Muffin's Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

I checked into the hospital at 6:30 a.m. on Dec 13th, 07. They got right into me and asked me to change into their lovely gown and asked their normal questions etc. then came in the anaethesia team to put in the epidural. Others came in and did their things like took blood etc. I was taken down to surgery area about 8:00 a.m. and they told my daughter and Son that the surgery would be about 1 1/2 hours and the doctor would be down to talk with them as soon as he was done. Then I would be transferred to ICU right after surgery for the day, however ICU was full so spent the day in recovery until later in the evening and they transferred me into ICU. There thy discovered something was wrong, and it turned out that I had a bleed (which is not usual, but is one of the risks that go along with any surgery) and had to go back into surgery the morning of Dec 14th. I received 6 units of blood that I know of for sure. I was a bit scared yet pretty calm and really still tired. I felt like I could breath easier as soon as I woke up. Although I did get a little short of breath (SOB) it was different; it was just easier to breath.

The doctor that did the second surgery on me came in to tell me what was going on; I had people all around me. There was the resident doctor there that I seen when I went in for my pre-surgery talk and he also was my doctor taking care of things while I was in the hospital. He said, "There are a lot of prayers being said for you" or something to that affect, then he said, "You will be fine; you will come right through this and will come right back to this room in no time." I can tell you that I truly feel God spoke through that man to let me know that everything was ok. Chances of a bleed are not great, but chances of them finding a bleed are much less and really a critical matter. They are very hard to find most of the time, if they find them. So to me, even though he was on the surgical team, God used him to let me know not to fear, and a calm came over me that I cannot explain; it was like his voice and words were of God and there was to be no doubt that I would be ok. I thank God for answering those prayers, so when I say God brought me through it, I MEAN God did actually guide everything that was done and I believe He led each of the doctors to do as they did, as they opened me up and the bleed was right there, they didn’t have to search for it or anything God exposed it. Thank you Jesus for my life, this day, this breath, the earth and all therein, I give you praise.

I had a sternotomy, they cut through the breastbone, which in a way is good as they don’t go through all those big muscles in your chest then so to me it would make sense the pain isn’t quite as severe. You have pain, don’t get me wrong, but they give you stuff to control it; you just have to use it and I was a little hard headed in that department. I didn’t want to push the button and they cannot do it, but I was stupid; it is best to keep the pain under control. I am funny about medicine... I just don’t like it. Although I knew in my mind it was a temporary med, I didn’t want anything to do with it. They did finally talk me into pushing the button, just not as often as they would like so every time someone came in they gave me the button and said, "Push it." The pain can be pretty intense and I can handle a lot of pain, but to me the end result was well worth it.

I had 4 chest tubes in, 2 on each side, and they keep the excess fluid and blood from surgery draining and keep your lungs up. Air leaks are the most common thing and I didn’t get one until just before going home so had to leave in 1 tube and return to Seattle 1 week later to have it removed. I think the tubes cause more pain than any of it and when they pull them the pain is less intense but still is there. Your pain on recovery is gone in most 3 to 4 weeks, and continually lessens in that time, so for the 1st week being the worst and continues going down from there I was off the pain meds in 3 weeks and the 3rd week being light medication..

I went back to ICU after the second surgery for a few hours and then off to my own room. Friday night they got me out of bed and had me sit in a chair for and hour then a couple hours later the had me walking.

Everyday I had chest x-rays to see how the lungs were moving up to where they belong and watch the chest tubes and just how thing were over all. I thought maybe I would be light up in the dark by the time I got home but nobody said anything so I guess I was not lighting up.

Things went pretty much the same from that point in the hospital; of course I got better everyday. They had me walking 4 times a day and sitting in chairs for movement each day. Some people I noticed walked 6 – 8 times per day, but they were working on regaining a lot of strength and many of them could not even walk out of the room, many walked around their bed and that was their walk; we all have our own limits, each of us being different.

I went home on December 19th 07 with all doctors saying I looked great and was doing way too well to be in the hospital. The average stay they stay is 14 days, and I think I spent 5 days in the hospital, and usually the VATS patients stay that long. If you develop air leaks, that is the most common thing to keep you in the hospital longer until they seal. They say about 95% of patients develop air leaks.

At home I just kept walking around the house doing leg lifts and different exercise with my legs and used the counter in case I needed a little balance and have continued from there. I am now released as of Jan 24th, and start rehab on Monday.

I was very severe with a fev1 of 23 – 25% but I had a high exercise tolerance. You have to have so much rehab before the surgery, which I had done 9 months prior and with my exercise testing with them they said that was great. It is important because it does hinge on how easy you recover. My breathing is so much easier now than before the surgery, and gets better all the time. I will notice more changes over the next, say, 6 months and even up to 1 year. Exercise is the key and if you can’t commit to it after surgery, you will be back to where you were in a very short time.

I would say to anyone that qualifies for it, go for it!!!! It literally gives you a life back!

I would do it again in a heartbeat.

God bless you all
Muffin

April 17, 2008 Update
Wanted to check in so y'all didn't think I fell off the face of the earth. I am in Coos Bay, OR right now and will be heading South in about 1hr. I have walked all over the coast and have not used oxygen except for working out and sleeping since I left, I thought I would need it for walking down the beaches and shopping & stuff like that, but haven't even dropped below 95% Its great I tell you I feel sooooo free.

Anyone out there if you think you may qualify for LVRS or if you don't know, find out and go for it, you will never regret it.

I feel like I restarted my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Y'all have a great day and will check in again when I am at another pc. Waving and hugs to all...