Back to work

I'm back at work full time, which is mostly why I haven't updated here. My colleagues have been great about letting me ease back in. However, the consecutive 8-hour days (plus commute, on non-snow-days) take their toll, and I'm pretty exhausted to do much else. It takes time. I may be the only person who's thrilled at the snow - it means I can work from home, which is energy-conserving.

Medically, I'm doing fine. I've lost 6 pounds in the last 6 weeks. I'm presuming (hoping?) it's attributable to the walking and the renewed attention to diet (I've been consciously eating less, particularly at lunch), and not to fluid loss. I have medical clearance to join the gym, and I bought new shoes and new workout gear, so I feel like I've turned a corner there.

And in what is a marker of success, we spent last weekend in downtown Center City for my birthday. We did a lot of walking and a few large celebratory meals, which combination used to be a recipe for misery pre-surgery. I felt fine afterward, thank goodness. I very well may have had a meltdown if my symptoms had come back.

Take care,

Michael

Another milestone down

Saw my local cardiologist, Dr. Averbach, yesterday. He is very pleased with my progress and thinks I'm only going to feel better over the next weeks and months as my heart and body adjust to the removal of the obstruction.

But more importantly, he cleared me to sit in the front seat and drive, much to Jenn's chagrin. My independence = perceived end of useful support for Jenn. It's not true, of course, but it bothers her. I reminded her that I still need her to handle the snow (it's blizzarding now), but it doesn't seem to be helping.

Seriously, it's hard to be a caregiver, and she's been awesome and I love her.

Take care,

Michael

Snow day

For the heart surgery patient immediately postop (up to about 6 weeks), certain forms of exercise are good - walking, predominantly, anything that gets the blood moving at a steady pace through which a conversation can be kept up. On the flip side, no weight-lifting (lifting is restricted to 10 pounds, about the weight of a gallon of milk) and no burst- or grunt-type activity. Two cardiologists at different institutions have scientifically explained it to me in the exact same clinically oriented language: "nothing that makes you go 'unnnngggh'".

And definitely no shoveling snow. Only yesterday I mentioned to Jenn that we had been lucky this season, especially since our snowblower is still in the shop; we hadn't had snowfall for the entire month since my return from Cleveland. Naturally I hadn't checked the weather forecast and the weather gods decided make their presence known, and we got about 4 inches of the white stuff. Sorry, Philadelphia metro region. It's my fault.

We were planning to break out the golf clubs today (really! it's indoors) and I was going to chip and putt, but the snow plus some unexpected deep chest soreness today ended that idea. Maybe next week. Tomorrow we head to Massachusetts to visit my brother, sis-in-law and nephew:

And to walk a different mall. Same stores, different order.

Take care,

Michael