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Yippeee !! Cardio Rehab is over. Good job ladies who monitored me as I pushed my limits test driving my new heart valve!!!
My graduation cardio limits were impressive from contrasted to what was possible before June 1. Walking was possible at 3.4 mph (until my shins screamed). This was topped off by jogging at 4.8 mph for a full minute. The goal is to expand the jogging to a full 5K in the next 6 months and give my shins a rest.
I was in the early stages of an upper respiratory infection/allergy on my last day of rehab. I went any way and did my best to avoid the others.
Since then I have been on my own to include cardio workouts in my week and continued my established schedule substituting a workout after work at a local gym. Starting 6 days later I was not up to my normal self. I pushed through the gym anyway with 40 minutes on the treadmill at 2.8 mph. I thought it was just my muscles and blisters being babies.
The next day was yoga. The first time since June 1 it was just yoga and not cardio with yoga to follow.
Friday I was wiped to the point of needing a 3 hour nap after work and then I could not walk a flight of steps without having problems breathing. The breaths did not feel effective. Anything snug around my chest felt too constricting. I was thinking the upper respiratory infection had developed into pneumonia or bronchitis.
In essence, all the physical challenges that went away with the surgery were back. I drank a large Wendy's root beer to see if it would clear any mucus. It is rare that I drink soda. This much sugar at once should have given me a major burst of enery. I took a hot shower to see if there was any mucus to clear. It made the symptoms worse. I was still out of breath and fatigued to the point of tears.
I called the office of my general practitioner. Her service contacted a nurse who contacted my doctor who directed me to go to the emergency room of the hospital where the surgery was done. Phil was the driver at 10:30 pm.
The result was I am physically fine based on the tests run. My X-ray was improved over the last one taken June 7. I would hope so. The 'fatique' could probably/possibly be the result of the upper respiratory infection and I was to reframe from extra activity for the weekend to allow myself to heal. This is to be followed up by a call to my general practitioner on Monday.
Lots of napping yesterday between weekend cleaning. Stripped the bed and moved it to clean the floor. Took a nap on the porch swing. Moved the kitchen table and swept the floor. Took a nap on the sofa. Cleaned the bedroom floor. Took a nap on the porch swing. Made the bed and scrubbed 1/2 the kitchen floor. Back to the sofa. Finished the kitchen. Ran local errands. One more nap on the porch swing.
Today are the weekly bills to pay and more naps to take.
Last night was a blast from my past. It was one extra beat in my heart. Just one. I thought everything was going well and it was just a matter of bringing the rest of my body up to the same level of health as my heart. This begs some further investigation and a better job of reading my body.
Good Morning!!
It is now 11+ weeks post surgery. I am over half way through cardio rehab and one week into wearing the heart monitor sent by the rhythm cardiologist.
Things are happening, very subtle things. It is no longer the drama of immediate post surgery. I have not been writing because of that. The thought process led me to post because the focus of this blog was/is to walk someone through what it is like to go through the pulmonary heart valve replacement. That includes 11 + weeks out.
Last week I had a 20 second melt down while mourning the people I never met with the same valve that needed replacing and never received the proper diagnosis to treat it. It is frustrating to realize a diagnosis is all that stands between living and dieing. The doctors I have had conversations with outside of cardiology do not know the symptoms of pulmonary heart valve failure. Two of my prior cardiologists missed the diagnosis. It is so fixable. It is so missed by those who should be the first line of discovery.
Cardio rehab is an interesting melting pot of people recovering from more forms of cardiac trauma than I knew existed. It is interesting to listen to how each person got to the program. No two stories are alike.
Cardio rehab has me discovering what it is like to use muscles that have been dormant because my heart was not able to support activity. My one advantage is the yoga: balance, strength and muscles. The major challenge I am having with cadio rehab is skeletal below my waist. The worst of it is between my toes and ball of foot and shin (shin splints). Today I will go to a local running shoe store to see if there is a cross training / walking shoe that will help me through the rebuilding of these muscle groups. On the positive side, years of non use means the wear and tear expected on someone of my age is not there.
Cardio rehab is an hour of monitored execise. 35 minutes split between 2 pieces of cardio equipment. These are tread mill with elevation changes, stationary bike, recumbant bike with handles and a stair climber. This is followed with stretching, free weights and cool down. All is documented via electrodes and a portable heart monitor.
The heart monitor arrived last week I have been wearing it 24 / 7 for a week. I will have to wear it until September 10. It is to verify if I have any atrial fibulation, now that I have been off Amiodorone for a while. So far the only time the monitor has gone off I have had an electrode malfunction.
There are 3 kinds of electrodes. Two kinds came with the monitor. The kind I was started out with slips off when I exercise. It is supposed to be good to use for up to 3 days. That is not happening if I am to continue cardio exercise. The other kind 'red dot' is for active people. It sticks really well.
The location of one of the electrodes is on the left side of my chest on the lowest rib. This is also new skin based on last year's radiation. The 'red dot' electrode is too sticky for this area. It became raw.
So.. a telephone call to the monitor people to ask if I could change the location of the electrode while my skin healed. (They will also be sending me a supply of hypo-alergetic electrodes.) I was told dropping the electrode location an inch below my rib was fine. I did that and the monitor went off every time I stood up or sat down because I wear the monitor clipped to my waistband, right over the recently dropped electrode. This was discovered at work and the only back up electrodes I had with me were the 'red dot's.
The plan is to wear the blue electrodes, replace when they slip off and only use the waist clip during the day. At night I will sleep with the monitor on the lariete around my neck and the monitor semi immobilized with a snug tank top.
The new electrodes just arrived. Now I have to figure out a new plan. 'Will let you know how this goes.
Friday July 15, 2011:
The company nurse responded to my email to return to work. I have to be checked out by the company doctor. He is not available until Tuesday afternoon, next week. That puts me returning to work on the following day. They also want a list of the medicines I am taking. That has been sent via email.
I saw my cardiology rhythm doctor on Wednesday. Great news. I went into the appointment with the intention of coming out of the appointment with a plan for reducing/eliminating Amiodorone from my morning Rx list. There were a number of options presented by the doctor. I chose the option to stop taking it immediately. It is to de-tox from my system over the next month. A heart monitor will be sent via mail to wear for the subsequent 30 days with a followup appointment in mid September to determine if the elimination is to be permament.
Amiodorone is used to over-ride atrial fibulation. This is a common side effect of the surgery I had. The doctor said for ~70% of the people who have this after surgery it goes away. I hope I am one of the 70%.
Amiodorone has side effects that warrant a size 14 font - 3 page explanation of side effects. Lliver damage, heart damage, eye damage, skin discoloration into the blue/grey spectrum. It is a drug used when NEEDED and stopped ASAP.
I am now physically beyond where I have been for a long time. It is amazing what I can do. Yesterday I did a triple event in the afternoon after a full day. Cardiac rehab., where I went beyond the limit of Wednesday. I am now mid-aim for cardiac rate..... Rehab. was immediately followed by yoga in a nearby town. This was the first time since before the surgery. I have to go carefully while my breast bone is healing. Everything else is where I left it. In fact.... my core muscles and breathing are stronger than before. (Could it be that spiro-blah-blah-blah-ometer?) Then on to the church league softball game.
The photo is a dry run for a cooking contest in late September. Red and green can come across as Christmas-y. I think it works.
My recipe has been chosen as a finalist. The theme is 'add cranberries, add zing'. I put together the display for the contest on a day there were no cranberries in the house. The photo will be printed off so I have something to go by on the day of the contest. A red fork will be used for consistency in the competition.
The crackers were made from whole wheat tortillas cut with cookie cutters and toasted in a dry fry pan. I'm thinking cranberries frozen in ice cubes, floating in a cup of 7-up. The recipe is to be guarded until after the competition.
The plan is to post a follow-up to the September medical checks.
Updated 9/25/11
The cooking contest came and went on Friday September 23. I actually placed!!! 3rd place earned a $50 savings bond donated by the local bank and a sauce pan donated by the local distributor.
Here is the recipe:
15 oz can of white beans rinsed and drained
4.5 -5oz can of tuna in olive oil.... DO NOT DRAIN
1 1/2 C chopped celery
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C chopped onion (Medium)
1/8 t black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 t salt
juice of 1 lemon
Toss all ingredients together and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Best eaten the same day made.
Monday July 11, 2011:
Above is my loom set up with the castle backwards. The castle holds the 4 harnesses and the levers for raising and lowering them. My loom dismantles for easy threading and flat storage. Now I have to reach over the castle to raise and lower the harnesses.
My cousin sent me a link to a UW auction site that sells excess supplies as their classes change. I bid on a floor loom that got too expensive to justify. Just as well. I am having trouble setting up the table loom correctly. The site is: https://mds.bussvc.wisc.edu:443/swap/search.aspNow for good news. Today was the appointment with the surgeon. He has released me to return to work on Monday July 18.
I have spent the rest of today setting up the next 3 weeks of cardiac rehab to correspond with my work hours and setting up my work hours to correspond with the cardiac rehab. Did I mention my surgeon wants me to complete to program? It will require that I begin work half an hour early to leave half an hour early on the three days a week I have rehab.
Cardiac rehab is making my muscles ache. I am gimping around. Today, after rehab the weather had turned to drenching rain. I rinsed the sweat off on my way to the car as I passed people going into the building with their umbrellas.
The surgeon told me I would be able to return to full upper body strength sooner if I focused on increasing free weights to 10# at cardiac rehab. That would develop the support muscles to the collar bone and get me back to complete yoga sooner. Let's see how that goes in the remaining 3 weeks of cardiac rehab from the 3# weights I am using.
The doctor kept repeating 'perfect, perfect, perfect' as he read down the list of stats on the medical report.
I reduced my aspirin by half today and then let my surgeon's nurse know. I have a few bruises that I don't remember getting. That is a sign that I am over-medicated with blood thinner. Been there before.
Don't expect any more postings for this topic. I told the doctor I hoped never to see him again, after I told him he did good work.
Friday July 1, 2011:
It is one month from the pulmonary heart valve replacement surgery, today.
Monday was the first day of cardiac rehab. It meets 3 times a week. Yesterday was the third class.
I was hesitant to push my physical limits based on last Friday. They constantly monitor my heart rate and stream it immediately to monitors placed throughout the exercise area. It took me a while to figure out which posting was mine of the half dozen people in the class. It looks so normal compared to what I've seen in the past.
The difference a few days made in healing. I am muscle sore. That has been rare in the last few years. More often than not I would be fatigued the next day and spend most of the day reserving energy. This is new, and I think I like it.
Saturday June 25, 2011:
I have been pushing to see where my physical boundaries are with the new valve. Yesterday I found my limitations. Whoa, did I find my limitations!!
Yesterday morning I decided to cut out a set of scrubs for Cassie. A simple top and pants.
The cutting went well so I decided I felt well enough to weed / thin out a flower bed. It is an unruly mixture of day lilies, tansy, bishop's weed, wild sunflowers and Japanese lanterns. Last Fall I added half a dozen chrysanthemums to the front of the bed for end of season color. My goal was to give the chrysanthemums some breathing room.
Out came the tarp and nitral gloves and kitchen knife. I sat on the tarp as I pulled and cut out the plants growing out of place for over an hour. The discards were tossed onto the lawn where this week's mowing will turn them into mulch for the lawn.
The photo above of the weeds and flower bed was taken this morning from the top porch.
I drove to the store to buy a blade for the rotary cutter. Cassie came along because she wanted a piece of fabric to coordinate with a scrub top she is making. She suggested the JoAnn fabric store as we had been to the Hancock fabric store for the scrub top fabric.
This was an opportunity to remind me why I do not normally shop at this company's stores. They are designed as a maze with bottle necks wherever someone decided to give you an opportunity to see one more item the store is hawking. I always feel clostrophobic in their stores.
A trip to the bank ended my excursions for the day.
Dishes were done.
The VNA showed up and I was released from their care. She was amazed as my remarkable progress.
I was looking forward to sitting in the bleachers at the church league softball game at 6:15. (after a short nap)
I woke up from the nap in what can only be described as a 3 year old who needed another nap. Tearful, fatiqued to the point of ending up on the kitchen floor with my legs elevated against the kitchen sink. This is a yoga inversion that takes the stress off the heart. I stayed that way for a quite a while until I was rested enough to sit up, drink some water and eat some soup. Then I made my way on hands and knees to the living room where I rested sitting on the floor and finally onto the sofa.
Larry was a deer in the headlights during this. He came home from a 10 hour work day expecting to play softball. Neither of us made it to the game.
I forget I am still healing. My heart reminded me in no uncertain terms that I need to slow down a bit. Cardiac rehab begins on Monday. I will have to be intentional about slowing down.
This morning I slept in and then went to the Beliot road weight watchers weigh in to keep me up to date. It is the last time because the plan is to return to the site at work after the 4th of July shutdown.
