviously you read so much about it and the people that already had it done and things like that so they to me they sort of frightened me a bit more because they what they've gone through yeah but then I thought well not everybody is the same so I would just take it you know as it comes and I accept what they do and so what happened to you you came in one day and you had your operation the following day I've got held up with it yeah because they decided at the end at the, I wanted an MIR scan. What was the reason you had the operation? Because I was going, because as I'm 18 years old and I still work, but I found that I could only walk a few steps and I would have to stop and- Shortness of breath. Short breath, so it wasn't a pain, it was just a tightness. So I used to have to stop and say, wait a minute, and try to get my breath back again and then do a few more steps. It went on, you know, and it got worse and worse. So I just thought, you know, I can't carry on like this. So they suggested you had a bypass graft on your coronary arteries in your heart, didn't they? That's right, yeah, that's what they suggested, yeah. So I guess the first thing you figured out is when you woke up. How did you feel when you woke up after your surgery? I was fine. I did really well for the first three days. You know, and as I say, I had to stay down there four days instead of two. In terms of the intensive care unit? That's right, yeah. Just for the bits and pieces. I don't know if it was then or just after that my heart was racing and my blood pressure was down. And I think they were trying to sort that out for me. You were in intensive care while getting your heart rate down? Yeah, but it was still down when I came up here. And what was the first time you got out of bed? How many days after your operation? came downstairs. That was after the four days. I used to get out of the bed to the chair but not to walk or anything, not until I actually came up here. And because I don't have a stick at home, because four years ago I had a mini stroke, so I'm not safe without the stick. So they said you can't use that so then they gave me the Ximaphra to cope with you know. How many days have you been walking now? I go every day downstairs. And you've been walking for the last how many days? Well it was a few days. Yeah ever since I've been up here. Okay and pain wise have you had much pain in your chest? No, now and again I get a twinge but I think basically it's when you try to move too quickly or turn too quickly in the boat because I don't like laying on my back but the thing is obviously I have to hear you know but then you sort of start fidgeting a little bit you know but other than that I've been fine but I go usually have a little walk after dinner, have my dinner first because you get water change everything and after lunch I usually go for a little walk. How's your shortness of breath now is it better? Yeah definitely better yeah. Next thing I want to I was going to ask you, is there anything that happened in your experience that was unexpected, is there anything unexpected that happened? Well, as far as this operation? Yeah, the whole experience. No, not really, no. The only thing I got really upset about was the trouble with this laxative thing that they kept enforcing on me and I finished up eight hours with it. It was hard for me because I kept saying I've got my own system at home, I go every day and have to be forced with these laxative stuff to make you have to see the belt. But it's their job, I know, but I didn't think I'd have to go through eight hours on a bedpan and a commode. It really pulled me down for a couple of days, but then I'm up again and my daughter took me out yesterday in a wheelchair, so I had to go somewhere else to look around, you know, downstairs and change scenery and that hurt me out a bit. Because I said, you know, I can only walk around here and go on my own, so it was great. Is there anything you want to tell someone who's about to have the procedure done? Yeah, it's worth having. It's a good thing. I think so. And as long as I can walk when I get out and gradually walk, you know, and go back to work. I mean, I do get a bus where I live, like, outside and at home, but then the thing is, because it's uphill, but then in time hopefully I'll be able to walk up there at my own pace and be able to, you know, go out more. Is there anything else you want to tell us at all? No. I mean, I like to go to shows, I go line dancing and all that sort of thing, which it's you know quite good for my age so really I just want to be able to go back to that and I feel so I will do that because I'm a very you know independent person I live on my own so I'm determined to have this so that I can get a better quality of life.