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When my husband was first diagnosed with coronary artery disease at the
age of forty, I felt like he’d been given an imminent death sentence. I’m no
stranger to the devastation that heart disease can bring to families, having witnessed the
death of my father from a heart attack when I was seventeen. My father was only forty-two
years old when he died, and my husband’s father wasn’t that much older when he
passed away from a heart attack.
Fortunately, for Jimmie (and thousands of other
people), the diagnosis of coronary artery disease is no longer the death knell it used to
be. With so many recent advances in medicine and surgical techniques, people with coronary
artery disease can and are leading fairly normal lives. I know, because my husband
is the living proof of this -- even after two heart attacks and two emergency quadruple
by-pass operations, over the twelve years since he was originally diagnosed.
Firstly, it's useful to know something about the condition.
What is Coronary Artery Disease (also known as coronary heart disease or CHD)?
Everyone has narrow, tube-like arteries that channel the
blood flow to their heart. The inside of these narrow arteries can sometimes get a
build-up of a fatty substance called plaque. When enough plaque forms, the blood flow to
the heart becomes constricted, which can lead to some very serious problems, including
heart attacks.
There are many, many articles about Coronary Artery Disease available on the Internet.. One of the most useful sites I’ve found is the American Heart Association web site.
To reach this site, simply type in:
http://www.americanheart.org/
What are the treatments for Coronary Artery Disease?
There are several types of treatments, including, but not limited to: lifestyle
adjustments (changes in eating habits, exercise habits, etc.), cholesterol-lowering
medication, coronary artery bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty.
Personal risk factors for heart disease may be increased if your family history shows
that relatives, especially close relatives, have died from the disease, and dietary
changes often reduce the risk.
What happens when a loved one goes through a coronary bypass operation?
When my husband underwent his first bypass operation we had absolutely no idea what to
expect. Although the surgeon and cardiologists explained all the technical aspects of the
operation, they didn’t tell us about the emotional side effects, which were almost as
devastating as the disease itself. I found myself much more able to help him (and me)
handle the stress of his second bypass operation, simply because we both knew what
physical and emotional symptoms to expect. His recovery from the second operation was less
stressful - for both of us.
Here are some of the things I’ve learned to expect when someone undergoes a
bypass operation:
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A very long wait during surgery . There is an agonizingly long wait when someone
undergoes this kind of surgery. It is, by far, one of the worst parts of the entire
process. The best advice I can give you is to ask the nurses to keep you posted on
developments. I was very lucky in that the nurses were able to tell me which stage of the
operation my husband was in as it evolved. Unfortunately, not every hospital is able to do
this, so be sure to check to see how often you can get updates on the patient’s
condition
-
After the operation is over , the surgeon will come out and talk to you and explain
what kind of problems/successes they had during the surgery. Please remember that one of
the most critical times for the patient is immediately after the surgery, where everyone,
including the doctors and surgeons, are waiting to see if any complications are going to
develop
When you finally get to see your loved one in the recovery area, don’t be
alarmed to find:
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Many, many tubes and intravenous lines connected to them . Every single wire,
intravenous line or drainage tube is there for a purpose. It’s a terrible sight, but
at least it won’t be so much of a shock if you know beforehand what they are going to
look like. The patient will be hooked up to several different monitors, and each screen
above them monitors a different vital sign. The lights on the screens will be flashing on
and off, and several monitors might be beeping when you walk in. Don’t panic when you
see or hear this. Believe me, if your loved one was in the middle of a medical crisis,
they would not let you in to see them!
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The patient will be almost as pale as a ghost and their skin and hands will feel
very, very cold to the touch. This is normal and to be expected. Their body temperature
will gradually be restored to normal, but it can’t be done all at once.
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A breathing
tube will have been inserted in their throat,  so they won’t be able to speak. It looks terrible,
but they need this breathing tube at this point. About this time you may lose your cool. I
know I nearly lost it when I saw Jimmie in this kind of shape. Perhaps the best piece of
advice I can offer is that your loved one needs to hear your voice and know that you are
there for them. Don’t let them see how frightened you are. You need to be strong -
for them and for yourself. Please remind them not to try to talk, tell them you love them,
and squeeze their fingers for reassurance.
By this time the cardiac intensive care nurse should be telling you that you need to
leave. Leaving that room is one of the most difficult things you have to do, but it really
is for the best. The intensive care nurses will be monitoring for any change in
condition.
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Expect a long recovery period . Even though Jimmie was released from the hospital a
week after his operation, it took him quite a long time to recover. He was in a lot of
pain when he got home, and we ended up buying a super-padded recliner for him to sit/sleep
in. (It hurt for him to lay down in our bed or sit in any of our other chairs). The
recliner gave him the ability to elevate his legs when he needed to (we shoved pillows
under his legs), and the padded back allowed him to relax.
Note: You might want to check ahead and find out what kind of tape/plaster your
hospital uses for surgical patients. Patients who undergo bypass operations have a long
incision in their leg (where they take the artery out for use in the operation), and my
husband developed a severe allergy to the tape they used on his leg incision. If you can
find out beforehand that the patient is allergic to the tape the hospital uses, they might
be able to use another kind.
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Be prepared for a change in personality/mood swings . For a lot of people, it's as if
their entire world has collapsed around them, and they sometimes suffer from depression,
anxiety attacks, etc. They are frustrated at their helplessness, worried that their bypass
might produce problems once they get home and start moving around (or the op has not
worked correctly), concerned about their artery disease progressing beyond help, etc. The
best advice I can give you is to be patient. Remind them that this surgery probably
saved their life.. Help them take an optimistic view toward their surgery, not a
pessimistic one. Remind them that this will help them in their recovery. If this
doesn’t work, talk to their doctor about the emotional problems they are going
through. He (or she) may be able to prescribe something to help. .
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From this point forward, you and the patient must be ever vigilant . Routine doctor visits and blood tests are extremely
important for the patient, as he/she must now monitor their cholesterol and a host of
other risk factors on a routine basis. The patient will need to follow their doctor’s
advice (even when it’s not what they want to hear), as this will help them to prevent
further damage to their arteries.
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Last, but certainly not the least, please do thank the many doctors, nurses, and
hospital workers who did everything they could to help your loved one recover from this
operation and get back on the road to recovery. They are the true heroes of our time.
Without their selfless desire to dedicate their lives to helping others, your loved one
(and mine) might not be here today.
Some useful references
 UMHS – What is Coronary Artery Disease?
University of Michigan Health System, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbour, MI 48109
© copyright 2000 University of Michigan Health System
U-M Medical School
MCARE
http://familydoctor.org/handouts/239.html
http://www.heartinfo.org
http://heartdisease.about.com/
Look out for more insights from Carla Ledbetter on
how she coped with her husband's illness.
You might also like to read Carla's article about her experience in becoming an author of
electronic books.
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