Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Post Hosp Day Fifteen Summary: Health Update

It's now three weeks since my heart surgery, so it seems like a good time for a health check. Out of 10, I would give myself a 7. I feel really good, which surprises me a lot. I expected that I would feel awful, and be quite limited in my movements and mobility. In actual fact, it's the exact opposite. I am very mobile, and can pretty much move as I please. I still have to bear in mind the no lifting, pushing, weight through chest rules and this places some limitations on what I can do. For example, it's kinda funny watching the role reversal with Yvette being the gentleman and opening and shutting the car door for me all the time!

There is no pain per se, although my chest still hurts when I cough or sneeze. What has developed is some muscle aches and pains, but these are bearable. They are most noticeable in the middle of my back, and across my shoulders. This is probably not surprising since the surgeon cut through my chest muscles and stretched my chest open for a number of hours. The neck and shoulder exercises that I am doing daily are probably adding to this too.

On exercises, upon leaving the hospital the physio gave me a sheet of rehabilitation exercises to perform several times a day. These were pretty easy, and subsequently I am doing twice as many exercises twice as often as recommended. I now have a new sheet of upgraded rehabilitation exercises. It consists of 10 warm up exercises, and then 30 exercises that are to be performed for a minute each. I'm supposed to start with the first 10 exercises in one session, and then work my way up to doing all 30 in the one session. The warm up exercises and the first 10 exercises are a breeze, and I am able to do them quite easily. This rehab stuff is no problem at all! But I spoke too early! Today I tried the second set of 10 exercises, and I am seriously hurting. Not sharp pain, but that really good pain that you feel after a session in the gym. That pain that says "yeah, this is good". I've now found another challenge, i'm gonna defeat these exercises!

The other component to my health at the moment is medication. I'm having blood tests every three or four days to monitor the effect of the warfarin (anti-coagulant). My level has been bouncing up and down a little since hospital, and for the last week has been slowly climbing. Today is another blood test day, and the nurse is struggling to find a vein without a scar from previous blood lettings! The doctor calls in the early evening, and my level is twice what it should be! It seems I am very sensitive to the warfarin, so I'm told not to take warfarin for four days. This is no problem to me, but Mom is in a panic. Hopefully she'll calm down soon!

So overall, health is good. Not getting tired so much. As Yvette would say, it's just a matter of developing some patience and not overdoing things........ My answer to her is "easier said than done!" :o)

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's good to hear you sounding positive and that your feeling much better. Goodluck with the exercises. Perhaps oneday you'll be joining Sam and I at the gym!!
Still Praying.

12:39 PM  

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