A week after my operation I'm finding my appetite is returning and have started making 2 walks of 5 minutes each per day.
Keeping track of when to take which meds each day has caused much mental gymnastics - not least because I seem to a packet of pain-killers down! However, pain is very low and so have been able to halve the codein dose with no noticeable downside.
Rang GP to arrange drain stitch removal and meds review - the response to both has been an arrangement for them to call back to fix date. Good job there's no urgent need.
Still can't quite believe how well I feel but think effort put in on ward to walk to loo and up and down corridor, as well as doing as deep breathing as you can manage must have helped.
Steve
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StevepH2012
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Make yourself a daily spread sheet and tick when you take pills. Also put on date to stop taking any pills. I did this and it helped. 15 weeks on from valve and graft and feel really well. Glad you are already feeling well. Best wishes.
Hi Steve, good to hear things are going well. I use three pill organisers for morning, evening and warfarin as I find it the easiest way to keep track.
I know what you mean about getting appointments, I had to ring my dentist last week because I’ve broken a tooth and all they could do was to arrange for my dentist to ring me to decide whether I need an appointment. I’ve now got an appointment for Tuesday.
Just remember it’s still baby steps at the moment, it’s very easy to think you feel okay and do too much and suffer for it (I speak from experience 🤪). It sounds like you are doing all the right things, so keep it up.
Great news Steve, it's a long road but you will get there, a tip I have for you when your walking is ti use the lampposts as a marker, I used to try and go 1 lamppost further each time I felt I could do a bit more but remember you have to walk back again!!
I also concentrated on walking around the ward from the start and have maintained that since.
Like other respondents, I measured progress by how far I could get down a favourite country lane. After a few months I managed a circular route, including cross-country, back to the start point. Now averaging 10k steps a day and have managed nearly double that on a couple of occasions.
Pill organisers are a great idea: my wife introduced this as soon as I got back from hospital, and we’ve found this invaluable for daily dosage and organising repeat prescriptions.
I was also surprised by the absence of pain as such. I would describe it as degrees of soreness and tightness which varied day by day but generally subsiding. Fingers crossed, almost negligible now.
Breathing exercises are essential. Your lungs take a big hit and I did have a problem in this area. Seems to be OK now though and I found the exercises demonstrated by Dr Sarfaraz Munshi on YouTube really helpful. Still do these every night.
All the best for your recovery. It does take a while, but although it sounds contradictory, when you look back you will be amazed how far you’ve come.
I am starting week 14 rehab after AVR. You are going well Steve. Keep at it. I am stunned that there isnt any follow up by NHS. It was all closed and so I have no choice other than try to do my best.
NHS things are opening up, but not clear whether you will get rehab. I asked and was assured that i am on the rehab list when NHS open up more. This hasnt materialized.
I too struggle with memory and especially the various tablets. Each week I set out my pills and place them in a dosset box.
On the plus side, I am now starting to mow the grass and push the vacuum cleaner. The recovery/rehab does pass quickly. What is super is that good rehab on Monday can be identified by improvements on Tuesday.
I guess you and me both are getting a lesson on how to live after the pandemic started.
Well done Steve. Keep positive and keep making progress. In these difficult times you most likely will have to formulate your own rehab regime, but keep going and I am sure you will reap the benefit. My best wishes for the future.
Multi-compartment pill box (look for the ones that have at least three compartments for each day and are inside another box so accidental drops and fumbles keep the pills in the box and not scattered across the floor) and a tick-box spreadsheet (with space to record BP, ox-sats, and how I was feeling at meds time) keep me organised.
ETA: I especially like that using the multi-compartment system means I can tell right away if I've remembered to take my meds if the compartment for that possibly forgot dose is empty or full.
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Valve Sparring Aortic Root Replacement.
Aortic Valve Replacement - into the forth week.
