Bored with telly and I'm wondering if the surgeon pulled my brain out during the op! Lol...
Just a quick question, is there any advice anywhere about how much activity to do week by week? I'm feeling ok and the only problem I seem to have is feeling a bit giddy and very tired? I wandered round our local shops yesterday without a problem. I have a Fitbit and currently have it set to 3500 steps per day target with a view to increasing by 500 every Monday - thought this would be a good way to monitor progress.
My appetite had returned but seems to have disappeared again and I am definitely not my usual chirpy self - I'd have to say I'm down right miserable! I suppose this is all normal for this stage?
Sounds like you're doing well for two weeks post op. I had mine done on 7 Nov and then had to have a pacemaker fitted on 13 Nov. I'm not too bad on the flat but still get out of breath going up stairs.
I know what you mean about telly, loads of channels and nothing worth watching. I watched Time Team, Castle, Rizzoli and Isles, The Mentalist and M.A.S.H when I was ill last year. Need to get back to card making really but still struggle to concentrate and stay awake!
My appetite is up and down so just eat when I'm hungry, which probably isn't ideal on warfarin but hopefully will improve as time goes on - not allowed to eat licorice now but flying saucers are allowed 😜.
In answer to your question I think it sounds like you are doing the right thing, plus no picking up anything heavy up yet. Listen to your body, will soon tell you if you're doing too much.
They should contact you, will usually be 6 to 10 weeks post op. Dog walking, if she pulls leave it for a while as it will strain your chest and that's not good at the moment
Yes, join our Fitbit group, Claire! There are lots of us on there, all doing hugely different amounts of steps. We will appreciate and cheer your progress, even if you are not near the top of the leaderboard...yet. I've got a lot of crochet to do over the coming weeks, so will be vulnerable to attack if anyone fancies stealing my crown again
and then you can click on our profiles (pics on right-hand side of screen) to add any of us as friends if you would like to be able to keep in touch via the app.
I’ve been wondering how much to do as well as def not a fan of day time tv. I don’t have a Fitbit but have been judging it on how long i could go out with the dog and how many of her walks I can do without help.
Have noticed that my appetite is all over the place and some bouts of just not feeling right although I couldn’t really say why just sort of foggy.
It’s still early days and I have my first rehab appointment on Thursday so I’m sure they will tell me if I am missing doing something
I have a made springer spaniel and not sure whether I should take her out yet as she pulls terribly on the lead. She loves having me home all day though! I seem to feel foggy all day? Will mention to Gp if it carries on.
It sounds like you are doing really well Claire. After I had my AVR I was advised to walk for set amounts of time starting on the flat and then building up slopes. Starting with 15mins for a week then building up 5mins each week. I got really good advice from the cardiac specialist team who phoned me a few days after discharge. The cardiac rehab team were also really helpful .
You sound as if you are doing quite a lot already and I wonder if the dizziness is related to tiredness . Are you resting plenty during the day as well as trying to sleep at night? If you are very tired it will also affect your concentration and your mood. Don't underestimate what you have been through....the surgeons did not remove your brain but I do remember wondering if they had.
My appetite was very poor and I was encouraged to have small meals , served on a small plate, also it is ok to snack . Make sure you are drinking plenty.
You are doing incredibly well but don't forget you are only two weeks after major open heart surgery. It is normal and alright to feel emotional, some will be cross and impatient whilst others like me cry at anything...
You will get there but it is very, very early in your post surgery recovery. And yes you are allowed to say that this recovery is hard, hard work.
Haha! I keep saying to people I think they removed my brain! No one has phoned me post discharge although the consultant gave me his number to call him - don't really want to bother him though just because I feel a bit tired! Lol.
What I'm doing is a bit of walking then I do rest plenty. I've just started a few very gentle leg/waist excercises too. Weirdly, although I haven't put on any weight, my waist is an inch bigger! I don't nap during the day but am sleeping well at night which is why I struggle to understand why I'm so groggy during the day. I'm not taking any meds which would make me groggy either.
hi hun im the same have a good day then snappy and feel useless other days yesterday i went 2 my warfrin clinic then when i got back i felt as if ive over done it my chest wound is healing nicely but is very heavy and tender.although you feel ok 2do stuff they recommend only walking hope you perk up soon paul.how you finding the ticking lol
Hiya. Sounds pretty much the same then. I only notice the ticking when I'm laying down quietly but it doesn't really bother me. Chest feels heavy too but that's the only physical discomfort I have.
it dosent bother me really its 2 weeks 2day i had my avr it s still hard 2 believe wot ive had done but its lucky it was caught and treated b4 it got worse.still getting blurred vision thow which is annoying and wearing cough lock aint fun x
Know what you mean. Yep, blurred vision for me at times still too. Also.... annoyingly, had my INR done today, only 1.5 so the clinic is sending me some fragmin syringes for me to self inject for 5 days! Not sure what I have done for it to be so low!
Hi Clairebear, like you my AVR was just over 2 weeks ago and I'm feeling fairly good about how things are going. I do get really tired and have a short nap at least twice a day. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty, that could cause the dizzyness, if you are dehydrated.
I'm still taking paracetamol every 6 hours for the breast bone. The pain is particularly on the left side (not surprisingly). It is a dragging sensation.
There is a definite sense of anticlimax. When you first get home there are cards, flowers, visitors, but now we are left to our own devices, this may be why you feel a bit down. But chin up, we can be far more optimistic about 2018 now.
I've been watching the last series of Poldark to keep me entertained. Aiden Turner certainly takes my mind off things!!! Down girl!!!
2 weeks after AVR they had me on a fixed cycle for 30 minutes where they set the pedal pressure and monitored my heart. Also everyday I had breathing exercises and lifting light weights from a supine position. Then some days walking 450 metre circuits for an hour and the nurses would be noting pulse rates every circuit.
My own opinion is that the Doctor can only advise you what exercise to do. Only you really know what you can do. Don't be afraid to push yourself but listen to your body.
About 2 1/2 weeks after my op in 2011, I was 77 at the time, I walked down a hill to look at the river at the bottom. That was no problem but when I started to climb up the hill again I hadn't realised how steep it was and had to rest about every 12 paces to get my heart rate back to normal. I remember worrying a bit, thinking maybe I had overdone it but I hadn't and the bonus was a wonderful nights sleep.
The heart, after all, is a muscle and needs regular exercise to function properly and exercise will give you that appetite.
Sounds like you are progressing really well. Eat lots of meat, fish, cheese (1 portion a day with a fruit maybe apricot or small apple) and of course fresh vegetables. Go easy on bread, potatoes and other sugary carbohydrates.
Excellent advice, thank you. Goodness, sounds like you're a pretty fit 77 year old even without heart surgery! I walked back from docs today after blood test for inr which is a mile and a half. Was pretty easy but was heavy rain/sleeting at the time so I was wet through! Enjoyed it though!
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