As I'm sure that I've mentioned, it has now been almost 7 weeks since my surgery and I'm back at work!! I'm currently wearing an event monitor until I have my baseline echocardiogram which has now been scheduled for early February. If everything goes well, once the echocardiogram has been completed, and the event monitor shows nothing interesting, I should be cleared to drive!!!!
In the meantime, I just got a call from the hospital and I am now set up to start cardiac rehab. I thought it would start earlier than now, and had reached out to see if I needed to be doing something, but apparently, this is a fine time to start.
The sessions are 1 hour long and I'll have an EKG machine connected while I walk/run/work out. I expect that I'll be pushed to my limits but that's probably a good thing.
Of course, because I am particularly lucky, I've managed to pick up another cold/cough from my sharing family. This time my dear son was out of school during the week with a bad cough and fever. I tried to stay away from him to avoid being infected but failed miserably. On Friday I started to feel crappy mid-day and by the end of the day I was coughing (which still hurts by the way).
Now it's Sunday and it has been a tough weekend. The constant cough has taken its toll on my energy level and sleeping isn't the easiest thing to do with a cough. A stiff hot whiskey got me from 9am through 5am overnight and the cough seems to be a little better today.
Tomorrow is the start of week 2 at work and is supposed to be the first day of cardiac rehab but I think that it is unlikely that I will be able to start if I'm coughing still (and have a fever). I feel like I have lost ground on my activity levels since I've been back at work, still can't drive (to go to the YMCA), and then got sick.
The INR blood thinning checks have been going fine but I think they have my thinning level a bit too high. I've seen a few bruises that I have no idea how I got. I'm going back next week so hopefully, we'll rework the warfarin level to keep me straight!
My question for you is do you feel that you have more energy now and are you less fatigued throughout the day now that you have more blood flowing?
ReplyDelete-Eric M
Definitely have more energy now. I can get out of bed, brush my teeth, get dressed etc and not out of breath. That seems like a low bar but it's definitely progress!
DeleteYour INR could take quite a while and constant monitoring to to get to the required level but do point out your bruises at your next blood test. On a thinner bruises are always popping up - I've been on them for nine years with no problems but still find the odd mark.
DeleteI realise it doesn't help if there's an infection in the cough but a moxie of glycerine lemon and honey could help ease the hacking and ache.
X
Hang in there Stephen! We still have our cough, but it is not as bad since the antibiotic. This seems to be a very stubborn virus, and flying back on a plane did not help, I'm sure. I think I need to buy stock in Mucinex, as we have taken so much of it. Hope the clinic can help your cough. Can you take Vitamin C?
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