Day 5 of Recovery - Moving to the Normal Ward
The pattern had become familiar by now - the night shift nurses arrived at 5:30 AM and had to wake me for the daily ECG. After another snooze, a whole new team of nurses arrived for the day shift. Unlike previous days, there was no X-ray scheduled today.
Days 2-3 Post-Surgery - Standing and Walking
Saturday and Sunday, 4th-5th October 2025 - Days 2 and 3 after my aortic valve replacement surgery were remarkably similar, with continued progress in my recovery. From early morning monitoring through to standing up and eventually taking my first walk.
First Days After Surgery
The first thing I was aware of after the operation was being extubated - not a nice experience, but I wasn't really very aware. My first comments, which nearly came out croaky because of the tube affecting my vocal chords, were "I'm alive" and "Is it Thursday?" Knowing if it wasn't Thursday, there must have been problems and I'd have an extra concerned family. As it happens, everything went smoothly, although my surgeon has since told me I had one of the worst aortic valves he ever operated on.