Recovery Trajectory Question

[EasterRat]

Hey folks,

I have been recovering really well from my AV repair 2 weeks ago today and had followups with my GP and Cardiac team. All looks tickey boo - next hurdle being the 6 week echo, which I'm gonna try not to stress about...

Anyways, my question is this: When can I expect my heart to be past the healing process and fully able to handle whatever I throw at it? I have been hearing that it varies (I get that) and that it is based on how I feel but is it totally self directed in the absence of any symptoms and a clear echo at 6 months? Do these answers come after that time? I get that I would not head out for a run today because my heart needs to heal and I will not be schlepping groceries till after the 4-6 weeks for the sternum healing. Just kinda wondering when I can get buck wild on a jet ski while juggling chainsaws, like I like to do...

Any insight is appreciated brethren.

D

 

[Paleowoman]

Aside from your six week echo, after which your cardiologist will or may give you the thumbs up to whatever or not, you should be seeing your cardiac surgeon at roughly the same time for review. Then there's cardiac rehab too - I had a great cardiac rehab nurse (male who was an ironman competitor) and got a lot of good feedback from him about what I could do and should not do. It was when I started cardiac rehab that I got a heart rate monitor which gave me feedback about how my heart was coping with what I was "throwing" at it. Listen to your body always too !

 

[dick0236]

Hey folks,

Just kinda wondering when I can get buck wild on a jet ski while juggling chainsaws, like I like to do...

D

Try the jet ski without the chainsaw first.....and like my granddaddy told me "this is one elephant your gonna have to eat......one bite at a time"

 

[pellicle]

Hi

...my AV repair 2 weeks ago today ...

Any insight is appreciated brethren.

D

ok, lets just take "heart condition" and put it over there on the shelf for a sec, lets just talk regular athlete.

When you're 18 you can "get into shape" in weeks
25 maybe a few months
45 the Army isn't even interested in you cos you just can't fight and win against 25 year olds (when was the last time you saw a Davis Cup winner who was 50?)
55 historically you'd be dead

When you're older it takes MUCH LONGER to recover fitness lost and believe me ... if you slack off a bit from training fitness falls faster as you age

sorry but that's facts .. you can go back to denial any time.
How old are you?

Moving along my own regime is to balance life with wishes and facts. I want to increase (even if modestly) and not harm myself with over training.

I've had a few small injuries over the years which have come home to roost in the last few years. I'm starting to feel the accumulation of tendonitis and perhaps some arthritis in my toe (football injury) and that's effected my ski performance this year. 5Km of cross country classic style at -10 and I'm buggered. when I was 45 (I'm 53 now) it was more like 15Km. My toe joint is killing me and the tendonitis from "tennis elbow" is making itself felt. Now I'm not meaning groomed track, I'm meaning actually cross country with forest type skis like the Åsnes combat that are NATO issue. Back in 2014 I did better.

My Cardio vascular fitness isn't bad but the actual KW/H output of what I do VS the HR Max I get is down ... because (drum roll) I'm older.. I know I was stronger in 2014 (after my 2011 surgery) but 2 years of house reno (not cardio intensive) + desk job + no time to cycle has eroded my levels from just two years ago AND I'm well past surgical limitations.

So now, lets reach over to the shelf and get your heart condition factor and plug it into the equation too. Did you reduce your training in the last few years because of it? (were you training) I'm guesing you did. What is your age group? What was your fitness level before?

Lastly ... 2 weeks ... get effing real ... do you WANT to be sliding back into the pit by over training THAT BLOODY SOON?

As always YMMV but if you do not allow the 8 weeks for your sternum to heal then ... you're mad or ignorant or both.

Get a HR monitor, wear it and record your data. Use that as a guide ... walk as you can DO NOT LIFT WEIGHTS till at least 8 weeks (unless you want to know what the hell of a mobile sternum is) and chart it. See how you go, review the data.

Data will tell you about you.

I'm glad you're feeling great ... but steps forward, every day, consistently. Not a leap (and then fall into the abyss)

Train sensibly ... train according to your age.

Best Wishes

 

[epstns]

This is all very amusing. I admire your "will-do" attitude, but please listen to your body and do not hurt yourself. Believe me, if you adhere to the "one step forward, two steps back" lifestyle, it will take far longer to reach your goals. You might never get there. . .

 

[Agian]

any insight is appreciated brethren.

D

2B1ask1

 

[Agian]

Hi


ok, lets just take "heart condition" and put it over there on the shelf for a sec, lets just talk regular athlete.

When you're 18 you can "get into shape" in weeks
25 maybe a few months
45 the Army isn't even interested in you cos you just can't fight and win against 25 year olds (when was the last time you saw a Davis Cup winner who was 50?)
55 historically you'd be dead

When you're older it takes MUCH LONGER to recover fitness lost and believe me ... if you slack off a bit from training fitness falls faster as you age

sorry but that's facts .. you can go back to denial any time.
How old are you?

Moving along my own regime is to balance life with wishes and facts. I want to increase (even if modestly) and not harm myself with over training.

I've had a few small injuries over the years which have come home to roost in the last few years. I'm starting to feel the accumulation of tendonitis and perhaps some arthritis in my toe (football injury) and that's effected my ski performance this year. 5Km of cross country classic style at -10 and I'm buggered. when I was 45 (I'm 53 now) it was more like 15Km. My toe joint is killing me and the tendonitis from "tennis elbow" is making itself felt. Now I'm not meaning groomed track, I'm meaning actually cross country with forest type skis like the Åsnes combat that are NATO issue. Back in 2014 I did better.

My Cardio vascular fitness isn't bad but the actual KW/H output of what I do VS the HR Max I get is down ... because (drum roll) I'm older.. I know I was stronger in 2014 (after my 2011 surgery) but 2 years of house reno (not cardio intensive) + desk job + no time to cycle has eroded my levels from just two years ago AND I'm well past surgical limitations.

So now, lets reach over to the shelf and get your heart condition factor and plug it into the equation too. Did you reduce your training in the last few years because of it? (were you training) I'm guesing you did. What is your age group? What was your fitness level before?

Lastly ... 2 weeks ... get effing real ... do you WANT to be sliding back into the pit by over training THAT BLOODY SOON?

As always YMMV but if you do not allow the 8 weeks for your sternum to heal then ... you're mad or ignorant or both.

Get a HR monitor, wear it and record your data. Use that as a guide ... walk as you can DO NOT LIFT WEIGHTS till at least 8 weeks (unless you want to know what the hell of a mobile sternum is) and chart it. See how you go, review the data.

Data will tell you about you.

I'm glad you're feeling great ... but steps forward, every day, consistently. Not a leap (and then fall into the abyss)

Train sensibly ... train according to your age.

Best Wishes

Pel, have you been hitting the Red Bull again? Lol

Logical advice.

 

[pellicle]

Pel, have you been hitting the Red Bull again? Lol

Koskenkorva ;-)

Logical advice.

thanks ... glad someone else thinks so

To quote a phrase that was coined here a while back, "I don't want to blow rainbows when the issue is serious and needs to be spoken of seriously in case there is a misunderstanding"

I'll go back to rainbows tomorrow ... ;-)

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/orig02.deviantart.net\/f356\/f\/2012\/101\/c\/6\/rainbows_and_unicorns_part_2_by_lenatheweird-d4vsdkb.png"}[/IMG2]

 

[Agian]

LOL That was Nocturne accusing me of blowing happy rainbows up his 'ass'. It took me a week to work out what he meant.

 

[Agian]

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/orig02.deviantart.net\/f356\/f\/2012\/101\/c\/6\/rainbows_and_unicorns_part_2_by_lenatheweird-d4vsdkb.png"}[/IMG2]

That's some crazy **** right there.

 

[pellicle]

LOL That was Nocturne accusing me of blowing happy rainbows up his 'ass'. It took me a week to work out what he meant.

I remember ... but it seems like such a good phrase to leave alone in a room by itself ... clearly its a party girl

 

[Agian]

I remember ... but it seems like such a good phrase to leave alone in a room by itself ... clearly its a party girl

You're pissed aren't you? LMAO

 

[pellicle]

You're pissed aren't you?

no, not angry at all actually ;-)

 

[pellicle]

You're pissed aren't you? LMAO

I've only been attempting to perfect my crema and "foam" in my Cuppuchino ... only had 3 today (not yet 5pm)

 

[Agian]

no, not angry at all actually ;-)

You're just playing now. No not angry, pissed... as in tanked, blotto, maggoted. Anyway, I'm in a good mood tonight. Hope I sleep well.

 

[pellicle]

To get back to EasterRat the critical thing is that noone knows exactly what suits you as it depends on your fitness, your recovery and your age

Myself I don't want to read of you sliding back or damaging your sternum from over training so I advocate "slow and steady" wins the race and use a HR (HeartRate) monitor, something that goes around your chest so that it gives you reliable data.

One of the nice new ones takes all the documenting out of it so a Polaris or a Garmin would be good.

Collect data, observe trends and set targets which suite you.

My surgeon strictly forbade any "pressure" oriented things (like squats) but said there was no limits with respect to heart rate.

You should be consulting your surgeon about this (more so than us) and work with him/her.

I'd be surprised if they did not echo my above

Best Wishes

 

[pellicle]

... as in tanked, blotto, maggoted. Anyway, I'm in a good mood tonight. Hope I sleep well.

have a couple of those dark coffees I demonstrated above ;-)

 

[EasterRat]

Hey hey...simmer down over there folks...you are gonna sprain your wrist with your furious typing and crazy assumptions. Did I say I wanted to 'train' at 2 weeks? Do I seem especially 'special' to you all? Lol.

To clarify: 1. I am looking forward and wondering as I have no experience and y'all do. 2. My only form of activity until I start cardiac rehab in a couple of weeks is walking at a pace that allows comfortable talking and at mileages that do not spike, following my energy levels closely, and walking up the stairs to have a tinkle, and/or the aforementioned code brown. 3. Thereafter I shall strictly follow the rehab program. 4. I do not plan on doing anything (including opening heavy doors or breakdancing) that will contribute to the tiniest chance that my sternum will not become one again for 6-8 weeks. 5. My Apple watch keeps close tabs on my HR and I watch it lots. 6. I have ordered a blood pressure cuff and will add that to my data. 7. I'm 42 and not in denial about aging and the various physiological differences in my temple. 8. I've been in pretty good shape my whole life but never really 'training' for anything (save the Army in my early years and Marathons about a decade ago), but I have never really been a hard driving type A guy. 9. My fitness goals are (appropriately, I think) morphing from the need to develop pleasing opposite sex attracting accoutrements to a more "how do I maintain flexibility and core power to do whatever I want from a functional perspective and ensure my insides stay as pretty as possible so I can still rock out in the old folks home" type thing. This seems to involve a fair amount of walking and yoga....I hope that covers most of it.

I do find it slightly amusing that people around me seem to think I'm inclined to go even a touch squirrely and compromise the healing that needs to happen. No matter how I phrase my thoughts or demonstrate rational action, I keep getting it. I suppose it's just a message of caring, so thanks! xo.

My question: I have not heard a whole lot about what to expect as I move from 8 weeks to 8 months to 8 years. I know at some point I will or hope to be considered 'normal' in terms of heart function and that I will be able to return to whatever activity I desire and I know that I am obviously not there or even close yet. I am not impatient. I am not pushing it. I am simply curious: when did you get to the point where you resumed being you and stopped framing everything with the cautionary heart tale? Clear enough?

Thanks again!

D

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Hey hey...simmer down over there folks...you are gonna sprain your wrist with your furious...
D

I'm left handed, so I'm only gonna strain that one, but it might not be from typing

 

[Paleowoman]

I am simply curious: when did you get to the point where you resumed being you and stopped framing everything with the cautionary heart tale?

I was older than you when I had heart surgery, 60, and I'm female which might make a difference. Prior to heart surgery I was very fit, doing heavy weight lifting and walking six miles the day before surgery. I was asymptomatic. It took me to about a year after surgery to get where I thought I had been before surgery. Subsequently I have discovered I'm not really there, having echos twice a year, seeing cardiologist more often than before surgery - but then that's a problem I wasn't expecting and I don't think the cardiologist was expected. Again, there's no way to tell when you'll "resume being you and stop framing everything with the cautionary heart tale" - I like your expression ! I hope it's as soon as you hope Keep us posted !