Im getting heart surgery! Im only 13.?

Question

Im so scared please help me I need someone who's been there. help...

Answer 1

Wow! I had my open heart surgery when I was 13 too! I was a bit scared too, but I really trusted my doctors. I had my surgery at Texas Children's (TCH). How about you? At TCH they really made me feel comfortable, even though I was still nervous.

The day before I had my surgery I went to the hospital to get pre-op stuff done, then my mom and I went to go buy some new pj's and I got my nails done (only my toenails--my fingers had to be clear so the pulse-ox would work). I went out to eat with my family that night and ate TONS! I think that pampering myself before I had surgery really helped.

The morning of surgery, I was getting really nervous. I got to the hospital and they put me in a waiting room. It was tense. When I finally got to go the holding room, they gave me a hospital gown to go change into. I was relieved I at least got to keep one item of clothing on (undies!). The doctors started my IV and gave me some medicine to help me "calm down". Once you have that stuff, you're out of it. I was wheeled away at 8 a.m. and didn't get my my room in the ICU until 8 p.m. My surgery had been about 11 and a half hours long! I did really well in the ICU and left Thursday afternoon (I had surgery Wednesday). I continued to do well and left the hospital Saturday morning. Now, enough of me. Here's the things I think you should know:
--When you wake up for the first time, you may still have the ventilator tube in (the one that's breathing for you). I still had it in and I tried to talk, but since it doesn't allow your vocal chords to touch, I didn't make a sound! Don't worry, you're so drugged when they take this out it won't hurt a bit.
--You will probably be REALLY thirsty too. I know I was. The nurses only let me chew on ice and I sometimes got gatorade. (Get used to that). Friday I was only allowed a 15 minute window to drink from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
--You will have chest tubes. They will hurt. Just be sure to let everyone around you know where it hurts, and when. Oh, and when you get your chest tubes taken out, make sure you blow out REALLY hard! It feels kinda funky when the doctor pulls them out, and it hurts when they have to stitch you back up, but getting your chest tubes out means that you're one step closer to going home!
--Don't be surprised to see things sewn in you. When I first saw my scar and chest tubes, it was freaky!
--You will be woken up in the wee hours of night to get weighed and have your blood pressure taken. Get used to that. It's not fun, but it's gotta happen.
--Your back might hurt from laying in bed for an extended amount of time, so bring pillows.
--For about a week after your surgery, you may have a small apatite; it's normal. I lost about 10 pounds in a week.
--I regret not having pictures of my hospital stay. I know it might seem not important now, but if I could go back, I think that's the one thing I'd change. Believe me, even if you don't want them now, you'll want pictures in the future. They're fun to look back on.
--The people who care about you most are those that are right beside you. If you have brothers and sisters, they are going to be a little scared too. I was surprised to see my siblings actually being nice to me. :-) Your parents will be scared too, it's normal. Just let them know that you guys are going to get through it together.
--And finally, I think the thing that helped me MOST throughout my surgery was having a carepage. It's a site for people who need to undergo medical procedures. It's a quick way to update friends and family during your surgery. They're REALLY great! Go to www.carepages.com to find out more.

I really hope everything goes GREAT for you! Please feel FREE to email me if you have any questions! I love helping others who have had to go through these kinds of things. My email address is [e-mail]. I also have a carepage, so if we swap names, we could keep up with each other that way.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

well sweetheart-- i am 40 and about 3 weeks ago i was very scared too and asking the people on yahoo the same things--the surgeons that do your surgery do it every day all the time and they are very good with what they do for you--there isn't a reason for you to be scared...you are very young and will bounce right back to your old self after this surgery---i don't know what you are having done but i do know that you will be completely out when anything happens and sleeping and then when you wake things will be fuzzy and a little confusing, but very little if any pain---you will be in ICU for a little while and then moved to a regular room and go home within a week or sooner. I know and understand that this surgery is quite a procedure and is very scary but trust me when i tell you that you will be all right and breeze right through it--you will see that everything will be just fine---cheer up and it will be over soon then you can have an even better life!! if you would like to ask more questions or don't know something about your surgery you can email me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

What kind of surgery are you getting? I had heart surgery when I was 7 and I'm 26 now. Don't worry most likely they will put you to sleep during surgery so you won't feel a thing. You probably will hurt a couple days after that. With the improvement in medical now you should be fine. Ask for my email if you need more infos. good luck

Answer 5

U may not like to hear it, but u see, at the age of 13, u have baby fat, which y u should not consider surgery. In case if anybody tries to bring u down or demotivate u, dont bother urself with that. The best thing to do is to make ur health better, dont even try losing weight, and once u have reached the age when u can get a surgery done, consult ur doctor. But u must try to keep urself as healthy as possible so that ur not refused for any sort of surgery. It may also be so that when u grow up, ur body may lose the excess fat on its own. Meanwhile keep walking 1 hour daily. Dont try diets, ur body need the nutrition. Dont make it difficult for ur body. If u have inherited obesity, its best for u to eat whatever u want but exercise daily. Once u have built a healthy and strong body, no matter if its obese, only then u can take the right decision. Have a healthy life!

Answer 6

first of all I don't see any evidence that you'd be lying about something as serious as this... at least I really hope not.
Don't be scared, there are some very experienced heart surgeons out there and they know full well what they are doing. You'll just have to take it easy on yourself for a while. I haven't had one myself but I do know someone who has. While the recovery was a long process she's doing great now. I guess it's easier said than done (to not be scared). Really though, if this is going to improve your life in the long run you should be happy that something CAN be done. Warm wishes.

Answer 7

I have not had heart surgergy but I have had eye surgery 3 times. Don;t worry about. My lil bro was 2 weeks old when he got open heart surgery adn then when he was 2 years as well. He is up and runnin and is a very active little boy.

Answer 8

That does sound scary. I have had surgery a few times and have been nervous each time. The doctor expects that and will give you something to help you feel better when you get to the hospital.

I pray that God will bless you with a successful surgery and a great recovery.

Answer 9

Had open heart 18 months ago, there's nothing to it, especially for you, being a 13 year old. I'm 68 years old and just fine after the 6 week recovery.

Answer 10

I haven't been there, (I myself am not too much older than you) but I've had many relatives who have had heart surgery. Every single one has come out successful. Even thought it's probably scary, doctors know what they're doing and they'll do everything they can to make sure that you'll be okay.

Answer 11

my best firend had an enlarged heart & he had to have surgery 4 it when he was 12. he pulled through & is fine today(now hes 17) u wont really feel it, u will probably be knocked out. the only trace will be a little scar. dont look @ the bad side. be an optimist & kno that ur going to pull through. if u go in there thinking its going to fail, then it will. but if u go in there confident & kno it will succeed, then it will. praying also doesnt hurt.