Linda's Guestbook

Hi Linda I remember you well, having had my surgery there in Cleveland on August 11, 2010. I trust that you will have a good report. I am sorry to hear about the a fib.Keep the faith, stay calm, and know that you are in the hands of a loving God. As someone reminds me fro mime to time - just breathe. I will keep you in prayer and would love to hear any further updates.

Hi Linda Great to have an update from you and know that you are doing so well. Can\'t say enough about the Cleveland Clinic, can we? Enjoy your health and life. Fran

Hi Linda Great news about rehab. Like you, I was so happy to be in rehab but when I finished my hour I drove home feeling tired, not energized. Now, months later, I do see the difference in stamina. Enjoy your beautiful winter weather as we will here in FL. Fran

Happy Thanksgiving Linda! I am so glad things are going so well for you. I finished phase 2 of rehab and it has gone so well. May you be blessed in the days ahead with much enouragmeent. Happy holiday season. Paul Reiter

Great news, Linda! I\'m so glad to know that you are doing this well. Rehab is a big help too. The monitoring while you exercise is reassuring & helps build confidence while you\'re working on the physical end of things. I\'m out of rehab now & continuing it on my own at our fitness center. Keep on getting better. Joy

Hi Linda Great you got out of OH before the really cold weather arrived! Also great that you\'re doing so well. I know you were discouraged in the early days after your surgery, but look where you are now!! As great as you\'re feeling, you\'ll do even better with rehab. Enjoy life. Fran

Linda - Thanks for the update. I am so glad that you are doing well after seeing you in the hospital and hearing your discouragement. Go Girl! Ande and I are doing well in St. Louis where I am now in my8th week of rehab. Yesterday I worked out of doors with a chain saw for two hours! WOW Take care and enjoy the Fall. Paul Reiter

Good Morning Linda You remind me so much of myself in this journey as our minds want our bodies to get on with the show and since this is my third time I still struggle with the mind vs body. I am 7 wks out and although I have the L arm nerve issue I am dealing with and is slowing down the whole recovery process just completed steroid and new nerve block pain Rx with nerve block scheduled in 2 wks I am still very limited due to pain during certain motions. It seems that in my opinion, there is no way the momentum of pushing the bowling ball forward then the pulling downward, stretching, backward then forward again motion would be something that would feel good for months. However, what does your Dr say as I may be way off base? I was a league bowler for yrs so I know myself from the last 2 surgeries and a whole lot younger months would have been my target. I know that right now my cardiologist made it clear that I cannot even begin to swim laps because of freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke motion will be allowed until @ least March when I see him again which would be 7 months. I am at a stage right now where I am frustrated with not being independent still hard to drive short distances due to sternal and arm pain. I hate relying on my husband as he will be returning to work in 2 wks and travels and I began rehab this week which is 30 miles one way. I am walking in the park a few times a week, going out and doing some traveling but I get wiped out. Next weekend we are traveling to DC where 2 of our sons and daughter in law live for a baseball game and my big 60 and I am bound and determined that I will be OK to walk the distance from the parking lot to the stadium, and keep up with some resting with the gang. One of our sons is a medical resident so he will keep me in line. I am looking at the glimmers as you do of feeling 100% maybe someday. Some of our children and 2 of our grandchildren will be here Thanksgiving so I am focusing on family, friends and what I can do. I hate being on medication, having the results of my latest echo being not what Dr expected, the nerve damage in my arm from the surgery then slap myself out of it and just take a deep breath and be grateful I am alive and unscathed so to speak Take care Susan V

Hi Linda, It\'s been 7 weeks today since I had my surgery and I still can only lift a gallon or so of milk. I still have discomfort. I had a minimally invasive incision(3 1/2inches) and I could not bowl today if I wanted to. It gets better by the day. Maybe your friend has a couple of 300 games in her so I would keep her for awhile. Good luck the rest of the way. Richard Volpe

Linda: Ande and I are so glad that you had a good check up. I start driving tomorrow and will go to rehab 3 times a week. My blood pressure is getting under control. I will have an echocardigram on Nov 2 which will give me an update on how I am doing. I can say that I feel great, except for the healing of my sternum. I do have a picture so send you if you can tell me where to send it. Blessings, Paul Reiter

Hi Linda What an excellent visit and report. So glad things turned around for you. I remember reading how nervous and upset you were earlier. The diuretic and time have apparently worked wonders!! Sounds like you\'ll be in AZ before the snow flies in OH!! Keep walking. Fran

Hi Linda I sure hear what you are saying and feeling I too was always very active, working, swimming, walking traveling. There are some acitivites now 7 wks postop I have informed friends that I will take a rain check. Some out of state friends wanted to visit for a few days and I explained my fatigue factor and they understood and we have rescheduled for spring visits. Since I am still having some issues which I describe in my latest journal I have gone to the mts for the day with my husband with a short walk in the mt town and this past weekend to Hilton Head for a short weekend for a change of scenery. Pooped today will remain home for a day of rest. I can see from your journal you are a very active woman and nothing I am sure will hold you back once you turn the corner. I remember when my last 2 heart surgeries turning that corner, feeling good then doing too much and back tracking. Keep us posted. Susan VandenBussche

Hi Linda. It gets better. It really does. I remember Diana told me that there was a point when she felt a definite turnaround & I was so looking forward to that point. For me, it was right after my 2nd thoracentesis which was about 5 weeks post surgery. I felt a definite shift in my energy & followed by improvement in how I felt almost every day. I\'m at 8 1/2 weeks now & doing well enough that my husband forgets I\'m not 100% just yet. Hang in there & I hope today is a good one for you. Joy

Hi Linda You\'re doing great. Tell your friends to slow down to support you with the limitations you now have!! If they are good friends, they should understand. Glad you walked the furthest ever and as you said, you plan to go even further. Great job, keep your spirits up. Fran

Linda: I know the feeling about driving. I am at week 5 as well, and while I am dependent it is only for another week. My rehab program is going well, except today I could not exercise because my BP was 200/100. I am working with the cardiologist to get my blood pressure under control. Keep the faith! Paul Reiter

Hi Linda. I\'d say I felt discomfort/ pressure/pain more in the center of my chest when I initially tried to sleep on my side. It was as if I could feel the area where I was rewired. I am able to sleep on my side now & have been for 2 or 3 weeks, but using the pillows as I described helped me in the meantime. Even now, when I sleep on my side, I like to place one of the pillows against my chest & wrap my arms around it. Doing it that way supports the top arm so its weight does not place stress on my sternum. Anyway, good luck with the pillows. I hope you can find a comfortable position. Take care, Joy

Hi Linda. I was writing in another guestbook & saw where you mentioned you were a side sleeper & could not do that right now because of your unhealed sternum. I sleep on my side too & thought I\'d pass along what helped me. Starting on my back, I’d rock slightly to one side & slide a firm pillow (the heart pillow works well)under the lifted shoulder blade, then I’d let my upper body just rest back. My shoulders ended up at a slight angle, supported on one side by the pillow & on the other side by the bed. Then, I’d rock my knees to the same direction, place a pillow between the lower knee & the bed, & place another pillow between the two knees. I wasn’t all the way on my side & the pillows provided support, so it did not place stress on my sternum, but it helped keep my spine in a different position for a while, giving it a rest from constantly being on my back. After a while, I’d change everything to the other side. Anyway, thought it might be worth a try. Take care, Joy

Hi Linda. Thanks for the note in my guestbook. I\'m so glad that you are getting to the other side of the fluid problem - that made all the difference for me & it sounds like you are improving too. Went to my first rehab session this morning. They went easy on me on day one. I\'ve already made a friend (the only other woman)& look forward to talking with the others as time goes on. I think I\'m going to enjoy it. You have a good Labor Day weekend too! Joy