Heart Health Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation starts with the level of activity you can tolerate. But ... more
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It may have come to late to prevent her current problems but it will definitely help to prevent future ones.
I may know more tomorrow when I visit her. It seems that her body isn't accepting the stents. The Dr. opted not to try medicated ones at her angiogram last week.
She was never overweight but poor diet,smoking, stress and a body that naturally produces high cholesterol will still cause heart disease.View Thread

My wife went to school with her and I went to school with her sister.
I am going to get her a card and have the people @ rehab sign it and take it to her next week.View Thread

I was surprised that after rehab I was over 5,000 steps on the pedometer and it was only 11:00 am.
I also had an echocardiogram today, checking on the valves function and visit with cardiologist. Everything looks good and no leaks.
I asked him about my blockage and was pleased when he told me I didn't have atherosclerosis. The blockage looked more like something came from somewhere else and got stuck at that point in the artery (lower anterior descending). He said it could have been a clot from the heart of maybe some kind of damage to the arterial wall but not from plaque.
Cardiologist did explain that many times when they spread you open something gives. It is usually the weak point....cartilage. sometimes cartilage breaks where the ribs meet the breastbone. It will hurt more than other parts and takes months to heal. Same could happen where ribs meet the vertebrae.
Today I topped 9,000 steps not even trying just rehab, appointments and a few groceries. I did visit a friend that is home recovering from having his 3rd stent. His twin brother has 7 now. I told him not to try to keep up!!
I was going to go for a walk this evening but decided that going from 7,000 steps to 9,000 was a big jump and not to push it today. I will try for 8-9,000 tomorrow if I still feel good.
I am keeping to small weights, I am going to use jugs of low sodium V-8 at home. 3-4#View Thread

I will look for a better one.
Yes the rehab is treating me a little like the old (er) people there. I usually bike @ 10 rpm above the target range they set and it is still easy. I will see about maybe some more increases next week. I walk more than they have me down for also.
Yes I do get some chest and back pain from the arm exercises I am trying to add more movement on my off days, but low intensity. I did 3#weights Friday, very easy on arm curls but when I reached overhead.....OUCH. I guess I need work there.
I still get some pains in my back close to two vertebrae and sometimes just under the right shoulder blade. They must have really cranked me open. I do have a short incision on my chest... Just under 6 inches.
On a good note:
the four chest tube incisions now give me one part of a six-pack abs look
Now I just have to add the other part to get that six-pack of abs.View Thread
Since I am not working there is no money left after paying mortgage, utilities and food.. Gas and meds come from savings.
Having a diagnosis of a defective valve 15 years ago stopped any and all attempts to get or raise my disability and life Ins. despite good health and a long term prognosis before anything needed done. Many people live 20 years with artificial valves but it doesn't matter to insurance companies.
So I cannot afford a watch that costs $150-180. I did get a cheap one but now I see that it doesn't provide continuous monitoring, only when you push the button.
In just 6 1/2 more weeks my docs will tell me to go to work. At work I am expected to carry or pull 50# welding machines up ladders and lift up to 100#.
I am not sure I will be ready and not sure where I will find a job that is easier.
Snowshoeing is what is giving me a goal to work for. I will make it an easier hike and let the others break trail. My avatar is from last winters hike up Snoqualmie Pass, with a bad valve yet.
Definitely something easier this year. I have 4-5 months to work towards this goal.View Thread

I also hike in the mountains of our area, many times @ 2-4,000 feet elevation and off trail.
I am anxious to get back to some easy hiking and just maybe an easy snowshoe in Dec of Jan. We usually have 6-12 that go as a group for 2 or 3 a year. I was slow last Jan. but was able to go on one at Snoqualmie Pass from 3,000' to about 4,500 feet uphill. Coming back down was the easy part. But not for me this year.View Thread

My diet has been pretty good I was diagnosed with diabetes 5 1/2 years ago with bg of 400 and A1c at 13. In less than a year with diet and exercise and Metformin, I got it down below 6 and have maintained 5.5-6 ever since. I am currently doing it with diet alone but am missing being able to exercise much.
I will have to watch my cholesterol better. 2 years ago when I had an angiogram to measure pressure inside the heart due to the defective valve my arteries were clean. But this time there was a small partial blockage so they did a bypass using the left mammary artery in the chest wall when they did the valve replacement.
I did lots of research into diabetes and health when i was diagnosed.View Thread

I also had a single bypass done. Two 22 months ago I had an angiogram to check the valve for internal heart pressure and to take measurements for the size of valve. I had clear arteries then. But an angiogram this June showed a partial blockage in just one artery. Doctor said it looks more like something "flipped up" in the artery than clogging from cholesterol. So they bypassed it.
I start formal rehab Monday. For now I just walk 15-30 minutes 3 times a day. My driveway has a hill so I walk slowly up that this week.
I have read some of your other posts. I am thinking of getting a heart monitor to use when not exercising @ rehab.
Some days when we go the 30 miles to the Dr. we go shopping. If we are gone too long I am very tired by the time we get home. Yes I need to stay away from fatigue.View Thread


When I came out of open heart surgery they had me sitting in a chair within 8 hours and 36 hours later had me WALK out of ICU.
Then they put me in a wheelchair for the ride to the 10th floor and to my room.
I had daily walks after that while in the hospital even with all my drain tubes attached.
I continue them still. It is hard some days though and have days with more energy than others.View Thread
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