Kyle's Posts

I wasn't expecting so much emotion today. It's been quite a journey. Today I graduated from Cardiac Rehab and it felt good. I still have days where I get pretty tired, but I am light years ahead of where I was when I started. I improved my 6-minute walk distance by 44% and my functional assessments by 300%. Anyone who is considering cardiac rehab…do it! You will not regret it. (Also, my sweet family even came up to the rehab gym to celebrate with me today as they handed me my "graduation certificate"-they are better than I deserve!) I have almost no pain except for an occasional "pang" when I lift something carelessly or turn around too quickly. My family has been overwhelmingly supportive and I don't know what I would do without them. My dad and brother have cut my grass all summer long and have come over numerous times to lift something or help me out with random activities. I am incredibly grateful. I am totally used to the sound of my valve clicking and am sleeping well again. My INR is still bouncing around but I hope to get my own INR monitor soon so I don't have to go to the Coumadin Clinic every other week. I'm adjusting to new normals. Before the surgery I took no medicines. Today, I have 5 pills I take almost every day. I have to check my blood levels every other week. I have to be a little more careful with lawn work and other activities because if I bump my hand or scrape my leg, I'll be holding pressure for 20 minutes trying to get it to stop. I have days where all of this doesn't bother me. I have days where it occupies my every thought. I have times where I think about how much I have learned about myself through this process. And, I have times where I grieve that my life has changed dramatically and feel that I have aged 15 years in the last 5 months. But more than anything, I have learned how to be thankful for every "click" I hear and every day I have to share with my family and friends. And to my healthcare team who has helped me and cheered me on along the way…you rock! I am proud to call you my colleagues. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Last week I hit the 8 week mark and I felt the best I have felt in a long time (maybe even compared to right before the surgery). I actually jogged from my office building out to the parking garage (a few hundred feet), and I didn't get winded! I started doing the rowing machine and lifting weights at cardiac rehab as well. My INR still seems to be jumping all around, but I think we are honing in on a good dosage and it is not worrying me as much. I still feel a little "fragile" and have to be careful, but I am feeling stronger each day. If you are freshly post-op and feel like you're never going to feel better-been there. But it does! Just be patient with yourself-you'll get there!