Glad to hear you are home now!
I'm Finally Back!
- Thread starter epstns
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Steve:
Glad you're home. Looking forward to reading about your "adventures in paradise."
Glad you're home. Looking forward to reading about your "adventures in paradise."
LUVMyBirman
Well-known member
Welcome home! Take it slow and easy. If you have a recliner, you may find that more comfortable to sleep/rest in. Recall living in mine for a few weeks 
Looking forward to your updates. Take care Steve.
Looking forward to your updates. Take care Steve.
Jeri
Well-known member
Hi Steve,
What great news!!! So happy you are home......take the rest you need, then walk..walk...walk!!!!! When are you going to start cardiac rehab??? Looking forward to reading all your details.... Stay positive and God be with you......you know He is!!!
Jeri
What great news!!! So happy you are home......take the rest you need, then walk..walk...walk!!!!! When are you going to start cardiac rehab??? Looking forward to reading all your details.... Stay positive and God be with you......you know He is!!!
Jeri
Home, Sweet Home. Congrats once again on getting through those bumps and glitches.
Rest enough and eat good foods in small amounts.
Rest enough and eat good foods in small amounts.
DeuxofUs
Well-known member
Welcome home Steve
Welcome home Steve
Must be nice to he home where your things are... where it's familiar. I hope you are feeling better. Looking forward to your story. Many hugs from the waiting room:wink2:
Welcome home Steve
Must be nice to he home where your things are... where it's familiar. I hope you are feeling better. Looking forward to your story. Many hugs from the waiting room:wink2:
Welcome home, Steve. I'm looking forward to reading the blow-by-blow description of your experience.
Best wishes,
Jim
Best wishes,
Jim
BAVD John
Well-known member
Steve,
I haven't been lurking here for the past several days or so. Glad to read that you are home. Now you will be able to get some real rest. I'm looking forward to your full report. I hope your experience at Northwestern was a good one.
I haven't been lurking here for the past several days or so. Glad to read that you are home. Now you will be able to get some real rest. I'm looking forward to your full report. I hope your experience at Northwestern was a good one.
Hi again, everyone. Didn't feel up to posting much yesterday, but I'm back today. Some days better than others, but you already knew that. My daughter and I will try to sit down over the weekend and start "the opus." I'm sure there will be some bummer moments in it, but there are also some hilarious ones, too. They are all part of the story.
But I won't keep everyone waiting - some notes regarding questions already raised:
Bdryer - My pacemaker is not a defibrilator. It is the current technology Boston Scientific unit, and is demand-paced. In other words, when I'm back at the gym and want to jog or run, it will dial up my heart rate (within preset parameters) to accommodate the added activity. A far piece from the old one my mom had, that seemed to have only a few speeds.
Norm - I still make lots of typo's. I just find most of them before I post them. Some of them seem to be totally random collections of letters, but after correction, they're fine. If I slow down, there are fewer errors, so some of them may be due to the tiny keyboard on my netBook computer. Beats the iPhone for posting, though.
Hensylee - It is wonderful to hear from you! Yeah, I was kind of hoping to arrive at my "use-by" date without ever passing through the OR, but that was not to be. At least this way I will enjoy more years than had I opted to forego surgery.
Marguerite - One of these days I'll get to take a picture. So far, a pretty average one. The usual sternotomy scar, fairly neat but not perfectly vertical. Not going to ask them to revise it, though. Also have 3 drain scars and one more for the pacemaker. I'm also skinny enough that the pacemaker stands out enough that it looks like the doc left his spare ahcnge in there, too.
Jeri - I have discussed rehab with my local cardio (not at the hospital where surgery was done) and we have an appointment to evaluate things on March 31. I imagine at that time he will recommend Phase II rehab soon thereafter.
Yesterday was a pretty good day - got out for a walk. Not far, but several times the distance I walked at the hospital. Today is cold, windy and nasty, so will have to do some laps around the rooms of the house. Doing some stairs, too, so I'm hopeful that today can add to yesterday's successes.
Again, thanks for all the support. I'll keep you posted.
But I won't keep everyone waiting - some notes regarding questions already raised:
Bdryer - My pacemaker is not a defibrilator. It is the current technology Boston Scientific unit, and is demand-paced. In other words, when I'm back at the gym and want to jog or run, it will dial up my heart rate (within preset parameters) to accommodate the added activity. A far piece from the old one my mom had, that seemed to have only a few speeds.
Norm - I still make lots of typo's. I just find most of them before I post them. Some of them seem to be totally random collections of letters, but after correction, they're fine. If I slow down, there are fewer errors, so some of them may be due to the tiny keyboard on my netBook computer. Beats the iPhone for posting, though.
Hensylee - It is wonderful to hear from you! Yeah, I was kind of hoping to arrive at my "use-by" date without ever passing through the OR, but that was not to be. At least this way I will enjoy more years than had I opted to forego surgery.
Marguerite - One of these days I'll get to take a picture. So far, a pretty average one. The usual sternotomy scar, fairly neat but not perfectly vertical. Not going to ask them to revise it, though. Also have 3 drain scars and one more for the pacemaker. I'm also skinny enough that the pacemaker stands out enough that it looks like the doc left his spare ahcnge in there, too.
Jeri - I have discussed rehab with my local cardio (not at the hospital where surgery was done) and we have an appointment to evaluate things on March 31. I imagine at that time he will recommend Phase II rehab soon thereafter.
Yesterday was a pretty good day - got out for a walk. Not far, but several times the distance I walked at the hospital. Today is cold, windy and nasty, so will have to do some laps around the rooms of the house. Doing some stairs, too, so I'm hopeful that today can add to yesterday's successes.
Again, thanks for all the support. I'll keep you posted.
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Well done my man!
Dude it blows me away how individualistic we all are. Here you were taking good care of your health while others did not and yet YOU get to be a model for, " Boston Scientific". We are close in age and both, in my case have, in your case had, AS. We both also are athletic. Man, I am now prepared that that I too could end up with a Boston Scientific device along with an AV and graft of the ascending aorta come Mar 21.
Thanks so much for addressing my question.
Class 2011
Dude it blows me away how individualistic we all are. Here you were taking good care of your health while others did not and yet YOU get to be a model for, " Boston Scientific". We are close in age and both, in my case have, in your case had, AS. We both also are athletic. Man, I am now prepared that that I too could end up with a Boston Scientific device along with an AV and graft of the ascending aorta come Mar 21.
Thanks so much for addressing my question.
Class 2011
francie12
Well-known member
Great news! So glad to hear you are at home. Keep up the work, and thanks for keeping us posted!
Jeri
Well-known member
Wow.;...Steve...you are doing great....soooo happy for you....prayers and positive thoughts coming your way....thanks for the info on the rehab.....keep up the great improvements... God bless.
Jeri
Jeri
Allisoninoz
Well-known member
Hi Steve,
Glad you're feeling a bit better. I'm finding it's a long process. Some days I feel really good; others I'm just exhausted. And I've worked out that it is VERY easy for me to overdo things. I walked very slowly and casually around a shopping centre for about an hour on Thursday (included a 15 minute rest at a cafe) and was exhausted and sore the next day (thought it was great getting out of the house!). Most days I do total walking of about 20-25 minutes, but usually in two blocks of 10 and 15 minutes. I've slept every afternoon for at least 45 minutes or so. Sometimes I have difficulty dropping off to sleep at night and then discomfort usually wakes me about three hours later. I reposition myself and then fall asleep again. I generally do some stretches first thing in the morning to try and work out the stiff neck/back etc.
We're getting there ... Class of 2011 ... Hang in there...
Alli
Glad you're feeling a bit better. I'm finding it's a long process. Some days I feel really good; others I'm just exhausted. And I've worked out that it is VERY easy for me to overdo things. I walked very slowly and casually around a shopping centre for about an hour on Thursday (included a 15 minute rest at a cafe) and was exhausted and sore the next day (thought it was great getting out of the house!). Most days I do total walking of about 20-25 minutes, but usually in two blocks of 10 and 15 minutes. I've slept every afternoon for at least 45 minutes or so. Sometimes I have difficulty dropping off to sleep at night and then discomfort usually wakes me about three hours later. I reposition myself and then fall asleep again. I generally do some stretches first thing in the morning to try and work out the stiff neck/back etc.
We're getting there ... Class of 2011 ... Hang in there...
Alli
zztimeout
Well-known member
Hi Alli.... I cannot wait to post in this group instead of the scary 'Pre-Surgery' room.... So glad to hear you are home.... I am in the waiting room.... have a read if my options I am faced with... in the Pre-Surgery room....
Lets know your thoughts...
Cheers
Dave
Lets know your thoughts...
Cheers
Dave
bdryer - Prior to surgery my only heart-related prescriptions were Avalide (an angiotensin receptor blocker) for high blood pressure and Hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic) to supplement the Avalide. This is my first experience with beta blockers, and the first meeting was a real ordeal!
Karen
Well-known member
Steve, it's so good to see your progress of the past few days. Keep it up!
Karen
Karen
It gets better, and spring gets warmer. Glad you're getting out for walks. Home is always so much better.
Very best wishes,
Very best wishes,
Hi Steve
I pose some of my questions to you, as I have made the mental assumption that we are close in physiology, so like a little brother, I am seeking your guidance through your experience. I was placed on Beta Blockers on Dec 9/10 because of arrhythmia resulting from critical AS. I question wether I'm going to exit the hospital with a similar pace maker? Thanks for staying with me brother!
I pose some of my questions to you, as I have made the mental assumption that we are close in physiology, so like a little brother, I am seeking your guidance through your experience. I was placed on Beta Blockers on Dec 9/10 because of arrhythmia resulting from critical AS. I question wether I'm going to exit the hospital with a similar pace maker? Thanks for staying with me brother!
