Describe your days post op...am i resting too much?

[offwego]

As I posted in my other threads, I am about 2 weeks post op after MV repair...things are going well but I am wondering what the day is like for others who have gone through this..

Is this normal? doing nothing but watching TV, internet, reading and light household stuff? Yes I try to get outside each day for about an hour but that's just about it.

Tonight is laundry night...yay.

I am pale from no sun...probably have Vitamin D deficiency...been in side most of 6 WEEKS easily...

I'm generally good alone...I am a bit of a loner...but this is ridiculous..

Im not the only one who has this level on inactivity am I?

I expect to be doing much more....at least socializing with people..but I just am so not in the mood....

 

[Jkm7]

If I recall, didn't you post prior to your surgery that you had chosen to remain in your apartment for weeks and had barely left? Perhaps it is feeling cumulative to you now? Because you had little stimulation in those weeks prior, is it possible time is moving slowly for you now?

In any case, you are doing very well. You sound very grateful to be having an uneventful, bump free recovery. Don't do anything to 'mess it up'. Get impatient, do too much and there is the chance you could pay the price. Take it slowly. It's worth it.

 

[Luana]

Two weeks post-op, I wouldn't expect anyone to be doing too much more. Sounds like it may be a bit of depression which is very common after heart surgery.

 

[Bina]

Hey, I was still in hospital at 2 weeks post op....Calm down, and I agree with Jkm7, "don't mess it up".
My days were also boring: Reading, watching tons of DVDs, tons of Sudoku puzzles, doing some crafts and naps.
But things do turn around and you will be rewarded for your patience.

 

[offwego]

If I recall, didn't you post prior to your surgery that you had chosen to remain in your apartment for weeks and had barely left? Perhaps it is feeling cumulative to you now? Because you had little stimulation in those weeks prior, is it possible time is moving slowly for you now?

In any case, you are doing very well. You sound very grateful to be having an uneventful, bump free recovery. Don't do anything to 'mess it up'. Get impatient, do too much and there is the chance you could pay the price. Take it slowly. It's worth it.

Yes you are right...I had bronchitis for over a month prior to surgery and didn't realize my heart was contributing to the feeling of exhaustion...I think I've been inside most of the time (by far) for at least 6 WEEKS....maybe even more...yes time is moving really slow for me...it doesn't help that I sorta ended a stupid relationship and hashed it out with her just a couple of days ago..it all came out and I wasn't really up for it but it was obviously over anyway...

There is definitely a little bit of depression going on..nothing even close to what I had 8 years ago (thank god) but it is there...it's impossible to be really happy and upbeat when I am couped up all day and to make matters worse, I don't have the patience or disposition for many visitors..I never really like many people around me in my apartment in the first place...

ANd at the same time, I am grateful all day and every day for my "bump free' recovery..it's beyond words, you guys know what I mean..I never expected a repair...and never expected so little pain and the ability to walk a couple of miles if I want probably every day if I were motivated.

it's complex and simple....I have a bit of an odd life...it's blessed beyond belief...I am financially comfortable...have a great quality of life...don't have to really work...have women around but....I guess fixing my heart didn't fix the rest of my life!

I guess I am questioning if this amount of staying inside is 'normal' considering I know I can do more if I really want...

I should add on thing...I've taken Adderall for ADD for many years...it's a powerful stimulant...They actually gave it to me post surgery...Can you believe this? Luckily I am smart enough not to have taken it...It's like drinking 100 cups of coffee.

I also have as light a case of MS as I;ve heard...It's under control, I do a daily injection for it and it's usually not much of an issue for me..I got diagnosed about 4 years ago. The Adderall is prescribed now for MS as it really helps me with energy and focus..I can take it if I want...my cardiologist said I could if I had too but I know he'd prefer if I didn't now or probably ever.

It's all a complex puzzle as to my motivation or lack of...Mid life crisis..mixed in with so much more...

talk about too much information but there it is.

I think I have to force myself to get out more..even if it's not walking so much...more socializing even if it's through the normal course of being outside with people.

This shut in life is starting to wear me out.

thanks for the posts. very appreciated...it's mostly cabin fever I think...

 

[offwego]

wrote mushy poem...I think I need to get out more!

 

[Freddie]

Not sure about anyone else, but I was told to take Vitamin D once I got home from the hospital along with calcium supplement. Vitamin D is to help with bone growth...so I've been told.

At two weeks I was walking 40 minutes 3 to 4 times a day but it was spring. Otherwise it sounds like your right on par with your activities.

 

[offwego]

I'll start the Vitamin D tomorrow...it's a very important vitamin for people with MS...you were walking 40 minutes each time you went walking 3-4 times a day? Spring would certainly be easier but that's an incredible amount! I think I should get disciplined to go out twice a day...not over doing it but just getting out and more fresh air..

thanks for that post!

 

[Dennis S]

I would give myself permission to take it easy. If there is anyone that could walk with you it might make that more attractive.

 

[offwego]

I would give myself permission to take it easy. If there is anyone that could walk with you it might make that more attractive.

yes, I suppose there is...but I do prefer my motivation to come from within...I am stronger than I think...and I think I've gotten lazy and coddled myself a bit too much...Not saying I should overdo it but I think it's time to make myself go out twice a day...how far or long i walk is not even important..cause once i get started, I can't see walking less than 20-30 minutes and the second outing..I'll take it easy.

It's great this forum exists...this simple plan might just lead to better habits!

 

[offwego]

OK, I got the perfect idea...Don't know how I didn't think of this...There is a gym connected to my building and I get 1/2 off if I join...I know I can't work out but...it's getting cold in NYC and just to take it easy on the bike or treadmill (with heart rate monitor) will get me out socializing and doing something good for myself...I can probably (with doctors approval) do some light stretching and maybe even do some light lower body easy stuff...

I will do rehab as soon as I can and did that once years ago...I'm sure the Rusk institute is state of the art and covered by insurance....That's my first choice but this is right downstairs and I'm sure I can get them to let me do it month to month even if it's a bit more money..

I'm going to shop for a very simple heart rate monitor and new headphones now!

 

[Greg a]

When you do walk make sure you take in to account for a round trip no matter how good you feel ......walk away from home 10mins then back 10mins for a 20min walk next time add 5mins to your away walk for a thirty min outing you don't want to end up like me wanted to treat my wife to a coffee and walked 35 mins there and got half way back when I started in trouble going low on sugar and developed dizzyness and had to sit down and try to call for help .......my wife was in the garden and didn't hear the phone so finally got my daughter at her home to load the kids in the car and come and rescue grandpa when she got to me it suddenly dawned on me that the solution of food was in the bagels I was carrying home to my wife .....oh well we lived through that and had a real belly laugh about it LOL

 

[Greg a]

OK, I got the perfect idea...Don't know how I didn't think of this...There is a gym connected to my building and I get 1/2 off if I join...I know I can't work out but...it's getting cold in NYC and just to take it easy on the bike or treadmill (with heart rate monitor) will get me out socializing and doing something good for myself...I can probably (with doctors approval) do some light stretching and maybe even do some light lower body easy stuff...

I will do rehab as soon as I can and did that once years ago...I'm sure the Rusk institute is state of the art and covered by insurance....That's my first choice but this is right downstairs and I'm sure I can get them to let me do it month to month even if it's a bit more money..

I'm going to shop for a very simple heart rate monitor and new headphones now!

Have you gone into a cardiac rehab pgm to set some benchmarks to train by ....so worth every minute and every penny

 

[Freddie]

I'll start the Vitamin D tomorrow...it's a very important vitamin for people with MS...you were walking 40 minutes each time you went walking 3-4 times a day? Spring would certainly be easier but that's an incredible amount! I think I should get disciplined to go out twice a day...not over doing it but just getting out and more fresh air..

thanks for that post!

Greg is right about the walking time - allow time to come back :smile2: At 2 weeks, my walks were slow, there was no way I was taking my full normal stride. So when you go on the treadmill take it easy and go slow

You do have a great idea. Going the gym and socializing will do your heart and mind good.
Just remember to be good to yourself.

 

[offwego]

I think I can't hear enough 'be good to yourself' or 'give yourself permission'....good advice and I'll remember it.

Funny about the 'round trip' thing..I get that...I think I am very in tune with my body and moved back to my native New York a year ago...I feel especially safe here, everything is so close and easy once you know your way around...I walk at a pretty brisk pace now...I do check my heart rate often and keep it around 100 or so...I think the Metropolol is keeping my heart rate down as a similar pace pre op would have my heart rate at around 125bpm...clearly the heart was malfunctioning as well.

I'll get into rehab as fast as possible...seeing the cardio on monday or tuesday and will step that up...but the gym is a perfect idea and even if it cost a bit more to do it month to month, I really want to...it's NY Health and Racquet club and they have a pool as well...I'm not much of a swimmer and learned late in life..I think my heart not working correctly made swimming very very difficult..should be interesting to try in a few months from now to see if it's different.

I know I will overdo it on the treadmill...there is no way not to...i won't do anything stupid...but I guess I might overdo it a bit at some points...that will happen at rehab as well...But as said, I will have a heart rate monitor and I know I can't use 'normal' methods of heart ranges due to the surgery and the medications...it will be about perceived levels of exertion...I saved the brochure they gave me about this at NYU...

I thought they wanted rehab to begin weeks after surgery..but I can't imagine why I can't start now...now would be a great time to have the peace of mind of being hooked up to machines with all sorts of doctors around at NYU..can't beat that!

 

[kevin21]

I'm just shy of 3 weeks removed and I basically do what I did prior to surgery. I went to the grocery (all of this running requires me to sit in the back seat of the wife's ride...) yesterday and put basically everything in the cart (I lifted the dang milk a few too many times) and then helped put the junk away. I cleaned out the fridge and wiped the thing out. Wiping is a hard thing on the old chest, worse for me than actually lifting stuff.

I think everyone is different and necessity dictates behavior. When you have three kids under 7 you're going to have to do different things than if you live by yourself.

Move at your own pace and push it just a bit further each day.

 

[Jkm7]

Can we speak honestly?

You are in the very normal spot IMO of being early in recovery and are fixated on all things 'you'. We all do it and it is probably healthy and beneficial if it makes us take good care of ourselves.

As you heal, perhaps if you find interests outside yourself, lots of other things will fall into place.
It is all about you right now and should be but that indulgence has a limited life span. IMO

I saw the same in myself and acknowledged it when I realized just about every sentence out of my mouth, aloud or on paper, had "I" and "Me" as the subject. I was fixated on just me and what I wanted and what I needed and what I was doing or not doing and as I healed, I started to get rid of a few of those "I" sentences.

I truly apologize if this is rude or insulting as I by no means intend that. I think this kind of an open conversation can be helpful for all of going through our heart 'adventures'. I hope you meant this thread to invite a conversation. If I 'misread' the intention, my apologies. Please know it is not criticism but recognition of where I was at the place you now are. I think we all cross through that territory after such traumatic event.

Start looking forward to the things you want to become interested doing in the coming weeks and months.
Right now.... you're doing fine.
And, yes...... all things being equal with weather conditions and how you feel, it would be fine for you to be going for walks more than once a day. You don't have to walk miles. But to go out more than once is recommended.

This is the walking schedule Mass General provides all their Open Heart Patients (unless there are special circumstances to make exception):

Week 1: Walk 5-10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day
Week 2: Walk 10-15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day.
Week 3: Walk 20 minutes, 1 to 2 times a day.
Week 4: Walk 25-30 minutes once a day.

I was able to walk more as I have been a 'walker' for many years. For week 1, I pretty much followed this schedule, my second surgery.
By week 2, it was comfortable and safe (per my cardio) for me to walk more.

 

[Luana]

Can we speak honestly?

You are in the very normal spot IMO of being early in recovery and are fixated on all things 'you'. We all do it and it is probably healthy and beneficial if it makes us take good care of ourselves.

As you heal, perhaps if you find interests outside yourself, lots of other things will fall into place.
It is all about you right now and should be but that indulgence has a limited life span. IMO

I saw the same in myself and acknowledged it when I realized just about every sentence out of my mouth, aloud or on paper, had "I" and "Me" as the subject. I was fixated on just me and what I wanted and what I needed and what I was doing or not doing and as I healed, I started to get rid of a few of those "I" sentences.

It is normal and part of self-preservation. You mostly become occupied with the bare essentials of being alive. I had a friend who had her gall bladder removed not too long ago and she said for the first couple of weeks after surgery all she concerned herself with was a comfy bed, clean clothes and food to eat. It all boils down to survival. All surgeries take a toll on the body, but no matter what surgeries you may have had, heart surgery trumps them all when it comes to recovery.

 

[Jkm7]

I think part of what makes heart surgery recovery distinct, aside from the severe trauma to our bodies, is the emotional factor.
It seems to impact most of us emotionally in sometimes severe levels. Few of us escape with no emotional turmoil from heart surgery be it from the pre surgery waiting period or the post op realization of the trauma we have experienced and the fact we survived...... hopefully intact.

 

[Lynlw]

I'm just shy of 3 weeks removed and I basically do what I did prior to surgery. I went to the grocery (all of this running requires me to sit in the back seat of the wife's ride...) yesterday and put basically everything in the cart (I lifted the dang milk a few too many times) and then helped put the junk away. I cleaned out the fridge and wiped the thing out. Wiping is a hard thing on the old chest, worse for me than actually lifting stuff.

I think everyone is different and necessity dictates behavior. When you have three kids under 7 you're going to have to do different things than if you live by yourself.

Move at your own pace and push it just a bit further each day.

I'm glad you are feeling so well, but the lifting /weight really are things you should pay attention to. Even if you think you can lift cartons of milk and groceries, it takes weeks for the bones to heal and if you mess that up you really can have big problems the rest of your life. I know you aren't going to rehab, so if it helps to know when it is usually safe to do what the PDF written by the surgeon society might help http://www.sts.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf
its short and of course just general info for most things

OFF, when to start rehab is different for everyone end probably depends who their surgeons are and how old the patient is, their shape ect but for the general info in the PDF they say rehab usually starts anywhere from 2-6 weeks after discharge