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.
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