12 weeks post op

[kimcdougc]

Well, to keep you all updated. Last week I was 12 weeks post op from my AVR on May 23, 2012. Today I did the most physical stuff since my surgery. I swept the kitchen, vacuumed the family room, walked 9500 steps (so my pedometer tells me). Washed (3) loads of clothes, folded and put away, cleaned a bathroom, did dinner and then went outside trimmed bushes and picked up all the brush from it. Now that may not sound like much, but to me it was so great to be so NORMAL! I can't believe how quickly my body has healed. I have done everything correctly. I think that helps a lot. My Coumadin level is finally stabilized...at least I think it is. (I will start home testing myself weekly in September). I am even able to drink coffee after coming off of my calcium channel blocker Saturday. I didn't know how my heart rate would respond to that. My resting heart rate is finally around 74 or so. After surgery it was 100 or so for about 6 weeks. It is so hare to believe I actually had any surgery and how recent it was. I know that I feel so much better now and feel like I did oh about 15 years ago breathing and being able to do so much more. God is good and life is good. I do know that without all the good people here that post I wouldn't have had such a good experience. I thank you all for your input and positive vibes. I hope that somehow my post will help those who have just had their surgery and realize you to will be normal again soon. Doesn't mean there won't be problems along the way...but just think positive and do what you are suppose to and your life will be better than normal to. Blessings to you all.

Kim

 

[ski girl]

Congrats Kim! Sounds like a pretty busy day to me!

 

[Heather Anne]

Yeah! I don't think I had many days like that even before my surgery!

Your posts have been very inspiring to me. I was originally supposed to have surgery on the same day you did, but my surgeon gave me permission to put it off until a time more convenient to me and my family, so I just had it two weeks ago. Reading about how well you have navigated your journey really make me feel I can do it, too -- it's like you're my doppelganger or something.

 

[Shellbell]

Yeah! I don't think I had many days like that even before my surgery!

Your posts have been very inspiring to me. I was originally supposed to have surgery on the same day you did, but my surgeon gave me permission to put it off until a time more convenient to me and my family, so I just had it two weeks ago. Reading about how well you have navigated your journey really make me feel I can do it, too -- it's like you're my doppelganger or something.

I could say the same thing to you, Heather Anne. In 3 weeks I will have my new tissue valve installed, at age 43, and your posts are giving me the positive outlook that I feel is the most important thing I can take with me to the OR.

Thanks to everyone here for sharing their experiences, I soooo can't wait to be on your side of the mountain!

 

[T in YVR]

Great to hear you have recovered so well! Its great to hear these positive stories. I'm not looking forward to the first few days post op, but I am very much looking forward to being healthy and fully recovered. I often wonder what to expect in terms of my 'new' resting heart rate after surgery. Right now I am around 53-55 bpm. Not sure if your heart rate goes back to what it was or if it establishes a new norm for bpm.....
T

 

[Rachel]

Well, to keep you all updated. Last week I was 12 weeks post op from my AVR on May 23, 2012. Today I did the most physical stuff since my surgery. I swept the kitchen, vacuumed the family room, walked 9500 steps (so my pedometer tells me). Washed (3) loads of clothes, folded and put away, cleaned a bathroom, did dinner and then went outside trimmed bushes and picked up all the brush from it. Now that may not sound like much, but to me it was so great to be so NORMAL! Kim

WOW - That's like super charged normal in my book! Congrats on a very short recovery!

I often wonder what to expect in terms of my 'new' resting heart rate after surgery. Right now I am around 53-55 bpm. Not sure if your heart rate goes back to what it was or if it establishes a new norm for bpm.....
T

Of course everyone is different - but my experience was that my HR was pretty strong and fast after OHS - my resting was in the 90's (and I've heard of this happening to a lot of other people as well) - I was not on BB after surgery for any length of time and so it took about 6 months or so for mine to come back down. I think what helped that was the increase in exercise that I was able to do.

My resting is now 50-60 range depending - so it did go back to normal for me.