no post-op rehab.... what am i missing?

[cuoricino]

helllooooo everyone!

saw the doctor today for my first post op checkup (about 5 weeks post-op). i did chest x-rays (and they made me swallow the most AWFUL white cream to "illuminate" my heart on the films), ekg and consult with a heart surgeon (not mine was kind of disappointed about that).

anyway, everything looks good. stellar x-rays, normal rythm, scar's healing normally, etc. i asked a million "when-can-i" questions (when can i go back to work, start jogging again, start living my "regular" life again??) to which the answer was a simple: "whenever you feel ready!"

I'm ready! I'm ready!!

i can't wait to get back to work and have a routine again, and get out of the house more than a couple of hours a day!!

anyway, since i had read many times both here and elsewhere online that outpatient rehabilitation usually begins after 4 weeks, i asked the doctor if that was customary for their facility. he told me no, and that in any case i'm young and have healed quite nicely so far and don't seem to need any form of physical therapy. hmmmmm.....

so, i'm asking you, my fellow heart patients, what am i missing? i've always been the "grass-is-greener..." kinda gal and so i wanna know what all the fuss is about. mostly what kind of exercises you do and if it's helpful and what it's main purpose is...? i still feel a little tight in my chest for certain movements and want to wean myself back to having a full range of movement. and i definitely don't want to risk healing in a way that will make me stiff for life!!

anyway, i understand that everyone's case is different and some exercises may not be the right ones for me. i'm just curious.... what am i missing??

grazie e ciao

 

[Danny]

Hello, im glad your recovery is going smooth... I dont know about the rehab, because im only 2 weeks out, but id like to hear some of the feedback. Good luck,and continue recovering nicely.

 

[Dorsai]

What I've gathered on a second-hand basis is that rehab is mostly for people whose heart has been damaged over time from valve failure and the like. In my case, since my heart was healthy other than the aortic root aneurysm, I had no heart damage and thus won't be needing any cardiac rehab.

Now...having gone through this once already, I don't *ever* want to do it again - so I will be instituting my own diet and exercise program as soon as my doctors give me the all-clear. But at least in my case, it's apparently not necessary because of the surgery.

 

[Duffey]

I didn't have cardiac rehab since it wasn't covered by our insurance plan. At least you know you're not the only one missing out on the greener grass found on the cardiac rehab side.

 

[Freddie]

I too didn't have any re-hab, didn't know it existed nor was it mentioned to me at any point and time during the early stages of recovery - although it was brought up a year after surgery...huh?

I guess I fall in the same class as you cuoricino.

 

[Superbob]

I am one of those who raves about how good cardiac rehab. It helped immensely that my insurance fully covered 36 sessions of it. And we had a fun group, which probably is not universally so.

However, it is not essential. You can get advice or even a personal trainer at the health club. Or you can just set up your own program, starting with walking and gradually increasing. And you might just check with one of the cardiac rehab facilities and see if it's possible to do it for a small out of pocket fee, or maybe even get some pro bono help.

Best wishes....

 

[AgilityDog]

I had rehab largely because I was so fragile before and after surgery that everyone was afraid I'd break. Especially me. A few weeks of supervised treadmill, stationary bike, and very light weights helped me regain confidence that I wasn't falling apart.
Of course, the nurses at rehab didn't want me to go more than 30 bpm over my resting pulse of 60, so that was pretty slow! Heck I couldn't walk to the laundry room without hitting 125! After about 3 weeks, I blew them off and stopped going, went back to running my dogs and joined the gym.

 

[Mentu]

My circumstance is a little odd in that I have already been through Cardiac Rehab once. I start the next CR in a couple of weeks. The main features are that you wear a heart monitor during exercise and the nurse therapists monitor your cardiac function and recommend changes in your exercise pattern over time. This is particularly helpful for those of us who are older and do not have a history that includes systematic exercise. Last year, at age 58 I was the youngest person in the group.

If your surgeon does not recommend CR you might consider joining a gym with a physical trainer who could help stage your return to exercise and monitor your progress. Having another person present as a monitor is also very reassuring when one is recovering. As well, you might consider wearing your own simple heart monitor like those bicycle riders wear during training. Mine primarily alerts me if my pulse rate rises too high so that I can stay in the zone for best aerobic fitness.

ciao

 

[Kevin]

I never knew about rehab until well after my second surgery.

I was always advised to watch my pulse and let my body tell me the rest. After 5 weeks, you probably are already past that point of sudden tiredness from overdoing the exercise.

What always worked for me was to push myself a LITTLE each day. That was hard for me because I was young and tended to overdo everything. Go for longer and longer walks. Insert some light jogging in there, but don't let it get to the point where you exert yourself into having shortness of breath.

Light weights are great for getting the muscles back in shape, but if you experience that pinching pulling feeling in your chest - pull back. Think toning - not building muscle.

It sounds like you have the other major part of this already handled - a go-getter attitude and that is the most important thing of all.

I am not a doctor, but if you have no other health issues and are not on any other meds, your body should be able to give you every bit of feedback you need to know how much is enough.
k

 

[olefin]

I never had rehab, in fact never heard of it until this forum.
But my surgery was 500 miles from where I lived and that was over 18 years ago.

I had jogged and walked daily for 15 years before surgery so after surgery I started walking as soon as I felt like it. But that was two weeks after I got home from spending 21 days in the hospital from surgery. It took me quite some time to get back to 3 miles a day. My "homemade rehab" seem to work great.

Good luck.

 

[KAJ]

My heart was never damaged due to my faulty valve or any other reason. Cardiac rehab helped me to learn when I was pushing myself too far and when I was not pushing hard enough. The upside is that someone is monitoring you the entire time. It was well worth the effort.

Karl

 

[Jkm7]

I had two OHS and my cardio mentioned Cardio Rehab to me but said he did not think I would get enough out of it to make it worth it, adding it is not for everyone.

I was very active, healing well, no bumps in my recovery, walked daily, understood exactly what my heart issues were, the diagnosis of all my conditions and prognosis, eat a heart healthy diet and was well motivated to do what was necessary for the best possible healing and heart healthy lifestyle.

Had I wished, he would have prescribed it and my insurance would have paid. I live a ten minute walk from the facility where I would have participated.

For me, it was the right choice to not go. I fully agree for some people it is highly advisable but it is not necessarily needed or advisable for all. When my second surgery came, I had no regrets about not going the first time and did not choose to go the second - with my cardio's agreement.

 

[Adrienne]

I never went to cardiac rehab (no one even mentioned it). As far as exercises for stiffness, I was sent home with a booklet that showed several exercises you can do with a pole (no, not pole dancing). I used a yardstick because it was all I had. As far as cardio-type exercise, I just walked and then finally went back to the gym four months later (I could have really gone sooner, but I wanted to wait until my appointment with my cardiologist). I bought a Polar heartrate monitor just to make sure I wasn't overdoing it.

 

[Alex B]

you are my age, so we usually don't go to rehab, as it's more for older people. I'm really not trying to offend anyone, so hopefully no-one takes that the wrong way. That's what my surgeon told me. I added some stretching to my daily walking at 5-6 weeks, basically shoulder shrugs (put your back to a wall, and try putting your shoulders flat against the wall, slowly raise and lower your shoulders), I found that the stiffness in my upper back/shoulders was what needed work the most.

At 8 weeks I started jogging, very slowely at first and I took several recovery (walking days), but now at 12 weeks I'm jogging 2.5 miles every other day and starting to lift weights. My lower scar is sore if I twist or rub it on something, but other than that I feel like I'm very nearly out of the woods.

 

[tobagotwo]

Don't look at me. No rehab either time. I have a habit of being well past their charts very early, so there isn't much need.

If you feel you need it, go for it. If you're as full of energy as you post, you may well not need it. However, going back to work must not mean that you give up walking and heart exercise.

Best wishes,

 

[Star54]

I am actually thinking of cardio re-hab, and my HMO recommeded it. Primarily because my recovery was hindered ( and still is) by pericarditis. It knocked me back to square one, and was not able to walk or breath without pain. However, if I were not in this hindered recovery situation, I would not do it. But I feel it may be beneficial to me now as I will be going back to work shortly and will do it at a hospital near my office. I like the fact that they put you on heart monitors and adjust your workout for your situation.
I am also 57 years young and could use a supervised workout...a regular gym is not for me.
Linda

 

[MaryC]

Since the cardiac rehab was covered under my insurance I did it and was glad I did. I am a regular exerciser - bike riding, jogging, walking 5xs a week - but liked the idea of having someone monitor me after my surgery. It was the folks at cardiac rehab who noticed my heart rate was 120+ bpm at rest. When I went to the cardiologist I was in a flutter. Once I got started on the program it wasn't long before I was ready to go beyond what the class offered but I was glad I started out slow the 1st few weeks.

Chris

 

[Cooker]

I had my AVR at 49, almost 50 ... no rehab and back to work in five weeks... everyone is diff....

 

[cuoricino]

well, don't i feel silly now. it's good to know that not everyone goes through rehab!! i thought i was really missing out!! although, it would be nice to have a personal trainer (especially if it's paid for by the public health system!!)

thanks for all your responses! i am officially enlightened. tomorrow i start my first day back at work. i'm under strict orders from my boss to do no more than 3 hours a day until i'm "better". hahaha.... i hope that once she sees how good i'm doing she'll realize that 5, 6 or even 8 hours of office work sitting in a desk (hopefully) shouldn't be a problem for me!!

i guess we'll see how tomorrow goes!

ciao

 

[Adrienne]

Good luck back at work. Boy, oh boy, if I had still been working when I had my surgery, I would have milked it for all it is worth!!!