Heart Bypass Prior to Disney?

[circus4u]

Been there, done that. Had quadruple by-pass surgery. Although one can move around OK at five weeks, he should be in the middle of cardio rehab therapy, building up strength in his body. Definitely would not have been a good thing for me to go to WDW at that time.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Thanks to all for the input and the kind words. As a quick update, he came through the surgery yesterday just fine and it evidently went great, so we're very relieved.

In closing, and lest there be any confusion about why I was asking, OF COURSE he'll be talking to his doctors and will be guided primarily (if not exclusively) by that advice. I was just personally asking so I'd know what we should expect.

 

[monty]

Glad all went well with the op.

 

[conandrob240]

I would agree with "no", unfortunately. By 5 wks, he will be pretty strong but this would be too much of a push. My dad came through in flying colors, back to work at 6 wks but still easily tired and some chest discomfort. The stress of the travel & walking would have surely set him back. Either move your trip out or let him join the next one. Glad to hear he did well.

 

[Micca]

Glad to hear everything went well, thanks for the update

 

[TW1080]

In America you are certainly not allowed to talk to your parents doctor just because you want to. HIPPA exists to protect patients and it applies to direct family members as well.

***
If they are not there in person, it is very difficult to obtain access to speaking to that doctor due to HIPPA. The physician has to obtain a few things before they will talk to anyone beyond the patient and patient's spouse. Those things include:

1). Direct permission in writing to release privileged information to the specific party from the patient.

If you're close enough to go with him, go to a doctor's appointment with him. If you are not, you can ask him to sign a release form that will allow the doctor to speak with whomever he names on that form, and have him list a contact number to speak with you directly. That is sufficient. He has legally given them permission to speak with you, and given them the method in which they should contact you. He can even specify (if he wants to) what information is ok to release and what is not. That said, general questions regarding post-operative care of a patient, without information that is specific to the patient, is perfectly legal to discuss with anyone. I would say that the physician performing the procedure will most likely only be able to give you general and vague answers, prior to the procedure however, since every patient is different and recovery times will vary greatly. Remember that it can be warm here midday, even though it is the cooler time of the year. Direct sun exposure (sunburn can happen whether it's cold out or not!) can be a problem, and proper hydration is obviously a must, in addition to plenty of periods of time to rest. Another thing to consider is his own physician that is familiar with his case will then be how far away? We have great hospitals and doctors in Orlando, but they won't be familiar with HIS case. I wouldn't personally chance it, that soon after bypass surgery, regardless. WDW isn't going anywhere, it can wait.

 

[TowMater92]

This isn't so much a Disney question as a health question, but it comes up in the context of planning for Disney and perhaps some of you have some experience with this and can offer some insight.

We're slated to go to WDW in about 5 weeks, and I learned earlier today, literally while I was in the process of fine-tuning the planning for this trip, that my dad will need to have an emergency quadruple bypass procedure tomorrow morning. This came as a complete shock to me because he's the most holistic guy I know -- eats well, gets regular exercise, no drinking or smoking, not overweight, etc.

Anyway, he's supposed to be meeting us up there for a couple of days, and I am assuming this will either render a trip to WDW impossible for him or severely restrict his activities while there. I'm actually inclined to tell him that I'd prefer that he take it easy and join us after he's had more time to recover, but I honestly don't have a great sense of what to expect. Looking online, it seems like in the wake of this procedure, you're generally not able to walk long distances or stand in the same place for long periods of time, both of which are part and partial of a Disney trip. He's not a big roller coaster guy anyway, but I worry about what effect even the more sedate rides might have. That said, one part of the recovery is evidently trying to increase your activity level, so perhaps its not as bad an idea as I think.

Does anyone have any experience with this procedure that can shed any light on whether going to Disneyworld 5 weeks later is advisable? Any insight would be appreciated. For what it's worth, I do understand that whether or not the Disney trip is going to be affected should be the furthest thing from my mind, but thinking about this is better than thinking about other things at the moment.

Thanks

My dad had a quadruple bypass a week after we came back for a trip to WDW. He was stopping to look at maps and driving my mom, sis and I all nuts since it was out 3rd trip and we knew our way around but it turns out he was having stomach pains. Stomach pains can be a heart problem but we didn't know that at the time and thought he had a bug or ulcer, etc. I wish I would have been able to tell that to my friends dad the day before Thanksgiving.

I wouldn't cut out your plans on having your dad meet you I would wait and see how he recovers. He might be so tired of sitting around that he would want to come join you and at 5 weeks my dad was already back to work and this was in the mid 90's now they do a less invasive bypass surgery and they don't always cut down the breast bone if they don't have to. Everyone heals at a different rate and if he wants too and feels up to it take it slow, get him a scooter and take breaks when he needs it. Make sure he talks to his Dr too.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I know the OP's decision has already been made, but I thought I'd add my experience. I would be hesitant to make any plans for someone after heart surgery since it's such an individual thing. My dad had a quadruple bypass 13 years ago (he was 75 at the time). He came through the surgery fine and was home in about 5 days. He didn't have a lot of pain, but he was generally uncomfortable for weeks afterward. He couldn't sleep lying down. He had to prop himself up a certain way in the corner of the couch, but still didn't sleep well at night. He would end up dozing off a lot during the day.

I remember my uncle and his family coming to visit about 3 weeks after the surgery. My dad thought he would be fine with going out to lunch with them. After we ordered, he suddenly got very cold. He was wearing a sweater but said he couldn't warm up for anything. He had to go outside and sit in the sun and even then he was still cold. My sister got his and her food to go and took him home. He insisted the rest of us stay and eat. When we got to his house, he was sitting under an electric blanket finishing his sandwich. I know he would not have been up to any kind of trip for several months after his surgery.

My uncle had a valve replacement last year. He had complications with his kidney function and ability to swallow. He became weak and could hardly get out of bed. He had to be transferred to a rehab facility for 6 weeks after the surgery before he was strong enough to go home.

Like I said, it's so individual that I think it would be difficult to make plans so soon after surgery.

 

[bopper]

Make plans to go back in a year so he has something to work towards!