Heather Anne
Well-known member
It's now two weeks since my surgery, and once again I will leave some breadcrumbs for you newbies to follow....
(1) In the last two weeks I've moved from feeling "pretty lousy" (the day after the surgery) to "medium lousy" (the day I came home) to "not very lousy at all." In fact, when I throw in the host of friends who've signed up to bring my family dinner for the entire month of August, "not very lousy at all" actually ticks over into "pretty darned good." (Note: in the U.S., I recommend the lotsahelpinghands website as a place where those who want to help you can sign up for things you need, which in my case was just food. My husband can NOT cook.)
(2) I'm walking two miles a day in three separate 2/3 mile walks. There is a long, gradual hill involved (no avoiding them where I live), and I shuffle up that thing like a 90-year-old, but it feels really good to get out. I've doubled my total walking distance in a week, but I'm walking slowly (24 minute mile pace) and still get out of breath on the steps and the hills. It's a slow process.
(3) The pain in my shoulders and back is still there, but it's diminished to the point that I no longer need pain meds, even to sleep.
(4) Speaking of sleep, it's gotten much easier -- it takes me a while to get comfortable, but then I get a good six hours followed by some generalized dozing. Combined with an afternoon nap, it's enough.
The biggest advice I can offer for someone two weeks out is this: you will be feeling so much like your old self that there will be a real temptation to overdo it. I've had that happen twice: once when I ramped up my walking distances too quickly and once when I tried to do too much around the house. If you overdo it, your heart will let you know, and you won't like it: hard pounding beats, PVC's, skipped beats, even an AFib or two. If that happens to you, take it as a sign to stand down. Last week I had a particularly rough night after a relatively adventurous day, so I spent the next day on the couch in my pajamas binge-watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." By the end of that day I was back on track. Listen to your heart. It is easily annoyed. And it will tell you all about it.
This weekend I'm thinking of putting on some clothing other than sweatpants and going out to DINNER like a NORMAL PERSON. I can't wait!!!
Think of all of you, post-op and pre-op!
(1) In the last two weeks I've moved from feeling "pretty lousy" (the day after the surgery) to "medium lousy" (the day I came home) to "not very lousy at all." In fact, when I throw in the host of friends who've signed up to bring my family dinner for the entire month of August, "not very lousy at all" actually ticks over into "pretty darned good." (Note: in the U.S., I recommend the lotsahelpinghands website as a place where those who want to help you can sign up for things you need, which in my case was just food. My husband can NOT cook.)
(2) I'm walking two miles a day in three separate 2/3 mile walks. There is a long, gradual hill involved (no avoiding them where I live), and I shuffle up that thing like a 90-year-old, but it feels really good to get out. I've doubled my total walking distance in a week, but I'm walking slowly (24 minute mile pace) and still get out of breath on the steps and the hills. It's a slow process.
(3) The pain in my shoulders and back is still there, but it's diminished to the point that I no longer need pain meds, even to sleep.
(4) Speaking of sleep, it's gotten much easier -- it takes me a while to get comfortable, but then I get a good six hours followed by some generalized dozing. Combined with an afternoon nap, it's enough.
The biggest advice I can offer for someone two weeks out is this: you will be feeling so much like your old self that there will be a real temptation to overdo it. I've had that happen twice: once when I ramped up my walking distances too quickly and once when I tried to do too much around the house. If you overdo it, your heart will let you know, and you won't like it: hard pounding beats, PVC's, skipped beats, even an AFib or two. If that happens to you, take it as a sign to stand down. Last week I had a particularly rough night after a relatively adventurous day, so I spent the next day on the couch in my pajamas binge-watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." By the end of that day I was back on track. Listen to your heart. It is easily annoyed. And it will tell you all about it.
This weekend I'm thinking of putting on some clothing other than sweatpants and going out to DINNER like a NORMAL PERSON. I can't wait!!!
Think of all of you, post-op and pre-op!
