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Concerns over sternal discomfort post Heart Transplant
Transplants | Last Active: Jan 27 9:14am | Replies (11)Comment receiving replies
Thank you, @danab. My issue is precisely with my ribcage near the neck. I am a side-sleeper, so ESCAPING the hospital bed was a big part of my motivation while in the ICU. The bed pumped air in and out of itself so I was roiling around like I was adrift at sea. I thought the mattress was heated and kept accusing the nurses of lying when they told me it wasn't. I didn't sleep for days. Like with most complaints in my life now, turns out it was the meds! Since my last post I've found that alternating sides throughout the night seems to help a lot. I've had a tremendous problem with tremors and hand cramping also. And I follow you on the food. Horrible! Everything has this awful sweetness to it-even water. After the second week out I successfully weaned myself off of the pain meds, muscle relaxers, etc., with the exception of two 1 mg serotonin to help me sleep. I'm looking forward to the sixth month mark as most heart recipients say this is when things get considerably easier. Regaining my driving privileges next month will be a major milestone for me and my personal chauffeur, or "wife" as I used to call her. Thank you for the insight. As you probably know, it's a little hard to find others to relate to after this experience. People seem to view you as some sort of medical oddity or assume that your problems were over the moment you walked out of the hospital. Far from it! What a bizarre thing to have happen to a person.
Replies to "Thank you, @danab. My issue is precisely with my ribcage near the neck. I am a..."
Yes I was so looking forward to that first milestone driving again. and You made me chuckle with your personal chauffeur (ie wife) comment. Mine was mine also. especially having to be in the cramped rear seat (air bag front seat not allowed).
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Although I am not a heart transplant recipient, I was a double lung transplant recipient (May 4-5, 2022). In case you are not aware, for double lung transplant, they open you like a clam shell (horizontally not vertically like most people think) cutting the sternum in half. As Dana noted, I had severe pain in my rib cage that I thought would never go away. Then around 6 months, the pain eased up. I didn't want to take the strong medications, so after 1 week post surgery I was on Tylenol plus morphine and then just Tylenol by the end of the second week. At first I said that I didn't want any pain killers, but had to give in and they don't even ask when you first get out of surgery any way. I am also a side sleeper. I had to work up the amount of time that I was able to sleep on my side a little more each night until I was finally able to sleep on my sides (one or the other). Now it is no longer an issue. I do still have the head of my bed up on bricks, so that I am not flat due to other issues.
@exhcmposttx please let me know what they are doing about the cramps in your hands. I get cramps in my hands and feet to the point that I am not able to use them and it is very apparent where the cramp is. Sometimes my pointer will get stuck over by my thumb and sometimes it will go the other way and go toward the pinky. My knuckles will go the opposite direction (instead of on top of my hands they will stick out in the palm of my hand. I am not sure if yours is the same (the feet do the same thing). However, they are doing different tests to see what the issue is and what can help.
Due to the meds that I am on, I need to watch my potassium levels. However, one of the doctors that I saw said to try electrolytes. However, most are very high in potassium. My team told me that I can have 1 Gatorade a day though.