Great Post-Op Appointment

DachsieMom · May 15, 2015

Had my post-op visit just shy of 5 weeks. It went very well. I was cleared to drive and start cardiac rehab (started that yesterday). I think my age (42) is in my favor. Dr even reduced my beta blockers and will wean me off of them completely in 2 weeks, in hopes that my hands will stop peeling. No restrictions with the exception of heavy lifting for the next few months, and no diet restrictions. Forgot to ask about raking leaves this Fall and shoveling snow in winter, but I assume those will be okay. Still working on getting Coumadin in range. Thanks to everyone for putting up with my questions.

Dodger Fan · May 16, 2015

Congratulations on the good news!

ajc1991 · May 16, 2015

So glad that the post-op appointment went well! Soon you'll be getting back to normal

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Duffey · May 16, 2015

Congrats on a great post-op appointment. Best wishes going forward.

epstns · May 18, 2015

See? You "studied" hard for the test and passed with flying colors!

I'll bet that by fall you won't even need to ask if it is OK to rake leaves or shovel snow. Your body will tell you, and you'll do just fine.

Rehab is one of those situations where you get from it as much as you put into it. My brother-in-law did rehab after a stent placement. He moaned and groaned his way through it, and everything was "just too hard." He ended up back in the cath lab for more stents. . . THEN he paid attention.

I did 12 weeks of rehab, 3 days a week. On the 2 days when I did not have rehab sessions, I did the same exercise routine at my usual fitness center. Even though I had some complications and didn't start rehab until I was about 12 weeks post-op, by the end of the first 6 months, nobody could tell that I had heart surgery (unless they saw the scars, that is). I actually enjoyed rehab. It allowed me to do my "revised" exercise routine under supervision, and it forced me to get out of the office early for the first few months. Instead of working 50+ hours a week, I "cut back" to about 40.