J
jackc
Hi again..1 day home..huggin the pillow...and just chillin.
did an easy 500 metre walk today and hope to increase distance by 100m per day...time not a factor.
My surgery was pretty uneventful ....108 min on pump...
no valve required just bypasses.
ICU went exactly as everyone here said it would and pretty much textbook time.....opeation began at 8am...tube out at 4:15pm.
Spent two days in ICU and all tubes out in progression. The absolute worse from my opinion was the drainage hoses. Kinda burned coming out...mind you I was also more aware of my environment.
was quickly off morphine and on Tylenol 3...and then shipped to a Step Down Unit. In ICU there was 1 nurse per two patients ( she was stationed with all the tools and drugs necessary right between us for total shift ( replaced at breaks )Constantly chatted and offered any help needed and loads of positive motivation.
the step-down unit was similar with a few exceptions:
- 1 nurse / 4 patients..similar central location station.
- encouraged to get up and walk not just sit around.
- I was given a mobile heart monitor that fit in my bathrobe pocket
and told to go explore...just don't leave building!! ( a little heart humour)
- the set up in the ward is like a 100 metre track..marked every 25 meteres. there are chairs to sit down if you wish and a central nursing station that can see all walkers...great setup.
2 days in step down..all tubes out...lost monitor..lots of tests..blood etc..shipped to a private room in ward.
--here I had periodic discussions with nutritionists, rehab people,
a pyschologist and the usual physical parameters, including x-rays.
1 day in ward and surgeon comes in and says "great news" you can go home in a coupla weeks" My face told the story ,he laughed and said that was the final test to see if my heart could take it. ( more heart humour ).
I was out of there at 10.01 July 3..huggin' my pillow and looking toward the recovery phase. So far no depression...a coupla weepy moments. Thanks to a wonderful wife and family the future looks bright.
And thanks to you all for your support and encouragement. I love you all!
jackc ( Welland )
did an easy 500 metre walk today and hope to increase distance by 100m per day...time not a factor.
My surgery was pretty uneventful ....108 min on pump...
no valve required just bypasses.
ICU went exactly as everyone here said it would and pretty much textbook time.....opeation began at 8am...tube out at 4:15pm.
Spent two days in ICU and all tubes out in progression. The absolute worse from my opinion was the drainage hoses. Kinda burned coming out...mind you I was also more aware of my environment.
was quickly off morphine and on Tylenol 3...and then shipped to a Step Down Unit. In ICU there was 1 nurse per two patients ( she was stationed with all the tools and drugs necessary right between us for total shift ( replaced at breaks )Constantly chatted and offered any help needed and loads of positive motivation.
the step-down unit was similar with a few exceptions:
- 1 nurse / 4 patients..similar central location station.
- encouraged to get up and walk not just sit around.
- I was given a mobile heart monitor that fit in my bathrobe pocket
and told to go explore...just don't leave building!! ( a little heart humour)
- the set up in the ward is like a 100 metre track..marked every 25 meteres. there are chairs to sit down if you wish and a central nursing station that can see all walkers...great setup.
2 days in step down..all tubes out...lost monitor..lots of tests..blood etc..shipped to a private room in ward.
--here I had periodic discussions with nutritionists, rehab people,
a pyschologist and the usual physical parameters, including x-rays.
1 day in ward and surgeon comes in and says "great news" you can go home in a coupla weeks" My face told the story ,he laughed and said that was the final test to see if my heart could take it. ( more heart humour ).
I was out of there at 10.01 July 3..huggin' my pillow and looking toward the recovery phase. So far no depression...a coupla weepy moments. Thanks to a wonderful wife and family the future looks bright.
And thanks to you all for your support and encouragement. I love you all!
jackc ( Welland )