It's official, I'm having heart surgery on Feb 18th...wow, it's real now.

Zen_Brew said:

Yeah, wait till you get to the first post-op BJ
That'll be a special memory for sure, and something to look forward to.

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Yeah...LOL... My GF and I were talking about the "when," of that stuff today.

Looks like I overdid it today. Marybeth and I went to Partridge Creek tonight which is like a traditional big mall, except it's outdoors. So it's the size of one of those traditional malls that old ladys in tennies walks laps in, except it's out doors (and you can walk your dogs.) And we did a could paced lap around it. It was a beautiful night, the first warm night we've had. But now I'm really worn out and kinda in a bit of pain. But it's part of the healing.

I just can't really get over how weak I am overall. I mean I haven't done much physically since this got discovered in June and was put on restrictions, on top of having the physical trauma of the surgery. And the couple years prior I was slowing down, but thinking it was from the flu.

I used to be able to walk for miles with no problems, now after a couple blocks I'm ready for bed. But at least doing normal things, I'm not feeling like a fish out of water trying to breath.

I can't wait til I start cardiac rehab and get to do some supervised cardio and hopefully get back to doing strength training. I just wonder how long it will be til I can do upper body stuff again. Though I shouldn't probably get my hopes up that I'll get to do anything that puts stress on my ribcage for awhile, right?

This monday i am also having the same surgery any tips you can give to me would be great thanks!!!!

Revvy said:

I just can't really get over how weak I am overall. I mean I haven't done much physically since this got discovered in June and was put on restrictions, on top of having the physical trauma of the surgery. And the couple years prior I was slowing down, but thinking it was from the flu.

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In a couple of years, you'll be a workout machine and will be commenting on how much better you feel! :rockin:

manhattanksbrewer said:

This monday i am also having the same surgery any tips you can give to me would be great thanks!!!!

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No advice, just good wishes from me!

Thanks appreciate it

Shooter said:

In a couple of years, you'll be a workout machine and will be commenting on how much better you feel! :rockin:



No advice, just good wishes from me!

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manhattanksbrewer said:

This monday i am also having the same surgery any tips you can give to me would be great thanks!!!!

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also don't have any advice for ya, but you get the same prayer-treatment that Revvy got.

manhattanksbrewer said:

This monday i am also having the same surgery any tips you can give to me would be great thanks!!!!

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I missed this. I don't really have any tips, just relax. And be religuous about using the spirometer lung thing every hour. In fact if you do that you may prevent the need to cough and hold onto your heart pillow. Coughing is the worst. It hurts like hell.

Thanks Revvy I will do the spirometer hope to be back on here soon

manhattanksbrewer said:

Thanks Revvy I will do the spirometer hope to be back on here soon

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Got a laptop or smart phone? I had free wireless in the hospital, and was online nearly immediately.

Yes i will have both my blackberry and my laptop as soon as i am up to it i will post it on here

Ok off to hospital for my surgery see yall soon

Well, had my last home care nursing visit. Another milestone. She thinks this pain/discomfort on my right breast may be a hematoma in the scar tissue. She suggested I use a heating pad or hot water bottle, and hopefully my body will absorb it. That's about the only thing that really bothers me. Ans it kinda hurts when I breath. But noone can hear anything in my lungs, so that's why they think it's just a blood bruise.

manhattanksbrewer said:

Ok off to hospital for my surgery see yall soon

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Best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery!

Revvy said:

Well, had my last home care nursing visit. Another milestone. She thinks this pain/discomfort on my right breast may be a hematoma in the scar tissue. She suggested I use a heating pad or hot water bottle, and hopefully my body will absorb it. That's about the only thing that really bothers me. Ans it kinda hurts when I breath. But noone can hear anything in my lungs, so that's why they think it's just a blood bruise.

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Thanks for the update.

Did the visiting nurse give you a special, going-away, treatment?

Pappers_ said:

Thanks for the update.

Did the visiting nurse give you a special, going-away, treatment?

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Pappers, I'm shocked.

(No, especially since my mom and sister were both in the room.)

So, it wasn't exactly like "Candy Stripers"? huh...

manhattanksbrewer said:

Ok off to hospital for my surgery see yall soon

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Let us know how it went!

I've been away from the boards for a while, just found this thread and read through the whole thing.

Very glad you are getting better revvy, I hope the pain in your side does go away soon, and that you are able to get your endurance back quickly.

manhattanksbrewer I hope your surgery goes well today and I'll be praying for you.

Hang in Revvy!

Well, as of this afternoon my heart is officially beating on it's own. I had my appointment with the pacemaker specialists today. And it turns out the pacemaker's been doing 100% of the work since they put it in.

But the techs were able to detect my own rhythm under it all. So they took the readouts to the doctor and he confirmed that my heart was working on it's own, so they reset the pacemaker "all on" to "as needed."

I have to self monitor how I feel over the next few days to make sure. And I see the pacemaker doc in 8 weeks so they can see how many times it's gone off since then.

But it's a nice feeling to know that that part of my heart is working ok as well. It was upsetting to end up needing one, on top of the valve replacement. It was kinda a kick in the teeth to have to have one, when the valve was supposed to make me better than before. Getting this felt/feels like a step back. But at least now it's more for emergencies than running me.

I can understand how it would seem like a step back, Revvy, the emotional recovery must be a challenge, too. Congratulations on the good news!

This mean you'll be giving up your 'cyborg' status soon? :rockin: Or will you always be one of the Borg?

Golddiggie said:

This mean you'll be giving up your 'cyborg' status soon? :rockin: Or will you always be one of the Borg?

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Borg status is permanent unfortunately.

"Resistance is not futile" Hew

As long as they don't try to "assimilate" my home brew... They better keep their hands off my BC, grains and hops too...

Being married to a Borg, I can say that a little resistance can be fun, but it gets better when you surrender.

Revvy said:

Getting this felt/feels like a step back. But at least now it's more for emergencies than running me.

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Just take comfort that you have one helluva backup in place!

Stress Test 9am this morning, we put the metal to the road and see if all this stuff, the new valve and the pacemaker actually work. I'm kinda excited and kinda scared at the same time. Plus I'll see how really out of shape I am.

Revvy said:

Borg status is permanent unfortunately.

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Locutus Lager??


(dmmt... Showing my geek side again...)

S**t S**t S**t....I feel like all this was for nothing, the surgery, the pacemaker, everything.

I feel like such an abject failure. I feel like I did worse than a 90 year old man on the treadmill who hasn't had surgery yet.

I don't think I made it to 5 minute on a moderate pace. I know I made it through the first 3 minutes at a pretty slow/average pace and a slight incline. But after 3 minutes he raised it up a little faster and a little more of an angle and I don't know if I made it another minute.

Next thing you know I was bent over trying to catch and dry heaving, just like before the surgery. And that was it for the test. Then he had me sit and monitored me for 5 minutes while I got it together.

This blows....I used to be able to do 30 minutes on a treadmill at a pretty fast clip and a steep incline, as a warm up to an hour workout, with another 10-15 minute treadmill cool down.

That was only a couple years ago. I posted on here two years ago about completing 3 complete circuits of my gyms pace room. I found a post from may of 09.

The tech didn't see anything bad on any of the monitors I was on. He thinks that it's nothing wrong with the valve or anything, just that I'm way out of shape. He said that this is just a baseline and that cardiac rehab is going to slowly bring me back. But what if he's wrong?

What if all this is for nothing.

I expected to be able to do 15 minutes or more with no problem, did I just set my hopes too high?

f**k.

someone recently tore a hole in your chest, cut out a piece of your heart, and slapped some bacon in there! recovery for that sort of thing is going to take a little more patience!

ironic idn't it?

FromZwolle said:

someone recently tore a hole in your chest, cut out a piece of your heart, and slapped some bacon in there! recovery for that sort of thing is going to take a little more patience!

ironic idn't it?

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LOL.

I know, it's just hard. I'm so anxious to be able to do stuff again. And to get back into shape. I just want to be normal. And I thought I was going to be like Rocky and kick butt on the treadmill this morning. Not nearly be puking after only a few minutes.

Man, that must be frustrating. Time is your friend though, I'm sure you'll be wrestling grizzly bears soon enough.

It will come with time, but you'll have to listen to the doctors and settle on a reasonable excercise schedule to get you there.

Rocky got knocked down a few times too......you gotta live the whole movie, not just the good parts.

Revvy said:

LOL.

I know, it's just hard. I'm so anxious to be able to do stuff again. And to get back into shape. I just want to be normal. And I thought I was going to be like Rocky and kick butt on the treadmill this morning. Not nearly be puking after only a few minutes.

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It took you a few minutes? Ya passed me up already!

OldJack said:

Rocky got knocked down a few times too......you gotta live the whole movie, not just the good parts.

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Fantastic line.


Good luck man, I'm sure you will come around.

I just heard from Dale (manhattanksbrewer) this morning. His surgery went well, most of the tubes are out and he's up and walking. He should be out of the hospital sometime this weekend.

Keep working Revvy. You will get there. From one stubborn, impatient dude to another....

Revvy said:

I just heard from Dale (manhattanksbrewer) this morning. His surgery went well, most of the tubes are out and he's up and walking. He should be out of the hospital sometime this weekend.

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that's great! thanks for the update, i've been wondering about him.

Revvy said:

I just heard from Dale (manhattanksbrewer) this morning. His surgery went well, most of the tubes are out and he's up and walking. He should be out of the hospital sometime this weekend.

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Awesome!