Al's Journal

I just finished my 36th session of Cardiac Rehab on Monday.I got a complete report of my progress from day one and a nifty looking diploma too.Although it isn\'t a requirement,I highly recommend it to anyone who has had cardiac surgery.My insurance company paid the lion\'s share of it and, the time and money that I spent,I feel was well worth it. I learned a lot there and will continue to use all that I have learned in the future. This coming Sunday,I\'m participating in \"The Heart Walk\",an event sponsored by the American Heart Association.It\'s a 5 mile walk to raise money and awareness for the many people affected by heart disease and to build healthier lives,free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.It\'s my chance to pay it forward.....Next week,it\'s back to work. The beat goes on...

Hard to believe that 8 weeks ago today,I was having open heart surgery.The time has gone by pretty quickly even though I haven\'t been able to do much of anything.Yesterday, I had my 1st post op visit with my cardiac surgeon and a chest x-ray.The x-ray looked perfect he said, and I was able to see the surgical wires that were put in to hold my breastbone together while it heals.Looking very closely,I could even see my new valve in place. He was very pleased with my progress and instructed me to still not pick up anything over 10 lbs. for another month.After that,I pretty much can resume my normal activities. A couple of days ago,I had a visit with my cardiologist and we discussed the\" echo\" that I recently had.Everything was in order and I\'ll probably not need another one for 5 years he said.He made an appointment for me to have a stress test to get a new baseline for my heart function.I\'ll then be able to share that info with my cardiac rehab team of professionals and then they can adjust my exertion levels to maximise my workouts.I\'m in my 4th week of rehab now and I really do look forward to each and every session.I go in on Monday,Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 in the morning for a little over an hour.I put on a wireless heart rate monitor first thing so that the nurses can check on me when ever they want.I can see it too on the big monitor they have there. I use an elliptical,a stationary bike and the treadmill for about 45 minutes and then some light work (10lbs.) with the dumbells,some stretching exercises and finally,listen to some relaxation music for a few minutes.The nurses constantly monitor my blood pressure and pulse throughout the session I remember after my 1st one,I was exhausted and went home and took a nap!! It\'s a lot better now and I\'m starting to see the results.On the off days,I do 40 minutes on my treadmill twice a day at a good clip to keep active.I also found a great heart rate monitor on Amazon for cheap and verified the accuracy with the nurses at rehab.When I get the stress test results I\'ll then be able to set my target rate and tailor my workouts at home too .The beat goes on...

I\'ve been trying not to do anything too strenuous that would compromise my recovery and it seems to be working out pretty well.At times though,I feel like I\'m only going 5 miles an hour in the breakdown lane while, everybody else is zooming by me.This is very different for me as,I\'m always on the go and seldom sit idle for very long...I want to step on the gas peddle but,I do know, not to do that.I really do see and feel changes for the positive at this point in recovery.The associated neck and shoulder pain that goes along with this surgery, has subsided and my range of motion has increased noticeably as well.My new \"zipper\" is looking good and it doesnt\' bother me or itch nearly as much as before.I give two thumbs up to \"The Incision Shield\" for that.I sleep much better at night now and I\'m able to sleep on my side pretty comfortably.I\'ll really,really be in heaven when I\'m able to finally sleep on my stomach again.. :) My sense of taste is still out to lunch as most things still have an \"off\" taste to them but ,I know it\'s only temporary and it will pass.The treadmill has been giving me a workout 3 times a day at about 20-25 minutes each session and thanks to my Ipod,and my 4,000+ tunes,the time doesn\'t drag on at all.Tomorrow, I meet the cardiac rehab people for orientation and think I\'ll be starting on the following Monday morning.It\'ll be Monday,Wednesday and Friday for the next 12 weeks or so and I\'m ready to give my newly rebuilt motor a workout.I want to thank all my family and friends for your continued support during this time. It\'s been very comforting to me.Best of luck and prayers to all of you who are waiting for surgery and those that are still on their journey. The beat goes on....

I saw my cardiologist yesterday and he put me back on lisinipril 5 mg.(which I had been on for a long time before surgery) to help with my slightly elevated systolic b/p number.Should make a notable difference in about 1-2 weeks he said.Everything else is looking good and is completely normal.He also wrote me a prescription for 12 weeks of Cardiac Rehab,that I can start after 2/17/13 which is exactly 4 weeks post-op. I\'m actually looking forward to doing that and getting back in shape.Don\'t know if I\'ll need all 12 wks. but,It\'s available if I do.Got the green light to start using my treadmill too ,for short periods of time , at a slow pace a couple of times a day to start. I also checked with my insurance provider and found out that they cover all but 30% of the cost for a home test device to monitor my own INR.I think that they sell in the $1,200 range but, that will pay for itself in no time as, I won\'t have to go to the clinic anymore and have a full blood draw to have my level checked. That will be a huge convenience for me to be able to do it myself at home or when traveling.It\'s just a simple finger stick to do this and then call the results in to my clinic for any medication adjustment if needed. The VNA nurses have been doing this the times they check in on me and there is nothing to it. I only need to have successfully participated in the anticoagulation clinic for 3 months to qualify for this and I\'m almost there now.I\'m feeling pretty good over all and I\'m just letting nature take it\'s course.No need to rush....I\'ll get there. The beat goes on....

Finally got all of the stubborn adhesive(gorilla glue I think) off of me.Orange oil is the answer to that problem. The VNA nurses have been visiting me frequently and doing a great job of keeping me moving in the right direction.The only real issue I had was with my heart rate.At one point,It reached 140 at rest.A few tweaks of my heart med,metoprolol and the rate came into range.Blood pressure remains stable and the incision looks good and continues to heal nicely.Itching is an annoyance here but that means that it is healing as expected I figure.Yesterday I had an appointment with my PCP and she answered all of my questions for me.My first question was-Why am I freezing all the time?I feel like an ice cube. I\'m in the house dressed like I\'m outdoors and I have the heat bumped up in the house as well but,I\'m still cold.Answer was low red blood cells,caused by the operation,bypass machine etc. and low iron in my blood.I need to take iron twice a day for 3 months and that will correct itself.Next question... What happened to my sense of taste?It\'s way off and annoying the heck out of me.Everything tastes a little weird.The answer is iron, again.Good to know that these things will work themselves out eventually.I asked if I could start to do some light walking (at a snails pace) on the treadmill and she said no.Just walk around the house for now.So far,I\'ve walked around the dining room table about 1,000 times...I have the VNA coming once again on Thursday morning to check my vitals and my INR and I have an appointment with my cardiologist on Friday afternoon and hope he\'ll give me the green light to do a little on the treadmill or something.Fingers crossed.

Had some good quality sleep last night for a change!And,I was finally able to sleep for a while on my side for the first time since my surgery. I\'ll be a very happy camper when I can do that on my stomach too.Yesterday,I had my first VNA visit and got to say goodbye to my Lovenox injections as my INR level is perfect now.The RN said my incision line and the other puncture holes for the chest tubes and pacemaker wires are healing nicely too. I still have some fluid in my legs and ankles but, they are getting there slowly.Another visit Friday and possibly one more on Monday and I\'ll probably be done with the VNA.I wanted to tell those of you out there that have brand new incision lines or those that are pre- op and are wondering what to do about that tender area that, I bought \" The Incision Shield \" that Adam has featured in his book (page 151 ) before my surgery and now I wear it all day long.It does what it claims to do and for the money (about $47,including Adam\'s negotiated discount ) in my opinion,is well worth the price. I\'m still trying to find something to take the remaining adhesive off left by those pesky little stickers that were used for the heart monitor and EKG tests.So far,nothing short of sandpaper has worked. The beat goes on......

Got back home yesterday afternoon around 3:30,and tried to think of what I needed to do ahead of time to help me be comfortable and maybe get some quality sleep during the nite. Jane ran out to the pharmacy and picked up all of my new meds and some supper. It\'s Wednesday morning now and I did FINALLY get a few hrs. ( not minutes ) of sleep, despite having to pee,what seemed like every 20 min.or so. I\'m still holding a lot of fluid but,my weight is coming down a little at a time. Now,my hands are no longer swollen and I can see the knuckles in my fingers. Most of the remaining fluid is in my lower legs and ankles now.I went in at 186,got as high as 206, and now this morning,it\'s 193. I\'m slowly getting back to my normal routine...Had a nice breakfast this morning and now have to set up all my new appointments for the near future. Thanks again to everyone for your kind words and continued support.It\'s hard to believe that I\'m almost 1 week out of surgery!! Best wishes to my HVJ family members out there that are still recovering and especially to those that are just about to start their journey.

Hey everyone,I\'m baacck! Day 3 post op and I \'m feeling pretty fine.Gone are the chest tubes,main line in my neck and the catheter.All that\'s left is the two electrodes that go to my heart.Those should come out sometime today or tomorrow at the latest.For those of you who are wondering,I went with a mechanical heart valve vs. a tissue valve.Dr. Davidson and I decided on the \"on-x\" valve.Noise was a concern but,my wife said that she could hardly hear it when she put her ear to my chest for a listen.I can\'t hear it at all.With this valve ,It\'ll be\" one and done\" for me,as this will outlast me.My appetite isn\'t back yet but,that\'s par for the course. I gained about 16 lbs. since I came in.It\'s all fluid and it will find it\'s way out soon they say. well I gotta go and put in a few laps around the halls before I get the evil eye from the nurses. Thanks to all for your support.It means so much to me.... THE BEAT GOES ON

Dad has made it to the \"Step down\" unit. They call it that because it is one step down from the ICU! He sat up in his chair and ate a cup of chicken noodle soup! His pain level is down as well and he is getting ready for a good night\'s sleep. You know he\'s llooking good when people assume that I am his wife!!! That\'s not the first time I have heard it, but it\'s the first time in a long time.... Goodnight!

Dad had a rough night\'s sleep due to some nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia, but It is common and all part of his recovery. Today he looks younger to me and for the first time in his life, he doesn\'t want socks on in bed. He even wears them in Summertime!?!? Today\'s plan is to try and settle the nausea and get him to sit at the end of the bed. We love his beautiful Polish nurse Edyta who is a Daddy\'s girl herself and seems to really understand what he needs. Mom and I feel so confident that he is in good hands. We are going to go take a walk and try and find his new friend (who he met on this site) Michelle\'s family and see how they are holding up, as she is currently in surgery herself. He has been asking about her. Thanks everyone for the love and support and guestbook entries. More good news to come later I\'m sure! :-)

I am thrilled! He is already off the breathing tube. He has opened his eyes, told us how much he loved us and received a full update from me summarizing the events of the day and the details of his surgery. He is exhausted and the effects of the anesthesia and pain meds cause him to drift in and out and slur his words a little, but overall he looks awesome! I am particularly happy to see a nice color in his complexion. He no longer has a grayish look to him and actually looks healthier to me. He complained of cold feet, a dry mouth, some nausea and heavy feeling arms. He says it feels like an elephant on his chest. He always has cold feet. :) We put socks on and warmed them up with our hands. The nurse swabs his mouth to help with the dryness, says the heavy arms is from anesthesia and then gave him a little more morphine for the pain. He is sleeping now and seems to only move to scratch his nose under the air mask. He knows mom and I are right here in the room. He is thrilled that I took pics of him as he asked, updated this site for all his new and old friends, and will continue to do so, as this site has been so wonderful for him and its important that he gives back what he has received. Thank you all for your love and support!

Dad was up and ready to rock this morning when Mom and I met him in his room at 6am. He mentioned that they already came in and shaved his chest with an electric shaver. We chatted for a bit and then packed his belongings up so that the staff can move them into the new room in the ICU, where he will go after surgery. Shortly after, we followed as he was wheeled down to the pre-op area. We met the anesthesiologist once again and they asked if we had any remaining questions. They really do a fantastic job of double and triple checking everything to make sure you are who and where you are supposed to be and what you are expecting to have done. We were asked to leave for about 10 minutes while they administered a light sedative and hooked him up to a few more IVs. When we returned, Dad looked relaxed and calm. He joked that Molly (the anesthesiologist) gave him some Harpoon IPA. Then, after answering her questions about his last dose if Coumadin, he says to her, \"they really have such small cups of coffee at the Agawam Diner\". So, as usual, he is making friends fast and focusing on what is important: corned beef hash. We took some pics, per his request and sent him off into good hands with hugs and kisses. He looked a little nervous, but that\'s to be expected and nothing that another Harpoon from Molly won\'t fix! We headed back across the street to the Shapiro building to start our long day of waiting with a little breakfast and to our pleasant surprise, we ran into Dr. Davidson! He gave us both a hug and mentioned that it will be a while before he heads into the OR to work on Dad. I have never had more respect for another human being in my lifetime...well, that is...except for my wonderful father.

Today was mostly an uneventful one,until Jane and Emily showed up around supper time.We had a lot of fun laughing and joking and just having a really good time. The last minute talks with the surgeons and medical staff were done earlier in the day and I have complete confidence in their abilities. I\' m physically and mentally in a very good place. I have a loving and caring family and a wonderful bunch of friends that I am grateful for.Thank you all for the good wishes,love,prayers and kind words you sent my way. Hope to see you all real soon..........

I Checked in around 12:30 as instructed on Tuesday.Finally got a room around 4 hrs.later... This place is really quite big and impressive. The cardio center itself is very modern (3- 4 yrs. old) and all the rooms in this section are large and private with accomadations for a guest to stay over. Separate tv\'s,a nice large bathroom, drinks and snacks close by-it\'s like being on vacation here!Jane and I hung out in the room and Emily came over right after work.We met one of the docs who will care for me when I\'m in the ICU.We all liked him a lot. I soon got my first ( of I don\'t know how many more ) IV.They then started a Heparin drip to get my blood to the right level. I\'m able to move around the room freely but, I have to drag it around with me. It does take a little getting used to though.We talked to more of the staff, I had some dinner and a little more quality time with Jane and Em and then we called it a night.

Well, my last day of work has now come and gone by... We have this little breakfast club of 3 or 4 that meets on Saturday mornings before work. It\'s been a long standing tradition(I think I started it) for about 25 yrs..Friday being my last day, we made an exception and went.Great food along with some good humored ribbing back and forth is usually what can be expected.It\'s a good way to end a long work week.My buddies treated me this week and I thought that was a very nice gesture.Thanks guys! During the day,I got a few hand shakes and some \"best of luck Al\" and after my route was done,I was out the door for 3 months.I\'m gonna miss the camaraderie. It\'s Sunday now and in just two days I\'ll be admitted for pre-op,etc.I\'ve been reading all of the journals and eyeryone says that the waiting is really the worst of it. I\'m going to find out for myself as I\'ll have to wait all day Tuesday and Wednesday in the hospital.\"Hurry up and wait\" my mother used to say.I know it will then sink in then that hey,this is it.It\'s really going to happen now.

It\'s been a pretty busy week trying to get everything in order. My wife found a used power lift recliner on Craigslist that was like new and very resonable and figure that will come in handy once I\' m home.I also checked out renting a hospital bed and thankfully, insurance will pay for 70% of the cost.My last day of work is Friday and am looking forward to not being there for the next 3 months. Working 6 days a week can really wear you down physically and mentally.I\'m gonna really enjoy the few days just before I have to go in on 1/15 for heparin conversion and all the pre-op stuff.

Happy New Year to all of you.A big heartfelt thanks to Adam for everything he\'s done for all of us who are on this journey.I\'ve had aortic stenosis for about 10 yrs. and have been reading the journals for a few months now.Thank you all for sharing your stories and taking the mystery out of all of this. My time is now fast approaching as I\'m scheduled for surgery 1/17/13.Yikes! A new year and a new me.I\'m ready.I think....