Mary Ellen's Journal

Terrie Syvertsen  Hello Mary Ellen! Terrie here from Kaiser Santa Clara! The Kaiser experience was exactly as you said it would be and I am glad to hear that you are out in this beautiful weather enjoying walking and healing. I made my first outdoor walk this morning of 850 ft. since returning home from the hospital Monday Night! The one thing I had feared at my and your Kaiser was an earthquake possibility and HO HO HO, 4:20 in the a.m. there was the 6.0! Kind of strange but Kaiser Team didn't blink and eye and just kept up their work! Thought of you and how ironic this was! Continue to heal and wish you good spirits and dreams of all the wonderful days to come! Terrie from Manteca!

Mary Ellen Doherty  Good morning Terrie, So good to hear from you. Glad that you are home and on the same road to recovery as I am. So gratified that your Kaiser experience was as positive as mine. Honestly, i do not think that money could buy better treatment, either surgical of followup, hospital, than what I received. I am continuing my quest for energy and stamina. My walking is now up to 12 minutes, three times a day, plus any outside treks that I can manage with Gerry. My ultimate goal, once I reach three fifteen minutes walks, is to try to.combine two into one thirty minute walk, then the possibility of two thirty minutes, twice a day. Prior to surgery, I was walking 3 miles, three to four days a week, and I would love to be able to return to that regime. I do plan to enroll in the Cardia Rehabilitation Classes that Kaiser makes available. I discussed this with the hospital PT and I think I would get a tremendous boost from that activity. I'll start that as soon as my cardiologist gives me the referral. I do become terribly inpatient with my progress, but slow and steady is necessary, so that's the way it'll be. Keep in contact and let me know how you are doing.
Best wishes,
Mary Ellen

  Great news!! We all think we should be moving faster than we are when it comes to recovery!! I don't know why the doctors don't tell you how long it can take. Maybe they're afraid we'll be malingerers :-) anyway, so glad to hear Mary is improving! Lynn

Eleanor R  Good news about your Mom. For the surgeons, the issue is the valve and how to best repair or replace them. The cardiologists and the primary care physicians are a bit more realistic about the whole body and mind experience of open heart surgery. Even my surgeon's PA gave six weeks, instead of his four, as the time when more meds would have been dropped, I might feel safe driving with the turning and looking over the shoulder and parking. I believe that everything is connected and related to everything else, so having a bit of pain, taking pain meds, and being on heavier duty heart drugs like Amiodorone and Metoprolol, tend to cause nausea, which means we eat and drink less, and have less energy. I hope that soon the normal feel good cycle kicks in. Mary has made such good progress so far, I hope it continues and even improves. Eleanor

Terrie Syvertsen  Terry-
Thank you for the update on your Mom. My wife, Terrie, is sitting in Kaiser Santa Clara after her surgery and she keeps asking me if I have heard anything about your Mom. She will be happy to hear the update when I give it to her tomorrow morning. I hope you all made it unscathed by the earthquake.
We wish you and your Mom our best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery.
Gary

Eleanor R  Sounds like your Mom is on the right path, and she is very lucky to have you helping her out. I had AVR surgery six weeks ago and my adult daughter moved back into her old room to as she says "keep an eye on me". It has been such a comfort having her here, and a lot of fun, too, much like a sleep-over, watching summer TV together at night, playing with the dog and cat, and even doing crossword puzzles. "Old lady activities", right? I had a lot of nausea too, had to call in for anti-nausea meds with the pain pills (Tramadol), and the visiting nurse told me that even the Amiodorone could cause nausea and I would notice an improvement when that med was stopped. I did. In the interim, small sips of ginger aie or Coke over ice helped me, and remembering to take some food (crackers, graham crackers, etc.) with the meds helped a bit too. Hope she soon feels great but it sounds like her walking is going great. Best wishes to you both. Eleanor