Leslie's Posts

Hello All!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are doing well. Happy New Year!!!! Catching up on everyone's progress and continue praying for Rachel and hope they find a viable heart for her. :) I'm doing well, slacking a bit on my walking and start cardiac rehab next week. I'm looking forward to that since I know I need a little push!! I don't have a lot to complain about. LOL Dizziness is not as frequent, shortness of breath is better. Cardiologist is tapering me off the beta blocker due to symptoms of shortness of breath. Having some shoulder and neck pain for the first time so I'm not sure if it was caused by lifting groceries or something else that may have been too heavy. It woke me up tonight and I came downstairs and took a Tylenol and I'm sitting waiting to see if the pain will diminish. I almost feel like neck and back are out of whack and the pain is from my neck down both shoulders. I'm driving and that is getting better. I still have a little soreness when turning the steering wheel but not too bad. Has any experienced shoulder and neck pain?? Can you tell me when the weight restriction is removed? I'm thinking I'm over doing it on the lifting. I'm not lifting anything over my head but I have been lifting to put groceries in the bed of the truck when I go shopping. Well it is 3 am here in California. Going to go rest and see if I can go back to sleep. I've been doing really well sleeping through the night and I guess this is a little bump in the road. xxxx Leslie

Where to start since I've been slacking on my journal. :D I'm 6 weeks post-op and doing pretty well. I think I've been a little impatient. I've been walking every day (weather permitting) and riding my stationary bike inside. Off the blood thinners as of last week. Sternum pain has been on and off, some numbness at times. Tylenol helps when needed. Started driving but have learned I need to take Tylenol before hand. By the time I get home from running errand my chest really hurts. I have a piece of tissue coming out of my incision. Doctor was not too concerned because it wasn't draining last week, but as of yesterday I noticed blood and a little puss coming out. So I left a message for my cardiologist and will go in and have it checked. I sure do not want an infection!! :( Some days I feel like I have cardiac depression but not sure. I don't fee depressed just a blah, blah feeling. I don't take a nap during the day and I'm moving, exercising and doing chores and make dinners when I feel up to it. Not sure if I should start taking naps during the day time. When I got home from the hospital I never could sleep during the day. I think I've taken 1 day time nap in my 6 weeks post-op. I do go to bed around 10-1030 pm each evening. I am going to check out cardiac rehab. I think that will help me a lot.

Not sure if the aspirin or other meds are causing my GERD. I just feel out of balance and yucky today. I also don't sleep that well at night and have never been able to take a nap during the day. Last night I woke up about 3 am and felt out of breath. After I propped myself up better it helped. I know I will have good days and bad days. Just a yucky today. Tomorrow is another day! :D