Sherry Bradford  Linda thank you so much for posting! I am sorry you are still hurting but I have to also say that encourages me too. I am just so surprised at how tired I am at the end of the day and on weekends and that sometimes it hurts quite a bit. Having you blazing the trail ahead of me is a blessing and I appreciate your support and hard earned wisdom about this journey! Hugs to you and Elsie!

Sherry Bradford  John, thank you so very much for your very kind words! This site has been such a blessing to me and I too have learned more here than through any other source. I hope I can pay forward the wonderful encouragement that people have so generously shared with me. Hope your recovery is going well!

Sherry Bradford  Chuck, thank you! You are in my prayers as well! She stuck with me, even though her own heart was failing, until I was well on the road to recovery. She was a sweet spirit. Keep us posted on your journey!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you so much. We sure miss her a bunch. I am so glad you have been reading and finding the posts helpful! Most of all, thank you for your prayers. Hugs!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you Al. Everyone here has inspired me so much! I know I would have muddled through without this site, but finding it has made everything so much easier and less frightening. I will forever be grateful to Adam for his book and for creating this wonderful environment for all of us!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you, Linda. I am sorry about Casey and hope they are giving the squirrels a run in heaven together. Taking one day at a time is really the trick to getting through this, isn't it? Sometimes even hour-to-hour! But thank goodness we are here to learn that! I can truly say a lot that used to weigh me down doesn't even cross my mind anymore! Hugs, friend!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you! I appreciate the support! The memory part was disconcerting to say the least. I am sure you will do just great. I think that surgeons and anesthesiologists are recognizing the need to warm us up more slowly after being on the heart/lung machine and that is making a difference in the return to normal brain function. Don't be alarmed if you have some issues at first. Even though you will feel great faster than you expect, your body will have been through a trauma and has lots of inflammation. As that subsides, things improve fast. I was going to start riding our rail service next week, but with the flu outbreak, I think I will drive a bit longer. I would rather have a sore incision area right now than bouts of coughing! Take care and keep in touch!

Sherry Bradford  You will do great! There is lots of good info and support on this site! Looking forward to reading about your progress!

Sherry Bradford  It has been for me also! Thanks for your encouragement! Hope you and your family have a very blessed and Happy New Year!

Sherry Bradford  Hi there! This site doesn't automatically list who is responding so I am not sure who left this post but thank you for the encouragement! I start back next Wednesday which will be a short week. I want to try full time during that week to see how I do. But folks there are very kind and considerate. If I need to pause and rest, they will let me do so. The really tough part is for ME to slow down when I need to and rest when I can. I am much harder on myself than they would dream of being toward me! That's all part of that same self definition around work. One of the Rehab specialists said to me "We all have to realize that we are not indispensable when it comes to what we DO. It is who we ARE that is irreplaceable. They got by fine taking care of what you do while you were gone. What they want back is YOU so take care of yourself so you can be there for the long haul." I found that very encouraging.

Sherry Bradford  That is so true - your whole system is chemically challenged by this surgery! I began taking Cymbalta several years ago to help with fibromyalgia and I think it has also helped keep the effects of surgery from being overwhelming. Though I have times like now when I am a bit down, I am grateful that it has not become more of an issue. I so appreciate that Adam addressed this in his book to really bring it out in the open. I think it catches some folks completely off guard. God bless you also and have a Happy New Year!

Sherry Bradford  Hi, Elizabeth! Congrats on doing well and starting your rehab! It will really help a lot. I start work on January 2nd so a few more days here at home. To tell you the truth, I am really nervous about going back. My job is at the computer all day and is very fast paced. It requires a sharp memory and lots of quick decisions. Since the surgery, I have had some struggles with memory, and I still need downtime mid-day. I definitely will not be 100% when I first go back. I will keep folks posted on how things go.

With your work being so physical, I hope you can stay off a bit longer and get some more rehab under your belt first. I have my last one Friday since that is when my current year insurance ends and I would have to pay out of pocket until I reached my next deductible and we just cannot afford. But I have a treadmill and weights at home and intend to carry on here.

I am glad you can sleep in different positions! That is great! My incision still hurts a lot if I sleep any way but on back and propped with pillows. Most of my waking hours it is not bad though unless I overdo.

At the suggestion of ladies on this site, I went to WalMart and bought some bras that are very soft and snap in front. They are like a post surgery bra and only cost about $8.00. I had to buy one size larger and I wish I had gone up two sizes ecause they shrink. I also bought a couple of the Ah bras. Those two styles were the only ones I could wear until the last week or so. Now I can wear any kind except those with an underwire. I had to cover my drain holes with a soft bandage until they were much more healed. Even now I sometimes have to do that -depending on how the bra is shaped. But minute I get home, off goes the bra. Honestly that is still the most comfortable.

The incision was more uncomfortable after 7-8 weeks for me than it was in the first few weeks after surgery. That surprised and disappointed me. By checking around the site, I found that was common. I think that may be a combination of our moving our upper body more as our stamina increases and the normal deep healing around the wires. Also, I found I was pushing with my arms more to get up or change position in bed, and that is really a no-no until after week 12. When I am more careful about that, I find it hurts less. Give it time. You are healing both "meat" and bone, so it takes time.

Hope some of that helps! Be sure to read Linda K and Connie T postings for lots of good practical tips. They are several weeks ahead of us in the healing process so that is very helpful!

Best wishes for the New Year and please stay in touch. Your posts will be so helpful to those who are right behind you in the recovery process!

Sherry Bradford

Sherry Bradford  It will be a great year for you and you will be so glad to have the date posted and start planning your recovery! Happy New Year and keep us posted!

Sherry Bradford  I think the thought of getting to work and appearing foolish has brought me the closest to wanting to seriously play the lottery! I wish this has happened three more years from now so I could maybe just retire. But it didn't so God must have a plan for me to get back in the saddle again and give it my best shot! :-)

I don't know why I get down about the progress sometimes. I am not sure why, but I had the silliest expectation that I would bounce back in four or five weeks. But really, when I stop being frustrated and anxious and really think about it my progress has been so good compared with many folks. I haven't had any serious complications or setbacks. What a blessing that is!

I am glad that you mentioned you still grab a pain pill once in awhile. I get by most days without any as well - with just needing one when I do more than I should. It is a REAL bad day when I have to have two - and that is when I usually start feeling like progress is tooooo slow.

I hope you get everything made in time for Christmas and have a wonderful holiday!

Sherry Bradford  You always give me a giggle! I guess it is good that we still know we USED to have a memory! :-). I think I am going to make myself a really pretty notebook I can take to work so I can take everything down. At least it will look nice when I am searching for whatever I have forgotten! Lol!

Sherry Bradford  There is lots of good info on this site and in Adam's book. I hope that you will not have to have the surgery, but if you do I hope this site will help you feel more comfortable and confident about the procedure and recovery.

Sherry Bradford  I saw on the news yesterday they are testing a "brain pacemaker" that is looking very promising. We do live in a great time in terms of technology. Thank you for your prayers!

Sherry Bradford  Hopefully your time is long ways out! Someone told me today that the key to good sleep is to wear yourself out physically. That's hard with a major surgery because you start out worn out but I suspect that is still a true key. Work can be like that because it is so mental that you are exhausted but your body hasn't been worn out enough to shut down. I am learning that this is one of those things that you really have to take day to day. Probably good way to live all the time, actually! See you soon!

Sherry Bradford  Chris, one of my coworkers has same initials and I thought this post was from him! Sorry about that! LOL! I hope that you will do your best to not worry about the surgery but save your energy for recovery. Sometimes it is a very frustratingly slow process, but if you just keep moving and follow the doctor and nurse instructions you will be surprised ow fast you begin to feel so much better than before surgery.

Sherry Bradford  I hear ya on overdoing! I forget and push something or try to pull and yowser! does my incision area let me know that it is not ready for that! My husband has had the "opportunity" to heal from more injuries than me and he tells me that the most dangerous time to hurt yourself is as you start feeling better. So I think it does mean we are getting better! :-). I hope you do get on at least once a week so we can keep up with you! Hugs and you keep healing and mooooving forward! :-)

Sherry Bradford  Thank you! Not much longer now and Andy will be on the way to feeling lots better! Have you both in my thoughts and prayers!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you! I am so encouraged by your recovery, Linda! You are my "normal" gauge (bet that is a first for you, haha!). Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sherry Bradford  Yes but all I came back home with was a pillow, plastic drinking glass and an armload of prescriptions! I cannot imagine surgery and being home with two babies! :-) Amazing! Thank you for the encouragement. Hugs and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you! I am so fortunate that the rehab is close to my home. So now I plan on getting straight home to eat something. I need to remember to pack a protein bar or something though for those days we might be delayed. I think that 30 minute window is right. If I delay I really start to feel bad. Even though I still carry extra weight, I don't have much by way of muscles to provide that extra stamina just yet after a workout. Thank you for the suggestion!

Sherry Bradford  Glad they help and thank you for the encouragement!! It really is worth it - even on the less than great days on the road to recovery!

Sherry Bradford  Natalie thank you for the tip! I love almonds and will try that! I am getting a little "spoiled" by being able to eat snacks and weight staying down! Sure that will change before long and then back to behaving! :-)

Sherry Bradford  Love ya friend! I tried carbs this morning and it did help! I am going to try the almonds suggested above also. Hugs!

Sherry Bradford  Chris thank you for posting! You will be in my thoughts and prayers! Linda and Connie below helped me so much and I did just what you describe! I read their posts and those of others and the good practical advice helped so much. Also they have helped me keep my expectations reasonable during recovery. If you are someone who usually keeps pretty busy, the fatigue after surgery can be frustrating. Even though you read it, experiencing it is something else. It is so easy to think you are not recovering fast enough! Reading posts here helps so much to keep spirits up and motivation high.

That is wonderful about your medical costs and takes some stress away from the whole event! You are going to do great (it is a one time thing, maybe twice for you but the docs do this A LOT). The time after really flies fast and I love to read the six month and one year posts and how much better folks are doing by then! Looking forward to your posts on your progress!

Sherry Bradford  Hi there! So good to hear from you! I haven't tried a surgical bra. I have the full incision too. I will look into that. Did you get your regular bra size or a bit larger? I get a little worried about so much rest and start thinking I should be tougher on myself. I am glad that doesn't sound too crazy after the first day of rehab! I got started quick because I will probably only get about 4-5 weeks. I have to go back to work before too much longer and my insurance only pays the full tab through end of year. It is too expensive for me after that. But I have a treadmill and we are going to look at our local YMCA to see if we can afford that.

It is so good to hear from you and that things continue to go well! You keep me inspired! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sherry Bradford  Connie it is so great to hear you are continuing to do well! Thank you for the encouragement that I am on track. That helps so much as it is such a complicated journey! We should invent a bra for this and could make a lot of folks happy and maybe take a trip somewhere! Haha! I have thought about trying the old wraps from the 1700s! Hugs and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sherry Bradford  Natalie that is encouraging to hear! Were you very active before surgery? I had become so fatigued that I was not doing anything resembling pushing myself. It feels so good to finally move. I hope I get past the complete wipeout phase soon. So glad to hear from folks that it gets better! Hang in there and congratulations on your recovery going well!

Sherry Bradford  Thank you Scott! Well, if you come to Dallas, the Heart Hospital of Plano is really top notch! Will have you in my thoughts and prayers as you move toward surgery. Every day gets better and better!

Sherry Bradford  That is so true. Every deep breath is so sweet! It is well worth the wait, surgery, and healing. For the first time in many years I woke up a few days ago feeling truly rested. That is a brand new feeling! All my best to you!

Sherry Bradford  The wait is difficult and once you get through the surgery you will feel so much better! I am so glad that some of my posts have helped! I look forward to reading yours! You will get so much great advice and support on this site! Everyone's experience is a bit different but much is similar that you will find answers to many of your questions.

It may be a challenge to be off your feet and in the care of others. Bit I hope you can relax and just focus your efforts on breathing exercises and the walks and bed exercises! It takes a lot of energy to heal so that is your sole job after surgery! When you are a few weeks into recovery you will wonder why you waited! You will do great and I bet you feel better than you have in awhile!

Hugs and you are in my prayers!