Kenneth's Guestbook

Hi Tara and Ken Congrats! Good to hear life has finally returned to normal. Funny how we mark these anniversaries but in my book, they are an important reminder of the second chance at life we\'ve been granted. You have such a young family and it is so important to keep yourselves as healthy and fit as possible. There are lots of different kinds of exercise available and perhaps you\'ll just have to find one Ken enjoys more than another to help motivate him. You can only push so much though and well don\'t you know it. Take care. Keep in touch. Cheryl, Ontario

Thank you for being at the one year mark and remembering all of us here. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Your advice about being proactive is right on.....as much as I know I would like to put the inevitable off, that is not a strategy. You all have a beautiful family and now the good health to enjoy it!!! Thanks again, Nancy H.

Tara and Ken so glad to hear you have recovered and congrats on the year anniversary. I am in the same boat as you. I totally agree to be proactive and get the surgery done before complications arise. Once the heart enlarges it never goes back to its original size. Anyway, congrats and God bless.

Hi Tara and Ken Nice to hear from you. Isn\'t that great that Ken is doing so well that his surgery isn\'t even a thought? Now, that\'s a recovery. Looks like things are normal at home now with the girls\' flu taking over. Hope all are well now. I see the cardiologist tomorrow for a follow-up about the Beta Blocker. Can\'t believe I\'ve been on the pill that long. Gosh, time is just flying by. Were you reading what we were wondering about the calcium and vitamin D? Interesting. I\'m keeping pretty well and just look forward to gaining more strength and stamina but I think it\'s coming along and I don\'t have any complaints. I can actually say I feel pretty good most of the time. I\'ve been blessed with the steadiness of my recovery as well. Wishing you and your family well. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Tara and Ken Just dropping in to say hi and hope this finds all well in your house. Is Ken still feeling totally well and not having any symptoms? With any luck this is so. I\'m having only the odd palpitation now and then so would assume the Beta Blocker is working as it should. I still have another few weeks to go before I see the cardiologist for a follow-up. Of course I find I get tired more easily but otherwise am enjoying a fairly normal endurance according to my rehab. I\'m still using 1/2 of the magic pill. My husband has gone golfing to Tennessee with the guys even though he was torn as to what he felt was right. We aren\'t often apart and after this past while, he really needed to be pushed to go and have some fun. I haven\'t been cleared for out of country travel yet insurance-wise. Are you feeling good about Ken\'s recovery and current health or do you still get the odd reservation? Sending you all sunny wishes. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Tara Great picture. It\'s nice to put a name to a face. Yes, I am really feeling the cold and I know my circulation is supposed to be good. My arteries are clear etc. I keep our house at 70F but I\'m wearing heavier sweaters this year. Sitting around and not working I sometimes am putting on a wool sweatercoat thing I have that fits over my sweaters. My hands are cold, especially if I\'ve been typing or writing or something. When I\'m done I\'ll notice my hands are freezing. I\'ve been told it\'s the blood thinners. While it\'s most uncomfortable, I don\'t think it\'s a problem. I hadn\'t thought to mention to my cardiologist lately. The cardiologist did say I could change the dose on the Beta Blocker between 1/2 - 1 depending upon how I process it, ie. if it makes me too tired then cut it back. I\'m not too tired but I did notice my pulse went much lower and the rehab nurse is going to adjust my exercise numbers for next week. She didn\'t seem concerned about the lower pulse, I was just thinking because my resting pulse is now back to 53ish, if I took the other half of that pill I might go even lower and I wouldn\'t want that to happen so I\'m going to leave the 1/2 until I see the doctor again in 4-5 weeks and then we\'ll discuss it. I can understand how Ken would want to get back to doing what he used to do without having to rethink the whole situation. I\'m now lugging the vac, pulling the frig and stove out and so on. I\'m being careful but now that it\'s been 5 months, surely I\'m ready to move on. Obviously Ken is getting antsy and wanting to get this surgery into the background where it belongs too. Enjoy the veggie box Ken made. When do you start planting there? It\'s nice that you are keeping up with Ken\'s journal. Talk later. Cheryl

Hi Tara and Ken Just taking a moment to check up on you and Ken and ask how he\'s making out. Last week everything looked to be going well so I\'m hoping things will now return to normal. I was at rehab this morning and discussing the doseage of pills I\'m to be on and the nurse said that even though I\'m just taking the 1/2 pill, the doctor probably wants me on the full pill. The 1/2 option was just giving me time to adapt. I\'m still just going to take the half for now and will let her know when I decide to up it. I\'ve only had two noticeable incidents of palpitations. The nurse said my pvc\'s aren\'t the same things as the double and triple beats. She gave them a fancy name and I forgot it already. Will have to ask her again next week. Because the Beta Blockers have reduced my heart rate she has to adjust my exercise rate. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with. I may just yet be sweating with the oldies! Take care. Have a great day. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Tara Thanks for the tip. When I\'m next at the drug store I\'ll pick one up. I\'ve always used a sharp knife which leaves some split ends and crumbs and often I\'m searching the kitchen for the rest of the pill. Now that I\'m officially a druggie, I think I may just invest in one. You have a good night. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Tara I do hope your leg is fully healed and you can get back to your running. The waiting is tough, isn\'t it? You could write volumns from all of the sordid things your mind congers up. I always say I can deal with what I know - but it\'s the unknown that drives me nuts. I like Ken\'s attitude. Thank you for the information about cutting the pills in half. As I\'m only taking half right now, I\'m going to try and cut them into quarters and see what happens. I just noticed that my pulse has dropped to 55 resting rate (well sitting here typing) so that is getting kinda on the low side. I won\'t be too quick to up my dose to the full pill anytime soon. Take care. Keep in touch. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Tara and Ken That follow-up was definitely a good news day. You both have to feel tremendous relief to get the \"go on with your life\" message. You are right Tara, it must be hard to let go giving Ken the assurance that you are confident he is indeed okay while all the time wondering when he has a little episode of something, is he really okay. There may yet be a few things here and there that may require attention so try and take them in stride. It looks as if many of us healed patients have needed some tweaking. You will bit by bit return to pre-surgery mode and your lives will revert back to \"normal\". Ken has just graduated to fixed and now he can put his concentration back to being a husband and dad as he learns to live with the new him. I\'m glad this day has come for your family. Cheryl, Ontario