I am now 3 1/2 months post-op. I have worked for two weeks. I took 3 months off of work because of the lifting restrictions. I am now back to my busy and tiring routine. Taking 3 months off gave me a reference point for just how tired and stressed I get from work and daily life. I don't feel any better after surgery than before. I knew that was what would probably happen, but I had hoped I would feel better. My VO2 was 18 pre-op and I bet it has not reached that yet post-op.
I had a sleep study monday night and everything came out normal. No answer for why I feel so much better sleeping in the recliner. I guess my heart and lungs just work better in a more upright position. I saw my local cardio today and he decided to do another holter monitor. I will take it off tomorrow before cardiac rehab. The cardio's nurse is retiring also. I had already figured out that it was coming soon.
I went to cardiac rehab today. I am glad it is almost over. I am a congenital heart patient and they still wanted my cholesterol drawn at the beginning of the program. It was a little elevated, but it always has been. Now that it is almost over they want me to get it checked again to see if exercise lowered it. What they don't seem to get is that I have consistently exercised for years. I don't think another 10 weeks of exercise is going to change it drastically. I told them that as a rehab program they can't do anything about the results so why get it. If my PCP wants another one then he can order it. I don't know if my insurance company will pay for another one so I may get out of it that way. I was in a hurry today and my case manager for rehab is not here this week so I will discuss it further with them later. They say look how much more you can do now than 10 weeks ago. Of course, I was 6 weeks post-op when I started. I am pushed a lot more now. Even to the point that they have let me go above my target heart rate range without saying anything. I am still not where I was pre-op.
Sorry for the pity party. I'll feel better next week.
Debbie
I had a sleep study monday night and everything came out normal. No answer for why I feel so much better sleeping in the recliner. I guess my heart and lungs just work better in a more upright position. I saw my local cardio today and he decided to do another holter monitor. I will take it off tomorrow before cardiac rehab. The cardio's nurse is retiring also. I had already figured out that it was coming soon.
I went to cardiac rehab today. I am glad it is almost over. I am a congenital heart patient and they still wanted my cholesterol drawn at the beginning of the program. It was a little elevated, but it always has been. Now that it is almost over they want me to get it checked again to see if exercise lowered it. What they don't seem to get is that I have consistently exercised for years. I don't think another 10 weeks of exercise is going to change it drastically. I told them that as a rehab program they can't do anything about the results so why get it. If my PCP wants another one then he can order it. I don't know if my insurance company will pay for another one so I may get out of it that way. I was in a hurry today and my case manager for rehab is not here this week so I will discuss it further with them later. They say look how much more you can do now than 10 weeks ago. Of course, I was 6 weeks post-op when I started. I am pushed a lot more now. Even to the point that they have let me go above my target heart rate range without saying anything. I am still not where I was pre-op.
Sorry for the pity party. I'll feel better next week.
Debbie
