3 month update at almost 4 months PO!

[Ovie]

So its been a bit since posting, but I'm browsing every night. Saw my cardiologist today for an echo, chest X-Ray, the works. He said everything was fine and he was impressed. However my Cholesterol was very high as was my Triglyaids (spelling?) which he had concern about. Which is strange since I've never had an issue. They said they'd call with the results of my echo, but have yet to hear. I've had some issues and feel crappy 4 out of the 7 days, but what can you do? My Cardiologist says I'll live to be an old man so I trust him and issues i may have I'll work through them.

Hope everyone is doing good in their recovery, and those in the waiting room hope you're staying calm.

Cheers

 

[neil]

sorry your still having crappy days, but its still early yet,i remember going to see my cardio and him telling me it can take up to 6 months before your really over the op,stay positive ok

 

[epstns]

Hi, Ovie!

Heck, I'm over 15 months post-op and I still have crappy days. It just happens. The good thing is that the proportion of days that are good does improve over time, and at this point I rarely think about my heart unless I choose to.

I also was told that my triglycerides were high just after surgery, and they never were before. My internist had me take fish oil, but it upset my stomach so I stopped it. I'm just waiting to see if the triglycerides come back down with more months of normal activity and exercise. Otherwise, I'll discuss it with the docs too.

Hang in there. Recovery takes a long time, but it does seem to pick up its pace as you get farther into it. Glad to hear you're doing well.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

The anethatist (sp) told me it can take up to 3 months for an anesthtic to get 100% of your system!
And like neil said my cardioligst also told me it will take up to 6 months untill i'm completely healed,
Thinking of you
Love Sarah xxx

 

[Dgreenbee]

My cardio told me that even though my cholesterol levels were just right for normal people, because I was "at risk" I should have even lower LDL levels and she wrote a prescription for Crestor. However, I do not want to take that drug. So for the last month I have been eating little cheese ad have been taking Omega 3 and co enzymes. I had my blood test two days ago. I hope to avoid the statins. At three months I am feeling fine. My chest hurts a little when I sneeze.

 

[Ovie]

Yeah, I got put on Lipitor and fish oil and he told me no more then 1 beer a day..which sucks! But I work out every day, and on my good days I feel great..I could probably be eating healthier, I eat a lot of burgers and steaks.. Avoid fast food though. Triglycerides was what I was aiming for, thank you. I didn't have issues before with my anxiety meds (4 Mgs of Xanex XR ) for years, but I think they're causing some mental issues since surgery. Would love for that to go away. Like you've all stated, it's a process..and its really amazing to see the body rebuild itself after surgery. Could barely walk quarter of a mile now I can jog half a mile on my 2 mile walk every night. Very cool.

 

[Rachel]

Sounds like you're doing pretty good, but sorry to hear that you don't feel well sometimes! I remember that at 4 months post op I still slept a ton and had a very hard time gaining weight (and I was eating six times a day) but, I think my body was pulling so much energy into the healing process (BTW - that weight issue has since corrected itself)!

Hope your triglycerides return to normal, seems like so many things just get messed up for a while after surgery, it is a process!

Hey, on the bright side, it is SO VERY COOL that you are running a half mile now!

Rachel

 

[Bill B]

Interestingly, my cholesterol and triglycerides have been erratic, and at one point were high enough that my cardiologist suggested drug treatment. Treating high values with no family history of coronary heart disease or strokes due to plaque formation is controversial. My family history is clean and my coronaries were found to be clean on CT scan and at surgery. So, I declined the treatment. I usually do whatever my cardiologist says, but this is an area where although the newer cholesterol lowering agents have been shown to reduce mortality in all-comers, there is good reason to think it's not true for people like me. The drug company definitely wants it to appear that EVERYONE with elevated values benefits and should get the drugs. I'm using diet, weight loss and exercise as my treatment. It sure seemed to work when I lost 20 lbs and my cholesterol dropped 50 points. But on the next visit with little other change, the cholesterol was back up to earlier values.

 

[TheGymGuy]

Great job on walking and jogging daily Ovie. I am looking forward to more good news from you. Get that cardio and weight lifting up and your cholesterol and LDL (LDL is bad) will plumet downwards in just 6 month. Fish Oil and sound sleep will help raise HDL (HDL is good) and also lower LDL. Stress is known to hike LDL up, so lets reduce that as well.

Cheers.

 

[Dgreenbee]

I am opting for weight loss, diet, vitamin C, fish oil rather than statins. My angiogram showed nice clean arteries and some of the potential side effects of the drug are potentially difficult for me. It is a matter of assessing benefit vs. risk.

 

[Ovie]

I'm actually 1 week away from 5 months PO if my math is correct, I've been saying 4.

Bill, I'm kind of in the same boat, I've been taking fish oil but I'm really not wanting to be put on Lipitor. This is the first time among many that my blood has shown high levels, I'm going to explain that I'd like to give it some time.

Rachael, I wish I had trouble gaining weight! I'm trying to lose it, which is happening slowly I suppose.

Gymguy- Hope things are going well for you also on your recovery and haven't hit many bumps. I'm curious..my cardiologist said he's not terribly worried anymore about my sternum and when I told him I do 2 miles a night and lift 5lb weights ( which are nothing ) he said I was already above where he expected me to start. So i asked if I could do heavier, he said absolutely that I don't have any restrictions other than use common sense. So I'm going to start at 10lbs now and work up and the Cardio. Do you know of any sites that are pretty blunt on weight exercises ( what to do, how many reps ) all I have are the ones from my cardiac rehab and I feel like they only use my shoulder muscles, but I'd like to tone up a bit and just don't know where to start, I'm losing weight, but that's really it, and I feel like I should have lost more by now.

Also supplements, any I should use? don't use? Any advice on either topic or link would be awesome, since you're the only Gymguy I've come across who's also had OHS and knows what cautions need to be taken.

Thanks.