r/CABG_Recovery

34M, recently diagnosed with multivessel disease.

Left main is clear, proximal sections of the main arteries are ok but there’s severe disease generally to the midsections and some distal areas.

PCI with drug eluting stents is not really an option due to the overall stent burden and need for multiple overlapping stents.

Been given the option of a bypass with 4-5 grafts or attempting to improve the condition of the arteries with drug coated balloon angioplasty.

Cabg is currently the number one contender pending a consultation with the cardiac surgeon.

A lot of the experiences and trial/study data are understandably from those much more advanced in age, like >60. So it’s hard to relate in terms of recovery and prognosis.

So young-er cabg’ers where you at? What was your experience? How did you find recovery? Any regrets?

The root cause of my condition seems to be family history with elevated blood lipids (now under control) and hypertension (also under control).

Cheers

I had quadruple bypass. Grafted from left arm and left leg.

It comes and goes but I still have cases of sharp searing pain in my sternum. Just all over soreness. Throbbing pain in my donor leg. Still times where my left arm scar burns.

Have to meter out my energy. I get tuckered out so quickly.

Anything involving bending down or getting on my back is still agony. If I have to do something high-torque (Turn a really stuck screw, etc.) I'm looking at shooting pain in my chest. I have to replace a kitchen sink in my house and debating whether to recruit a friend or my nephew to be the one to actually get down under there. Doing stuff like that destroys me for a while.

Is it just gonna take another year or so? Or is this just the new normal?

Ever since I've been cracked open certain things don't feel right. Example - stretching at night before bed - you know just a really good stretch while in bed right before you close your eyes and that stretch helps "break" something that just lets you fall asleep, or getting that perfect yawn that deep one that just lets everything go. Well a couple of days after the issues with my donor leg were done -i started having issues with my two big toes (ingrown toenails) and for the life of me I can't seem to get a good night's sleep. The stretching is off and I can't yawn for shit 😡. Does being sliced open and your sternum cracked really truly break something inside that can't be fixed or is there hope that it just takes time to get back to factory settings - or is the warranty truly voided if the seal is broken. I still have other things to complain about but those are the two biggest ones right now

Recovery

My chronic health anxiety is kicking in today and I notice that my scab, was a little bit weeping near the very top - not masses, barely anything, but I noticed a few spots on my shirt. Dabbed it gently with a paper towel and there was some ooze, but again barely anything,

Have dialled 111 and awaiting a callback, but my health anxiety is spiralling and I’m concerned it’s something serious. I’m nine days post op and was beginning by to feel I was getting into a good place.