L
LaurieC
It's been almost two years since AVR surgery, and I tried my first dance (a polka) since then, last weekend. Was so surprised to have less dancing stamina than I had before surgery. I was a member of a dancing club and spent a lot of time on the dance floor. After one dance on Sunday, my heart pounded for about 5 minutes after. I even tried the Chicken dance and got through only half and realized I needed to sit down. I'm female, 5'3", 120, small frame, and in excellent general health. But it seems if I climb stairs, walk even the slightest incline, bend over, or just take a brisk walk (especially in warm or hot weather), I feel a bit breathless. Don't recall this feeling much in the past, except the months just before surgery. I've had this feeling intermittently ever since surgery and the echo's that have been taken showed no problem. It seems it's increased a bit lately and is almost constant. Anybody have this kind of ongoing feeling after surgery? Surgery was a piece of cake to recover from, except for the strange feeling in my rib cage - a numb, very uncomfortable "stuffed" feeling that made it difficult to walk straight. It's lessened over time, but that tight feeling is still there, and gets worse with lifting. I've asked my cardiologist if this is normal, but never get a straight answer. I thought if anyone would be able to tell me, it's someone from this forum. Thanks for your ears!
