Staying the Course -- 10-17-2016

[Superbob]

Here's to the start of a new Staying the Course week -- welcome, all! Melly, wandering off the fitness trail into a buffet line, or even just a big bag of potato chips someone snuck in my house, is something I regularly do, alas. Best I can do is try to get back on track. Right now, I'm worried about stepping on the cardiologist's scales Wednesday. Great to have your insights here!

Saturday was Heart Walk day -- one of my favorite days of the year. Huge event and loads of fun. 2,000 or so folk, music, snacks, shared stories from (or about) the heart....cheerleaders cheering us codgers on as we walked or hobbled along, fun, fun, fun. I had thought I would take the one-mile walk, but with adrenalin kicking in, I did the "long" walk -- 3.2 miles. First half on the Boardwalk, second half walking back on the beach. Thank goodness for the sea breeze; that kept me going. So all that should have helped me burn some calories -- plus I walked not only my dog but my son's dog when we returned home.

Now starting the countdown to Heart Walk 2017 -- seriously, I love it that much. Probably way more than anyone wants to read but I blogged about it and posted a few pix --- at www.steadfastdawgwalker.com

Cheers to all -- hoping for a great week for all.

Cheers,

Superbob

 

[honeybunny]

I "bought " a small exercise bike using points from my Sears card and have been using it on a regular basis 20 minutes at a time. I much prefer it to the treadmill because I can hold my iPad without it shaking.

Glad you had a great time with the walk!

 

[FredW]

Been tardy for a few weeks on the forum. Sorry

I'm doing cardio rehab three times a week for a month. I was away last week and when I went today, I realize that it is good to do this regularly. The body does not do well without regular exercise. After rehab is over, I need to find a place to continue my workouts.

Nice to see you all staying the course.

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

I smashed the course this evening. I just got in from a 5km run! Totally stoked and soaking up those endorphins! It was slow but there was no walking and I thought I was still a fair way from this - must have been the pasta I had at lunch!

Bob, I just read your blog post and the heart walk sounds like a lot of fun. Super awesome that you went beyond the course, too! When you're on a roll, why not? I'll have to sus out the Australian version. What a fantastic opportunity to meet others "in the know"

I will say my frame of my mind has improved immensely since I started (attempting) running again. Due to work I have missed a lot of rehab sessions which is unfortunate because I was finding they were really helping to motivate me and restore my exercise confidence. I used to train 5-6 times a week and always early mornings but since surgery my habits have fallen by the wayside! Getting out of bed at 5 suddenly seems like a ridiculous notion but I know that I need to exercise regularly (and with a certain degree of intensity) to function as a stable person.

Here's to us all staying the course!

Ps. Thank you for the warm welcome.

 

[Superbob]

honeybunny, love the look of the exercise bike. I have thought of getting one myself to supplement my walking, but we have a toddler grandson who comes over regularly and I am afraid it would be a magnet for him and he would hurt himself on it. Maybe when he gets a little older I will do it. The bike has always been my favorite piece of aerobic exercise equipment. I hate treadmills!

Fred, welcome back. I found cardiac rehab very important in my recovery 12 years ago; in fact I love physical therapy in general. Last winter when my doc sent me to aqua therapy for my stenotic back at a nice PT center with a 90-degree therapy pool and individualized instruction from a sweet PT gal, I thought I had died and somehow gone to Heaven. lol

Melly, running is great! (And especially the carb-loading : ) Long ago (in a previous existence, it seems like) I was a runner -- actually ran a few marathons -- and many more 10Ks. I remember once taking a marathon training run of 20 miles at 4 a.m. on a moonlit night. Today I wonder -- did I really do that? Yes I did, but I have reverted to being a night owl and getting out of bed to exercise at 5 a.m. is something I couldn't do. I do get myself ready to walk my dawg by 9 or 10 and then often walk her again at dusk. Supplementing that with an x-bike or yoga or something wouldn't be a bad idea. So glad you're here staying the course with us! Look forward to hearing more about your current training routine,

Cheers all,

Superbob

 

[epstns]

Fred and Melly - I'm another who will tell you that after surgery I would let NOTHING get in the way of my cardio rehab schedule. Fortunately for me, I was able to just get up from my desk and leave early to go to rehab. In fact, I did the entire 12-week rehab program that my insurance would allow. Rehab was 3 days a week, and the other 2 days I went to my regular fitness center and did the same workout as I was doing at rehab. By pushing things 5 days a week, I felt that I made great progress and made up a lot of the recovery time I lost due to all the complications I had after surgery.

I'm now 5 1/2 years out from surgery and still hit the gym 5 days a week. I don't run any more - my knees just won't hear of it. So I split my time between the elliptical and power-walking on an inclined treadmill. If it is really nice out, I can just power-walk a couple of miles on the path in the park behind the fitness center. You've got to keep doing what you can do -- that's the only you can get to do more!

 

[jwinter]

Superbob I have to commend you on keeping this area of the forum going. I do not always read your posts first ( I am about to have second surgery so I am doing heavy studying of mechanical valves) but never miss your updates. I think "staying the course" is vital to everyone here. Encouragement, shares on cardiac rehab, fitness (ugg), etc. are a must in everyone's lives. Thank you for all you do here.

 

[rosalia]

Hello All

I am new to the forum, but am happy to report my AVR and repaired aortic aneurysm seem successful so far. It was done on November 16 2016, so I am coming up to a year.

I live in Barrie Ontario so we have to contend with large variations in weather, but I try to find my way around it. Currently I have been walking 5 km (I think that's your 3.2 miles, Superbob!) quite frequently. I tried to go back to spin class in April and although I could do it at the time, it exhausted me. So I have been walking. Now I have a desire to try slow running - it looks possible for us, so why not? I love the endorphins, just like you Melly, and everyone else, I would guess. Just not to sure about the 52 year old joints in my knees and hips. Any tips or articles for us OHS people on learning to run while we are getting used to our "new normal" would be much appreciated.

Did anyone try the couch to 5K program? I mean, now that we are "fixed", we shouldn't have to worry, right? Or do we?

Thanks!

Rosalia

 

[Superbob]

jwinter and Rosalia, welcome, and I really appreciate your posts! It is good to have company in staying the course, and it is good for morale to know that folks are meeting their challenges. Wishing you well on that impending second surgery "j" --- since my porcine valve is approaching its 12th birthday (next February) I could face the same some day. Rosalia, hope someone will come along with thoughts on going from couch to 5K. I've more or less settled into walking as I approach 3/4 of a century (as of next month) into my course but I heartily support running. Will be on lookout for tips on both running and walking.

 

[epstns]

rosalia - As a former runner, now reduced to power-walking due to knee pain, I commend you. I still feel regret every time I see a runner out on the road and I cannot join them. I really miss the feeling of accomplishment (probably driven by those endorphins) at the end of a good run.

This "getting old" isn't for sissies. . .

 

[Superbob]

We all know that in staying the course we inevitably hit bumps in the road, right? Well in my echo-follow-up visit today, my cardio said that while my results generally looked good, she has some concern about a "small" (apparently) enlargement of my aortic root. So she wants me to have a CT Scan, noting that I haven't had one in quite a while. The last time a previous cardio raised such a concern and I had a CT Scan, I forwarded the tapes to my surgeon back in DC and he said all was well. So we'll see. As noted before, my 12th anniversary of my combined aortic root and valve replacement comes up in February, and so maybe something is beginning to happen and my current cardio is all over it.

Staying the course, like getting old, ain't for wimps. : )

 

[rosalia]

Hi Superbob

​I wasn't aware that the aneurysm could recur - I had mine repaired with dracon(?) and I thought it was a once in a lifetime kind of thing. It can come back then?

​Eps - I might end up power walking too - I decided to try a bit of "shuffling" this morning during my 6:30 am walk, since its dark here at that time of the morning now and no one can really tell, lol... What a pleasure not breathing hard! But my joints needed me to stop quite a bit. I listened to my body and shuffled/walked making the switch frequently. Not sore yet but time will tell.

 

[Agian]

Hi Rosalia, sorry to question, but are you saying you got an aneurysm in the Dacron graft, or somewhere else?

 

[Superbob]

Rosalia, I don't know if an aneurysm is recurring or what the possibilities are. My cardio was just concerned enough about a slight increase in the dimensions to order a Ct Scan and noted that I hadn't had one done in several years. So it may be nothing. I guess it's worth checking into because my root/valve device is getting some age on it. One thing I didn't think to do was to ask for the stats from the echo -- I will ask for those or see if they are on my patient portal. I was kind of stunned --didn't think to challenge whether I should have the C-scan. I do like and trust this cardio though.

 

[rosalia]

I believe if you are comfortable with your cardiologist and trust him/her then go for the CT Scan with no worries about whether you should. More knowledge is better then less.

 

[rosalia]

Hi Again

Sorry I ended up messaging you - I am new to this forum and navigation is on the learning curve. Anyways, I had an ascending aortic aneurysm repaired with my bicuspid valve, which was afflicted with severe stenosis. They used a dracon graft to repair the aneurysm. I thought the repair was supposed to last until I met my maker, hopefully due to complications of old age, lol. Not sure what to expect. I am coming up to my year anniversary next month on November 16. I feel pretty good! As far as I know there are no aneurysms growing or any problems with the valve. The cardio doesn't see me until January.

Back to the topic of our thread, how is everyone doing with their activity commitments? (and diet I guess)

 

[Superbob]

Thanks, Rosalia, I agree -- but I admit it is unnerving to be scheduled for a CT Scan as an immediate follow-up to a routine echocardiogram and with a return visit to the cardiologist in just a month. She tried to keep it low-key but she must have some level of concern. Hopefully everything will be A-okay and we will have a clearer picture of how the repaired ticker is ticking. I am going to ask for a copy of the echo report -- should have thought to ask when I was there yesterday.

 

[rosalia]

You know what they say, worrying about what may or may happen is worse then knowing. Try to stay calm and distract yourself with happy doings until next month. Easier said then done, but in the end better for you and your ticker

 

[epstns]

That's difficult news to receive, SB, but I'll agree that it sounds like your cardio is keeping a close watch on you. That's a good thing.

Of course, we're all hoping that it is just another artifact, an observation to keep watching. I found out just a couple of echo's ago that I have a small defect in my heart ( I think it is an atrial-septal defect). It was noted in an echo report, and my cardio noted it as just something to be aware of. Too small to be an issue. Then when I had an echo in preparation for my pacemaker/lead revision at another hospital, they noted the defect and also noted that it appears to be stable and is the same as it was just after surgery in 2011. So, it has been there all along, but none of the docs felt it to be worthy of concern. Hope yours turns out to be that way, too.

 

[Superbob]

Thanks Steve and Rosalia and all for the reassuring comments. I'll make the last one here for a while on this, and get back to dawgwalking and fitness (also found at cardio visit I've gained a few pounds from careless eating -- need to correct that)....anyway, I got my echo stats, and compared with last December's, and find my aortic diameter has increased from 3.8 to 4.3 cm, so that does raise a red flag. At the same time, however, my left atrial enlargement (which also has been a concern) has actually decreased from 6.3 to 5.8 cm (still a pretty high level) -- so I don't know what to make of that.

One thing to keep in mind is that echo stats can be less than exact and subject to fluctuation -- so that's probably a legitimate reason to go ahead with a CT Scan, which is supposed to yield a pretty accurate picture.

So there -- enough of that. Next time I post I will be writing about steps Elliedawg and I have taken, or somesuch. Appreciate having this place to vent a little -- don't want to unnecessarily worry the family right now.