Mary Ellen's Posts

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!

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

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