Lee's Journal

I have finally achieved therapeutic levels, but I am taking 8-10 mg of coudmadin and I think I am having some issues. I am much more fatigued than I was even two months ago and I have had pain in my back for more than a month. And I am having trouble with my weight as well. Riding my bicycle the last time caused my knees to hurt for two days after, and that had never happened before. I reported all of this to the coumadin clinic and I see my cardiologist this week. Has anyone else experienced any side effects? I may have to cut out my green vegetables all together rather than just limiting them and keeping them consistent so that I can reduce my doseage.

It\'s a little over four months since my surgery and I am pretty much back to normal. Rode 10 miles on my bicycle yesterday and 20 today. Have a few more sessions left of cardiac rehab. The downside is that I , apparently, am still having some episodes of A-fib, determined after wearing a monitor for a month, so as a result I still have to be on coumadin and I am having great difficulty getting my levels right. I apparently eat too many green vegetables. I know, I know, I can eat them I just have to be consistent but that is easier said than done. I was so excited to get my valve repaired rather than replaced so that I could hopefully avoid coumadin--oh well, you can\'t have everything I guess. Hope everyone else is doing good.

It was a beautiful week in the Chicago area and I was able to DRIVE! Hooray! I was a bit bummed that I still couldn\'t take my bicycle out, I ride a recumbent trike and can\'t quite figure out how to get in and out of it without using my hands. But the good news is that I did get to ride today, my husband and I also ride a recumbent tandem trike. It\'s a little higher so I ccould stand up from it with out any hands. It\'s amazing how you have to think about things before you do them or have some kind of backup. When we went for a ride in the Corvette last weekend, I wasn\'t sure I could get out because it\'s so low. I did, but we had back-up plan if needed. I go for an echo and stress echo this week, hope all looks good. Still having some difficulty regulating my BP, but other than that and some chest discomfort occasionally, I feel pretty darn good and find it hard to believe I had surgery 5 weeks ago. Whenever I do complain, my husband has to remind me--\"you just had heart surgery\"--lol. He and my kids have been great, along with my sister who lives nearby. I thought I would get more projects done while recovering, but haven\'t done too many other than read and crochet and I\'ll likely be going back to work in May. So that will be the end of project time. Actually will be doing a little work from home starting next week. Sorry this is such a ramble, but I haven\'t posted much or in a while.

Saw both my cardiologist and surgical PA on Tuesday. Both were amazed at my progress. Everything except my blood pressure looks good...guess I\'ll have to go back on those meds. Taking metoprolol(also because of A-fib episode), have added a diuretic, Triamterene and will probably have to add the lisinopril back in too. Still no surgical pain, will likely start cardiac rehab at 6 wks out from surgery. However I am walking at least a mile or two (if I go out twice) every day. Oh, and backache has improved too. Doc says I can drive again in about another week--hip hip hooray!. I\'m tired of the \"driving Miss Daisy\" deal.

Going out to dinner with my family tonight--wasn\'t even sure two weeks ago that this would be possible. I had pictured myself pretty much sitting around on one level of my house for several weeks, rather than being able to do go out on walks, go up and down the stairs and do \"normal\" things like go out to dinner.

Two weeks ago today I had my mitral valve repaired by Dr. McCarthy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In spite some difficulties--a return to the OR to fix a \"bleeder\" and A-Fib with low BP on Monday, I came home a week ago Wednesday. I am amazed at how good I actually feel. I have little or no pain from the surgery, some shoulder and back pain which OTC Tylenol has relieved. I walk up and down stairs, and do two outdoor walks a day for at least twenty minutes each. I do find my stamina to be lacking but I also have felt stronger every day. I am looking forward to getting back on my bicycle as soon as I can since Spring seems to be arriving in the Midwest.