Billy's Posts

I've been feeling super lazy by just walking, so I tried running for the first time yesterday (24 days post-op). My cardiologist said I was cleared to exercise as long as I was not swimming, was not lifting or putting stress on my sternum, and as long as I kept my heart rate under 140, maybe 150. The 3 mile run took me 33 minutes. I probably averaged 10:30/mile if you factor in stops at lights and such. I also had to slow down the last mile because my heart rate was getting close to 150. This is probably one of the slowest runs I've ever had but also one of the most enjoyable. It was great to sweat a little and start doing more than just walking.

I am now 17 days post-op. A week ago (Monday, November 23, 2015, 10 days post-op), I reported that an echo showed I had fluid around the heart. I started 0.6 mg of colchicine 2 times per day. I had a followup echo today, and the cardiologist said the fluid is pretty much gone. I'm therefore stopping the colchicine. As some other quick updates, I'm probably feeling and doing about as great as one could expect. I stopped all pain meds (including over the counter Tylenol) a good while ago. I slept in bed flat on my back the first night out of the hospital. I've started trying to sleep on my side, but it's hard to stay there too long without discomfort. Besides some soreness and discomfort when moving a bit too much the wrong way or trying to lift too much (or push down, e.g., juice lemons), I do have some soreness/aches in my upper back and shoulders when taking longer walks, but it's nothing worth taking any pain meds for. My cardiologist, with whom I swim, reminded me just today that I had my sternum sawed open and went through major surgery. She knows me too well and told me to keep taking it easy. Because of her insistence and my family's refusal to let me do anything that pushes the boundaries, I've been taking it fairly easy. I rest when I feel tired (but it's a good tired, much better than the pre-surgery fatigue). I suppose if I was pushing harder I wouldn't be feeling so great, but I am doing my best to follow the doctors' orders to not push too hard too early to ensure I do not create unnecessary problems. I almost hate posting this because I know many others struggle through surgery and recovery more so than I am, but I hope my post serves as encouragement for those facing surgery in the future.