Today I realized that on Monday my surgery will be 12 weeks in the past. What a roller coaster it has been, with the post-surgical complications, the pacemaker, being re-admitted to the hospital and all.
When I think back and compare my current status to what I felt like a week or so after surgery, I simply cannot believe the difference! I know that many members here told me that the "magic moment" comes at about 3 months after surgery, but today was my "Eureka!" moment. I've been working part-time since mid-April, and most days I try to get out for a walk at lunch time (weather permitting). Today it is an absolutely beautiful day (rare in Chicago in the spring), and I realized as I walked that I actually feel better now at 3 months post-op than I did for the few months immediately prior to surgery. True, if I push my physical abilities to their limit I am more limited than before, but that will change as I continue recovery and rehab. At all levels less than "the maximum" I feel much better than before. I can think of all sorts of reasons why this might be true, but the reasons do not matter - the facts do.
I have more energy now than I did before - to the point that I have to remind myself that I need to go to bed to be able to get to work the next morning. And this is after work and going to the gym for a couple of miles of power walking. I used to fall asleep during the evening and then go to bed early to make up for it! My attitude toward life has improved too, so that I now look forward to each day as a new adventure, rather than another long day that must be endured.
So, there is really no heavy duty message in my musings -- only an affirmation to all who follow me in surgery that truly no matter what you are going through, things really do get better.
Life is good.
When I think back and compare my current status to what I felt like a week or so after surgery, I simply cannot believe the difference! I know that many members here told me that the "magic moment" comes at about 3 months after surgery, but today was my "Eureka!" moment. I've been working part-time since mid-April, and most days I try to get out for a walk at lunch time (weather permitting). Today it is an absolutely beautiful day (rare in Chicago in the spring), and I realized as I walked that I actually feel better now at 3 months post-op than I did for the few months immediately prior to surgery. True, if I push my physical abilities to their limit I am more limited than before, but that will change as I continue recovery and rehab. At all levels less than "the maximum" I feel much better than before. I can think of all sorts of reasons why this might be true, but the reasons do not matter - the facts do.
I have more energy now than I did before - to the point that I have to remind myself that I need to go to bed to be able to get to work the next morning. And this is after work and going to the gym for a couple of miles of power walking. I used to fall asleep during the evening and then go to bed early to make up for it! My attitude toward life has improved too, so that I now look forward to each day as a new adventure, rather than another long day that must be endured.
So, there is really no heavy duty message in my musings -- only an affirmation to all who follow me in surgery that truly no matter what you are going through, things really do get better.
Life is good.
