Bob's Journal

Adam Pick  Hi Bob, Sorry to hear of some of the bumps in the road of your recovery.  I'm curious. Has anyone mentioned cardiac rehabilitation to you yet?

Greg Lewis  Bob! What can i say! A couple miles a day?? WOW! You are doing sooo good!! Dont worry about the leg too much. My swelling went down, i think it was after my heart got doing better. It took some time. Dont get impatient with the lifting and pulling, though. I had to pretty much rebuild all my muscles, and a piece of advice is take it nice and slow. " if you hurt a muscle, you are the one that has to deal with it, while it takes 3 times as long to heal" that goes for the walking too! I kept trying to add more and more distance. And then it happened. The groin muscles gave out! I think they are finally getting better..months, and months later! So take it cool, you got nothing but time!!   let your doc know if something is not right. Good luck with each day!!

Deena Z  Hi Bob, it's bit of a surreal experience, isn't it?   I always think of it as the "miracle surgery".  What counts right now is that your surgery was successful and your recovery sounds like it is going great.  In a couple of more weeks, you will be able to do even more.  But yeah, the whole not being able to use arms and laying in one position has it's moments, even though you know it is short-termed.

Bob Rini  Thanks, all of you. Adam, I'm starting my program for rehabilitation with a GPS watch to keep track of my activities and link to my MOVN app on my phone--and to my trainer at the hospital. Greg, I'm still pushing the walks, but trying not to jump the gun.  I don't want to feel overconfident and screw it all up. Ha ha. Deena, you're right. It's definitely surreal, After five weeks, I feel like I'm just coming out of a brain fog. Some pain in my chest, but the harvested leg is better. Still swollen, but better.  

Ana Brusso  Bob on the side of caution call your doctor or go to the ER.  No swelling should be ignored. God bless you 

Greg Lewis  Hi Bob. I did have worse swelling in my leg the took the vein from. BUT i also had complications causing it. I agree with Ana, and would go to the ER, in case there is a problem causing it. Read my post today, as to what happened to me last night. Get help if you think something is off. Good luck, and please update us on it.

Bob Rini  All is good. Still swollen somewhat in the leg they borrowed a vein from for my bypass, but well within normal. I'm taking LASIX for fluid retention. It's getting better.  

Mohammed Abdulrahman  mechanical or tissue valve?
why RCA has been bypassed? was this as a result of the aortic valve consequences?

Rose Madura  Interesting. I remember my first thought when I finally woke up was "we'll, I made it." But the odds are so much in our favor and we still tend to think that way.  Anyhow, glad all is well with you and welcome to recovery.

Bob Rini  Thanks, everybody! I'm at home finally, after 6 days in the hospital, ICU and the regular ward. Now my recovery continues at home. Restricted in use of my upper body, my excercise is walking. I started on the hospital ward, tentatively circling the floor. Then, at home, I managed to circle the block. Finally, I'm walking blocks and blocks, improving every day. I'm also practicing my "incetive spirometer" and building my lung capacity. You want to re-learn to breathe deeply to avoid pneumonia, etc, and this improves rapidly. There is hope in recovery. You can do this.