Sternum Pain

I will be going back to work day after tomorrow after about 7 weeks of 2X CABG with two mammary arteries. I am really looking forward to it. My cardiac functions are fine and feel energetic. I am going for about 45 minutes of walk. However, I still have sternum pain. Though it is bearable without pain killers but it hasn't improved in last two weeks or so. At times, it appears that rib cage is moving and there is outward pressure. I propose to take it light initially and hope that the sternum pain will go away. How long does sternum pain last...

[ed34]

Exactly one year for me. I was also told no heavy lifting for 3 months, or driving. I think people tend to recover at different rates, but at cardiac rehab, the average seemed to be about a year. Like yourself, it didn't seem to improve for weeks at a time but at the one year stage it was almost overnight that everything felt back to normal.

[arungoyal59]

Thanks for response. The first day at office was fine, though I took it light. Does wearing chest band recommended after 7 weeks.

[ed34]

I didnt wear any form of bands because any inward pressure on my chest seemed to make me feel worse. The best relief I found for any discomfort was holding a deep breath a few times a day. It had to be deep, suck in as many molecules of air as possible and hold for 10 seconds, then slowly breathe out.

[Smiley2000]

After OHS to fix my mitralvalve I had sternal dehiscense and was in pain for 2 years before I had it investigated and the test to do that:  RD scan.

I could move my sternum with my fingers and could hear it click every time!  

Now that it is fixed, I have absolutely no pain.

[arungoyal59]

@Smiley... How was it fixed..another surgery...was it simple...how long you had to rest again....