Many people experience an aortic dissection and the emergency surgery that follows as a traumatic event. Within a very short time, life can change completely. Suddenly, you become aware of how close you came to dying. That realisation can affect you deeply and it often affects the whole family.
After a few weeks at home, when your physical recovery begins to take shape, you may only then start to fully understand what has actually happened. Gratitude towards the medical team and for being alive can exist alongside fear and uncertainty. Typical questions at this stage are:
- Can this happen again?
- Can I still trust my body?
- What can I actually still manage to do?
These thoughts are not unusual after an aortic dissection.
Your reduced physical capacity can also be unsettling. Things that used to be easy may suddenly feel exhausting. At the same time, from the outside you may look "healthy" again – perhaps apart from the scar. Family, friends or colleagues may therefore expect you to soon be back to your old self.
That difference between what other people see and what you are actually experiencing can be very difficult.
Your body has been through a lot
Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems or the feeling that your mind is sometimes in a fog can be part of the early recovery period after major surgery.
Pain, unusual sensations or simply feeling different in your own body can also be unsettling. On top of this, there is the physical weakness after a long hospital and rehabilitation stay, medication, lack of sleep and the enormous strain your body has been through.
All of this can affect your mental wellbeing too. You don't just have to recover physically.
It's okay to feel afraid, but fear doesn't have to control your life
After an aortic dissection, the fear of it happening again can be very present. Some people suddenly become aware of every heartbeat, every twinge and every change in their blood pressure. A certain amount of caution is sensible. Talking to other people who have been through something similar can help. Psychological support can also be valuable – especially if anxiety, low mood, sleep problems or distressing memories continue for a longer period of time.
Seeking psychological support is not a sign of weakness. You have experienced something extraordinary. It is completely okay to ask for help in dealing with it.
Give your mind time too
You don't have to immediately become the person you were before your aortic dissection. Perhaps your priorities will change. Perhaps you need more rest. Perhaps you want to do things differently than before. And perhaps it will take a while before you feel that you can trust your body – and your life – again. That's okay!
Recovery is not just about healing your aorta. It is about healing as a whole person.
If you develop new physical or neurological symptoms, or if existing symptoms change significantly or become worse, you should always have them medically assessed. Not everything after an aortic dissection is simply "part of recovery".
This text was created by AD-Selbsthilfe. Reproduction, publication or use of this content, in whole or in part, requires prior permission from AD-Selbsthilfe.