I had my aortic valve replaced on 9/19 and made it home this past Wednesday. I was curious about how much walking I should be doing. I’m 57 and am in generally ...Read more
I had my aortic valve replaced on 9/19 and made it home this past Wednesday. I was curious about how much walking I should be doing. I’m 57 and am in generally decent health. But today I went to Costco with the wife and walked around there for nearly an hour. Came back completely exhausted and for awhile, dizzy. I’m beginning to think I may be over doing it for this point in my recovery. Any advice? Thanks.
Pamela Gregory Hi Ray, You sound like you must be feeling pretty good to try and conquer Costco a week after open he ... Read more
Pamela Gregory Hi Ray, You sound like you must be feeling pretty good to try and conquer Costco a week after open heart surgery! I would say that is definitely overdoing it. I think I was taking a couple 20 to 30 min walks per day and needing to rest after each one at your stage. Main thing is to listen to your body, everyone is different.
J Alexander Lassally Costco! I did 20-25 minute walks and kept is short at grocery store the first weeks. It improved a l ... Read more
J Alexander Lassally Costco! I did 20-25 minute walks and kept is short at grocery store the first weeks. It improved a lot after a few weeks, but Costco is a bit much the first week or so ! Go slow !
Robert Miller It's my understanding, and I could be wrong, that just walking and such is no issue for the heart. I ... Read more
Robert Miller It's my understanding, and I could be wrong, that just walking and such is no issue for the heart. I did a 20+ loops around the corridor in the hospital after surgery. No nurse complained that I walked too much. I walked 3-4 miles (mostly flat because in our area we don't have hills) after returning from surgery. Getting tired is normal. I don't think you walking around a grocery store for an our did anything bad. Lifting things into the cart and such is a different story. But don't take my word for it. Check with your cardiologist.
Rita Savelis Walking is good, but you will find that you also get exhausted easily. So take it easy. Do what feels ... Read more
Rita Savelis Walking is good, but you will find that you also get exhausted easily. So take it easy. Do what feels right, but know that it is easy to get overtired. It's okay to rest. I spent a lot of time on the sofa. One's energy does finally come back. Your heart has been through a lot. You can't see it healing like a broken leg, but it takes time. It's only been 10 days since your surgery! It's still so very very early for you. Take care.
Marie Myers I was not ready for a Costco shopping trip 10 days after my surgery…
Richard Munson I agree that walking costco after only a week is too much. I found just showering to be exhaustive. T ... Read more
Richard Munson I agree that walking costco after only a week is too much. I found just showering to be exhaustive. The dizziness may have come from seeing the high price of food today. Having the carriage to hold onto is a good thing however. It becomes almost a walker. Like a safety net. Keep walking though but in a safer setting as it is the best medicine. Funny how your body tells you when enough is enough.
Darrell Malone Everyone is different but the one common thing here is listen to your body, it will tell you. Sounds ... Read more
Darrell Malone Everyone is different but the one common thing here is listen to your body, it will tell you. Sounds like yours did. Take care and have a great recovery.
Susan Lynn Definitely too much walking! I walked 10 minutes three times a day and increased by another five m... Read more
Susan Lynn Definitely too much walking! I walked 10 minutes three times a day and increased by another five minutes every few days up to 30 minutes. You might want to go to cardiac rehab if that's possible. They can tell you if you're overexerting yourself by monitoring your heart and bp. That's the only way to know for sure if your exercise is appropriate for your level of recovery.
Brady Busch I was given one of those four wheeled walkers,with hand brakes and a seat.It was used to go along the ... Read more
Brady Busch I was given one of those four wheeled walkers,with hand brakes and a seat.It was used to go along the hallway in my hotel for two weeks and then for the next month or so.It may have been brought to rehab,about two months later.The only time it felt weird,was going to the post office,about six weeks after surgery and waiting in line.I started feeling a little faint and my arms were feeling heavy.Good thing there was a foldout chair in a corner,or I might have fell over.
Susan Dunne Don't push it. 10 or 15 minutes a day to start. You judge when to increase your exercise. I had in ... Read more
Susan Dunne Don't push it. 10 or 15 minutes a day to start. You judge when to increase your exercise. I had in home therapy for a month and then progressed to cardiac rehab for 12 weeks. If you have insurance that will pay for that it's your best option.
Richard Munson Feeling faint at the post office might not be bad. They could stuff you in a box and mail you home.
New to this site. Going for my SAVR on Thursday at Piedmont Atlanta. Any advice ?
Rose Madura Welcome Ray to this site. You've come to the right place. What kind of surgery are you having? The ... Read more
Rose Madura Welcome Ray to this site. You've come to the right place. What kind of surgery are you having? There are many people who will chime in with advice. Do you have any specific questions? God bless you on this journey. 👍
Robert Miller Glad you found this site. It's really the best one. Considering that you only have a few days, I don' ... Read more
Robert Miller Glad you found this site. It's really the best one. Considering that you only have a few days, I don't think you can depend on responses on this forum as they take too long. Spend a day going through the learning center of this website. https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning-center.php
Jeff Williams Who is your surgeon? I had mine done at Piedmont last year. Great place.
John Russo I’m going to have two surgeons handing my procedure. Dr. Adams from Mt Sinai in NYC will repair my ... Read more
John Russo I’m going to have two surgeons handing my procedure. Dr. Adams from Mt Sinai in NYC will repair my mitral valve & Dr. El-Hamamsy will preform the Ross on my aortic valve.
I am from: Roswell
