Tobias's Posts

All is good! The Heart has settled down nicely to low 60s bpm and showing nice smooth regular curves on my heart rate meter. I have been walking early every morning for 3 to 4 miles and have found this an excellent way to start the day, and means that I clock up about 8 to 10 miles a day. The other plus is that I have rediscovered the beautiful city of Amsterdam and I have it all to myself just after dawn. So for week 3, I can only report it's only getting better and better. One thing I did learn was to buy a digital blood pressure meter for about 80 USD and charting my results each day. Just helps to chart the progress. So I am off for a walk!

So my first week at home has been great. Walks around the neighbourhood, light lunches at the local restaurant, and plenty of resting and napping all supported by my daughter and lovely wife. Then bang day 13 and I woke up in the middle of the night with atrial fibrillation and my heart rhythm bouncing around. I relax do my breathing excercise and walk a lit. Still no good so I call my medical team and they request an ECG, thankfully my local GP obliged asap and the team upon receiving the results call me in ASAP. The good news is it's not because of fluid build up as before. Apparently AFib happens to 40% of patients after open heart surgery. So they change my meds by increasing the blood thinners and changing the beta blockers and send me home. Let's see how it goes. Not too concerned as I expect it's just my heart trying to adjust to all the new parts.

Well Amazingly the hospital let me go on the Friday evening (day 7) in time for a family dinner and reunion. The body is a miraculous thing. Tuesday evening in the operating theatre for a second time, and then Friday evening home sweet home. Being home with my wife and daughter is wonderful a further boost on the road to recovery. Now about that road ? How much to walk and when? My iPhone step counter showed me doing 1,7 miles on Day 6 / 7 in hospital as I did my laps around the ward and practiced the stairs. The question now is that I am home what distance of daily walks should I target? So far I have ambled around the neighbourhood but I am ready for more. Any advice? Thanks for all the support and encouragement. I feel a new lease of life and enjoying it.