Heart by pass

Lazell123

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been type 1 for 54 years, since the age of 3. Within the next few months I will be having heart by pass surgery. I'm absolutely terrified. Has anyone out there had this type of surgery? Can you please tell me what to expect and give me any advice?
 

robert72

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,878
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been type 1 for 54 years, since the age of 3. Within the next few months I will be having heart by pass surgery. I'm absolutely terrified. Has anyone out there had this type of surgery? Can you please tell me what to expect and give me any advice?
Hi @Lazell123 - yes I had a quadruple heart bypass in March 2013. Of course I was apprehensive, but the way I viewed it was that after the op, I could look forward to having more energy. Obviously it's a major op and it takes between 6-12 weeks to be fully functioning again, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

They don't bring you round after the op, just let the anaesthetic wear off naturally, it's bit like being in a dream although you know what's happened. I didn't come round until the following day, spent one day in ICU and then one day in HDU, then I was on a ward for 3 days during which they made sure I got up and moved around before being discharged.

I didn't really suffer from any bad pain and was mostly just on paracetamol and codeine.

My best advice would be: if you need to cough or sneeze in the first few weeks, grab a cushion or pillow tightly to your chest ;)
 
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Enclave

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
2,602
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Lazell123
I had my bypass op 23 years ago ... My op did not go quite to plan and I was in a coma for three days after .. then came to and in high dependent ward for the remaining 4 days. I think just about everything went wrong for me .. they could not start my heart during the surgery .. After I got home I had a major allergy to one of the tablets I was sent home with.
Why am I sharing this with you ... well because I am still here .. and fighting fit :)
I was not diabetic at the time of my op (T2 now) When I had my op there was a diabetic on the ward with us. He got the best of attention .. special meals and the nurses seem to really understand what was needed diabetes wise. In fact he recovered a lot faster than I did !!
Try to to stress out to much .. They don't do theses ops if you don't need it .. so in the mean time stay away from anyone who may have a cold or flu .. Yes it hurts a bit .. but not forever :)
 
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mikeg1964

Well-Known Member
Messages
136
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I got stuck for almost a month in the cardiac ward of a London hospital,although I did not have any cardiac surgery myself...long story but I met lots of patients arriving and leaving after their bypass operations. I was surprised how well and fast they recovered after surgery. Some were in their eighties and up and about and home in no time.
 
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Lazell123

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @Lazell123 - yes I had a quadruple heart bypass in March 2013. Of course I was apprehensive, but the way I viewed it was that after the op, I could look forward to having more energy. Obviously it's a major op and it takes between 6-12 weeks to be fully functioning again, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

They don't bring you round after the op, just let the anaesthetic wear off naturally, it's bit like being in a dream although you know what's happened. I didn't come round until the following day, spent one day in ICU and then one day in HDU, then I was on a ward for 3 days during which they made sure I got up and moved around before being discharged.

I didn't really suffer from any bad pain and was mostly just on paracetamol and codeine.

My best advice would be: if you need to cough or sneeze in the first few weeks, grab a cushion or pillow tightly to your chest ;)
Hello robert72. You have made me feel much better. My friends & family have all reassured me and been very supportive, but none of them have experienced this operation and none of them are type 1. So thank you for helping me and thank you for the advice about the cushion.
 
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Lazell123

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @Lazell123
I had my bypass op 23 years ago ... My op did not go quite to plan and I was in a coma for three days after .. then came to and in high dependent ward for the remaining 4 days. I think just about everything went wrong for me .. they could not start my heart during the surgery .. After I got home I had a major allergy to one of the tablets I was sent home with.
Why am I sharing this with you ... well because I am still here .. and fighting fit :)
I was not diabetic at the time of my op (T2 now) When I had my op there was a diabetic on the ward with us. He got the best of attention .. special meals and the nurses seem to really understand what was needed diabetes wise. In fact he recovered a lot faster than I did !!
Try to to stress out to much .. They don't do theses ops if you don't need it .. so in the mean time stay away from anyone who may have a cold or flu .. Yes it hurts a bit .. but not forever :)
Hello Enclave. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. You've made me feel much better about it. Thank you.
 

Lazell123

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I got stuck for almost a month in the cardiac ward of a London hospital,although I did not have any cardiac surgery myself...long story but I met lots of patients arriving and leaving after their bypass operations. I was surprised how well and fast they recovered after surgery. Some were in their eighties and up and about and home in no time.
Hello mikeg1964. Thank you for reassuring me. I'm not terrified now - just frightened.
 

Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
my sister had a quad bypass. Her recovery was about 3 months. I think the scar on her leg took the longest to heal because she got an infection. Make sure you look after the leg and that theres no pets etc in your room.
Try keep your blood sugar as near to normal from now till the op. Good luck and let us know how you got on after the op. I am sure it will all go well. Doctors are truly amazing.
 

mikeg1964

Well-Known Member
Messages
136
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
my sister had a quad bypass. Her recovery was about 3 months. I think the scar on her leg took the longest to heal because she got an infection. Make sure you look after the leg and that theres no pets etc in your room.
Try keep your blood sugar as near to normal from now till the op. Good luck and let us know how you got on after the op. I am sure it will all go well. Doctors are truly amazing.

I found that the hospital food was quite high carb, limited choice for breakfast ,bread and cereal. I developed my T1 during my first stay ,none of the health professionals could tell me the number of carbs in a meal. Also on a second hospital stay they put my insulin in a locked medication box in my room. Also they were quite casual about bg testing had to remind them. I have been in 4 different hospitals over the past year and the diabetic care is well below what one would be comfortable with.
 

Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
531
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I found that the hospital food was quite high carb, limited choice for breakfast ,bread and cereal. I developed my T1 during my first stay ,none of the health professionals could tell me the number of carbs in a meal. Also on a second hospital stay they put my insulin in a locked medication box in my room. Also they were quite casual about bg testing had to remind them. I have been in 4 different hospitals over the past year and the diabetic care is well below what one would be comfortable with.
Same here. I once was having a hypo. I called the nurse and she brought me the smallest glass of Orange Juice!
She took ages to bring it too....
 

mikeg1964

Well-Known Member
Messages
136
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Same here. I once was having a hypo. I called the nurse and she brought me the smallest glass of Orange Juice!
She took ages to bring it too....

I could write a book about my hospital stories...at least you got orange juice...I was once given sugar in hot water...it was delicous NOT. Another day while I was on a special diet low fat, low salt, high protein actually the NHS hospital had a good chef preparing food for me. However they forgot all about me at meal time, when I said I needed to eat the nurse came back with custard and jam ..and then I was served two proper dinners 4 hours later.
 

Enclave

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
2,602
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I know my bypass was eons ago .. In a small East London hospital that only did lung and by pass ops ..but would like to add that the T1 in my ward was attended to in the best of ways ... The nursing staff took on board his diabetic needs and worked well with them ... They did also have a diabetic trained nurse on hand. I do remember one small argument over a trifle at dinner time ..the nurse said he had not taken the right amount of insulin for the carbs in the trifle ... To cut a long story short .. It turned out the nurse was right and he had not factored in the amount of real sugar that was in the jelly !
I, on the other hand I am vegetarian .. The wife had to provide my meals as they were not that good at providing for the vegetarian diet ! The first meal they sent over to me was fish .. The second was lamb ! Then I could have an egg or an egg or just for a change I could have an egg .... But they were very happy for the wife to provide my food.
I got through my bypass op and run up to it by treating as an adventure ... Who knows where it would take me .. The wife was brilliant planning my adventure with me in a fantasy way of course.... I was very unwell befor the op and so not in the strongest of health to make a recovery .. But I did .. and so will you ..then we can make you a fully paid up member of the zipper club :)
 

Lazell123

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
my sister had a quad bypass. Her recovery was about 3 months. I think the scar on her leg took the longest to heal because she got an infection. Make sure you look after the leg and that theres no pets etc in your room.
Try keep your blood sugar as near to normal from now till the op. Good luck and let us know how you got on after the op. I am sure it will all go well. Doctors are truly amazing.
Hello Omnipod. Hope your sister is OK now. As far as I know I'm having one bypass. Thank you.