The picture is Lake Superior, Memorial Day weekend 2009, Presque Isle, Marquette Michigan.
I am leaving for the Upper Peninsula from work this afternoon. Larry and Cassie are leaving this morning. We will look at two more houses on Saturday. It seems odd to be looking for a second home when faced with surgery in a few days. One of our coping mechanisms is to plan past the surgery. That reduces the overwhelming-ness of what our family is going through. It gives us a 'normal' in a situation that has an unknown outcome.
One of the questions asked by people is what are the symptoms I have been having. I went from the fatigue of radiation to the fatigue of heart valve failure... and saw an improvement in my health. My cardiologist says I do not tolerate exercise. Here is a list of what most people can do and I cannot.
- winded after walking up a flight of stairs.
- winded feels like there is not enough air getting into my lungs. I want to take deep breaths. Anything I can do to open up my chest helps. Improving my posture, pushing my shoulders back, leaning forward to realign my internal organs just a tad, putting my hands behind my back, putting my hands above my head, putting my legs up and my head down, unhooking my bra, leaning over with my hands on my desk, ... ... ... They all give my right atrium room to work.
- can walk distances with no problem, given time. Cassie and I walked her 5K training route on Mother's Day. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- cannot stand for any period of time. I put my selection back on the rack at Kohl's because I could not stand in line without wanting to lay down.
- sitting and standing I am tired. Laying down I am wide awake.
- tired to the point of tears after minor activity
- low frequency vibrations aggravate the feeling... bass guitar bouncing off smooth surfaces, industrial heating/AC blowers at work, bass in the car radio. All sounds you 'feel' my heart is disturbed by.
- transitioning from walking to standing/sitting takes time for my heart rhythm to adjust. I thought it was a side affect of the atenolol. Maybe not. I park in a lot that requires me to walk through a tunnel. ~ 5 blocks from car to desk. 17 steps on one end of the tunnel. 18 steps on the other end. It takes ~ 3 minutes to steady my heart rate once at my desk. A drink of water helps.
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