Recent content by kevin21

I'm just shy of 3 weeks removed and I basically do what I did prior to surgery. I went to the grocery (all of this running requires me to sit in the back seat of the wife's ride...) yesterday and put basically everything in the cart (I lifted the dang milk a few too many times) and then helped...

Mine was too stiff and it hurt my incision so I blew it off. I just cross my arms and hold my ribs if I sneeze. I got kind of nutty on Vicodin in the hospital and my Dad was there just laughing and egging me on. I busted out laughing a TON and it hurt a bit (should have had the pillow) but the...

I used mine like 2 times and it didn't really help. Guess I was using it wrong. I'll second the blanket thing. I got a nice new throw fleece thing that was awesome in the 'spital...

I could barely do 1000# when I was a gym nerd. That is freaking impressive. Don't blow a "gasket" so to speak.... I doubt I'll be throwing 10 plates a side any time soon. I'd like to get back to doing dumbells for most everything and doing it with good breathing and with good form. Back in my...

My cardio said "Meh" to cardiac rehab, kind of to my dismay. I guess given my age, 35, he assumed that I'd be on the go and back moving on my own? I have been sort of walking (I worked a full day today which requires me to walk around quite a bit) and getting plenty of exercise. I went from 9...

Okay gym rats.... How soon after this surgery can you attempt to lift light weights and do gym type things? I'm guessing at least 6 weeks for lifting (duh, they tell you not to lift) but I know you can go do cardio like walking immediately. I want to get back to the gym (I took a 5 year...

Luana I'm okay. I'm not doing any lifting or racing about. In fact, I'm barely on my feet for more than 15 minutes at a time. Believe me, I enjoy my job and it's just theraputic to get moving again. Takes my mind off worrying about the steel and carbon fiber keeping me alive. If I get tired I...

I can't drive yet due to the 6 week restriction on me. Too scared to get an airbag in the chest and ruin $230,000 of my Doc's work. I'd be at work full time if it weren't for the driving restriction. My job is all about being mobile and it's damn near impossible when bumming rides. I'm...

Crap, I meant to put this in Post Surgery....

It's been 11 days and I meant to update sooner. Had AVR with a St Jude 25mm at St Lukes in Houston. Surgery went as well as planned. Doctor said there really wasn't much scar tissue from the surgery at age 10 so he did get a good seat on the valve. It's tick tick ticking away in there. I could...

Ahhhhh!! I made it. I've been blasting off messages over at another site and forgot about this one. Texan21 is my deal over there and I actually forgot my logon for over here. DOH!!! Needless to say I'm here, I'm home, and I'm recovering. It was a breeze...:eek2:

I'm slightly irritated at my cath results. Years and years of echo's with EF of 60-69% and then today I get a report that I'm at 45-49% which is low. If the dang echo said 45-49% then I would have been in the OR right then and there. What gives??? Maybe I took a nose dive in the last 4-5 months...

I swear I'd rather have the surgery than do the preliminary stuff. I nearly had to jump through the phone to make Aetna and St Lukes Hospital agree that they would be getting together and paying.... How many Billions in payments do these companies process and it's this hard on the patient...

Okay, I've moved this date about 4 times in 3 years. Guess it's time to do the deed. Never a good time I guess so let's just shoot for 2 weeks prior to Halloween.... Going in for a Cath on the 10th, ordered by a second Cardio that I haven't see in 3 years (see my normal Cardio every 6 months)...

I haven't been on in like 3-4 weeks. Glad your complications are backing off and you're kicking butt so far!!