Posted by Roger Meyer on February 18, 2002 at 10:28:21:
In Reply to: Re: 8 Weeks posted by Carl Plaskett on January 23, 2002 at 16:11:04:
I certainly do continue learning from reading posts on this board. In reading yours just now, I noted you talked about coughing and how bad it was for you.
I relate to that too. The coughing was extreme in my case, and as I recall it didn't start until a few weeks after I got home. Then it was awful and was very disruptive for weeks during waking hours as well as when I was trying to get to sleep. After trying several things for it including cough syrup with codeine my pulmonologist (I was referred to him because a CAT scan revealed some plueral effusion) prescribed Prevacid when I shared with him my problem with coughing. He diagnosed that my cough was due to acid reflux, something I had never considered and I must say I think he was right on target as my cough cleared up immediately after starting Prevacid. One prescription did it (I used no refills).
I am happy to share this for anyone else who may experience this terrible cough after MAZE surgery.
Thanks and good luck to you. By the way, speaking about the sternum, I was among the fortunate ones in that regard. No clicking ever, no feeling of the wires and no pain. I am among the fortunate.
Roger