Day 19 - Recovery

February 29, 2012

Today I had my first day at rehab. Easy day. Seriously. And I'm glad for that.

We (Lisa came with me, she is my chauffeur) met Megan and Jim at the Parkview Cardio Rehab Unit. It's on the ground floor of the Heart Institute. Megan then took us to a consultation room to go over what rehab consists of, asked lots of questions, answered our questions, and some other general stuff. All the administration type stuff you have to go through before you can begin to rehabilitate. LOL

So after we got through all of that, Megan took me to the locker room where I got to put on a heart monitor. Oh boy, I've had once of these on before. For days on end! Fortunately the ones at rehab are a lot lighter than the ones I had to wear before. Thinking back on the day I now realize they also had a lot less wires which probably explains the lighter weight.

After I got the monitor on, we came back out to the exercise area and Jim activated the monitor I was wearing. Megan then took my other vitals. After that it was off to the races. Well okay, it wasn't exactly racing speed but Lisa and I walked around the track at a decent pace. They had me walk six minutes and gave me a counter I clicked for every lap I made. We (Lisa and I) walked seven laps in 6 minutes. Not bad, I guess. We both felt like we were walking faster than we had last week at the mall so that feels like a good thing.

Megan then walked me through the cool-down exercises and we finished up my first day of rehab. My next day is March 6th, one month since my surgery.

After that we went and got some lunch at the cafeteria. Some more walking. Haha. And that was quite a walk from the Heart Institute to the cafeteria. And then back again after eating. They still have good food there. I had the stuffed peppers with corn. Lisa had a turkey wrap with potato salad. I was going to get a wrap to go before we left but they close between 2:00 and 5:00 so no wrap for lunch tomorrow. We'll keep that in mind next time we are there.

After we got back home I noticed my back was bothering me a little bit. I told Lisa I was going to take a little rest in the family room. It turned into a two hour nap. My body knows how to talk to me. It just shuts down and says "Nap time"!

We had dinner a little after I got up from my nap. We had a visitor too. Georgia the bodyguard. Hehe.

Wow, I just realized today marks 30 days since my heart attack. Wow, it all seems so...surreal, in a way. Just over a month ago I thought I was "normal" in my health. Little did I know there was something going on inside that I didn't expect. Thank the Lord he got me through it. With lots of love and prayers from family and friends. Bless all of you out there.

More recovery news soon!

Day 18 & 19 - Menu

Ha! I bet you didn't expect me to post two day's worth of menus at once. But here it is, both yesterdays and todays. Hmm, that almost sounds like a Beatles song.

February 28, 2012

Breakfast

• Waffles
• Blackberries and Strawberries
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Turkey deli-stye sandwich
• Pringles
• Tortilla chips
• Cantaloupe
• Lemon-lime soda

Dinner

• Chicken stir fry
• Green beans
• Toast
• Milk
• Lemon-lime soda

February 29, 2012

Breakfast

• Peanut Butter Cherrios
• Banana
• Milk
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Stuffed Pepper with beef (just like my Grandma used to make)
• Corn
• Dr. Pepper

Dinner

• Chili Dog
• Beef patty soup
• Black Cherry juice
• Dr. Pepper

Day 18 - Recovery

February 28, 2012 - The Recovery day 18

Today I had my first follow-up visit with someone from my heart surgeons group. I met with Dr. Sowden's nurse practitioner Kim. First I had a nurse that checked all my vitals, checked both incisions, did the nurse stuff.

Then we met with Kim and she listened to my lungs and heart, checked my incisions, and asked much of the same questions that I've answered before. Basically about how I am feeling, any issues with breathing etc. Everything is going good based on what she sees and hears.

I found out a couple of the things going on with me are related to the surgery and should clear up in time.

For one, I seem to get cold when I shouldn't. I'll walk into a room and ask Lisa why it is cold. Checking the thermometer, the temperature is between 70 and 75. Okay, not as cold as I thought. This could be from my nerves healing or possibly from the anesthesia that is still in my system. The anesthetic will take about a month to get fully out of my system. 

The other is my back. It seems to begin aching whenever it feels like it. This stems from a couple things. First, I am sleeping in a recliner for now until my breastbone fuses back together. Our waterbed is not real easy to get out of and I may cause more damage than good trying to get in and out of bed. So I'm in a sitting position all night which doesn't help my back.

Second, they would have had my arms stretched out during surgery. Some of the ache could be coming from this as well. In time my back will get better but for now I will just have to use a couple Tylenol to deal with it.

That's pretty much it for today's recovery info. More than I've had on most days. Tomorrow I start rehab so I may have more to post tomorrow.

Day 17 - Menu

February 27, 2012

Not a lot of recovery news this morning. I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeons nurse practitioner this morning. I'll post on that later tonight.

Yesterday's menu, full of yum!

Breakfast

• Honey Bunches of Oats
• Grapes
• Orange juice
• Milk

Lunch

• Vegetable soup
• Homemade wrap thing with

• Turkey meat
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Mustard
• Mayo

Dinner

• Baked Red Potatoes
• Chili Dogs (with healthy chili sauce, yay!)
• Blackcherry juice

Day 16 - Recovery & Menu

February 26, 2012

Yup, I missed another day. Don't even ask how because I'm not real sure. I thought posting the next morning was a good idea but now I'm not so sure. By the time I get up the morning is half over.

Yes, I sleep in every single day. That feels so weird for a person who is usually up before 7 o'clock. And earlier on weekdays when I was working. And it's not even on purpose which is the weird part. My body just takes over and says "We are getting more sleep. I'm healing". Haha, smart body.

So if I'm up by 8 AM I'll have time to get my post done and if it's almost 9 I might not. The nurse and dietician usually get up a little after 9 o'clock.

The last couple days have been pretty good. I've got in some walking, mostly by going to the stores with Lisa. We ate at the hospital last night. I can't think of many places where a family of 3 can eat for less than $15 but we can at Parkview :)

It seems when I'm in the den, I always have at least one dog in here with me. It's like they take turns making sure I'm okay. Usually it's Georgia but since she sleeps with Kristin at night she isn't up as early as me. So in the mornings one of the Greyhounds normally comes in and naps. This morning it's Lenny (racing name "I'm Gold Ya'll"). You can see Charlie our rabbit behind Lenny. Funny thing about our dogs and the rabbit, the dogs just ignore him even when he's hopping back and forth in his cage. Hehe.

Yesterdays menu

Breakfast

• Eggs
• Toast
• Cantaloupe
• Coffee
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Angel Hair pasta with Marinara sauce
• Mixed fruit
• Milk

Dinner

• Chicken Parmesan over Spaghetti pasta
• Green Beans
• Sierra Mist soda

Day 14 - Recovery & Menu

February 24, 2012

I had my treadmill test today at Fort Wayne Cardiologists. The way this test works is you walk as long as you can and it establishes your starting level for rehab. I was able to walk four minutes. Since there is no pass/fail, I guess four minutes is as good as 10 minutes or one minute. My rehab will start next week on Wednesday. I will be interesting to see what they have me do. The nurse said initially it will be all lower body exercising.

I also saw the nurse practitioner. She checked my incisions and said they looked good. Also answered several questions we had like where did the pain in my back come from and when would it go away. Answer: Probably from surgery and over time. Also being contributed to by sleeping in a recliner.

All in all it was a good doctor visit. Next week I visit the heart surgeon office and have my first day of rehab. Exciting week!

I've noticed my chest incision has been itchy the last couple days. For the most part I am able to ignore it but occasionally I have to growl/groan when it gets too much. That helps me go back to ignoring it. Haha.

Menu time!

Breakfast

• Honey bunches of Oats with a banana sliced on top
• Orange juice
• Milk

Lunch

• Turkey Cavatini
• Coffee

We ate at the hospital cafeteria since I had that appointment at FW Cardiology. I forgot to take a picture but the cavatini was really good. And for $3 I got a plateful. I was full!

Dinner

• Tomato wrap with Chicken Salad
• Apple slices
• Pickle spear
• Vegetable Soup
• Milk

The wrap, apple slices, and pickle I brought home from the hospital cafeteria as a to-go order. I had this wrap when I was in the hospital and it is really good. Decided I needed half of one for dinner and the other half for lunch on Saturday. I got so full I didn't finish the half I had on my plate. Didn't eat the pickle either. But it should all still be good for lunch on Sat.

Day 13 - Recovery & Menu

February 23, 2012

It was a pretty good day again today. Lisa and I had a chance to go for a walk in the afternoon since the temps are in the 40's.

My home care nurse visited this morning and said things are looking really good. She checks my vitals and then examines my incisions. Goes through a series of questions on how I'm feeling, my moods, any pains I'm having, etc. Good news so far from each visit. The pains I have and other things are all a normal part of the healing. Good to know but I'll be glad when I'm finally back to my old self. That's still several weeks out though. Healing of this time isn't something you can hurry along. It has it's own timetable.

Spring Hill is always excited when one of these nurses comes over. It gives her a chance to stick her nose on something new (blackberry, paperwork, etc.). Lisa and I tell her to back off and the nurses just say "Aw, isn't she cute". They aren't helping at all. Haha. I guess as long as they don't mind, we don't either. Lenny just lays on one of the beds and stares at them.

Tomorrow marks two weeks since I was released from the hospital. I go in for my first of several follow-up visits with doctors. Although tomorrow's is with Dr. Sowden's Nurse Practitioner. That's one step above a registered nurse from what I understand. Dr. Sowden was my heart surgeon. I also get to do some kind of treadmill test but it's not a stress test that people usually associate with a treadmill at the doctor's office. I think the results of this test will determine how much rehab I am going to need.

Anyway, enough of the recovery talk. On to the menu of the day!

Breakfast

• Pancakes - Whole wheat made by Kristin :)
• Fruit (Strawberries and Blackberries) Exceptional flavor!
• Coffee

Lunch

• Cheesy Ranch Turkey with pasta
• Toast
• "Cutie" Tangelo
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice
• Milk

Dinner

• Turkey sandwich on wheat bun
• Baked Red Potatoes (missing from photo, they were still in the oven)
• Mixed fruit
• Black Cherry juice
• Coffee

Day 12 - Recovery and Menu

February 22, 2012

Somehow I lost the pictures from yesterday's menu so there wasn't one. As for today, the menu is below.

Also had a chance to get out and get my hair cut today. After that, I walked down to the grocery store while Lisa moved the car. I so prefer doing my walking somewhere other than just around the house. It feels so much more like progress.

I seemed to hit a wall this afternoon though. I had lots of energy yesterday and didn't even take a nap. Today went great until late afternoon. I tried taking a nap in the den but had a hard time getting comfortable. Lisa said I slept some but I ended up moving to the living room to be on the sofa. That was much more comfortable.

Breakfast

• Peanut Butter Cherrios
• Grapes
• Milk
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Talapia fish on toast
• Wild rice
• Sweet Potato cottage fries
• Pears
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice

Supper

• Cheesy Ranch Turkey with Pasta
• Carrots
• Mixed Fruit
• Black Cherry Grape juice (best juice so far)

Day 10 - Menu and Recovery

February 20, 2012

It was another decent day. I got a real good nights sleep last night. Went to the mall today to do some walking. So much easier to walk in a place like that where it isn't the same hallways and rooms over and over again.

Stopped at Auntie Anne's and got a Honey Whole Wheat pretzel. We had them lightly salt it. It was good.

The glue on my arm incision is continuing to shed as the incision heals. That incision is much further along in the healing process than the one on my chest. The chest one seeped a little the first few days home and we are just now starting to see the glue that was used to close it up. The nurse said it would heal slower as that area had a lot more going on during surgery. Lots of internal healing to do in addition to external healing.

Today's Menu

Breakfast

• Waffle
• Toast with blackberry jam
• Grapes
• Orange juice
• Coffee

Lunch

• Chicken stir fry (left overs but still good)
• Toast
• Cantaloupe
• Milk

Dinner

• Turkey franks in whole wheat buns (who'd have thought there'd be healthy hot dogs)
• Rice snacks
• Pears
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice
• Blueberry slushy from the mall

Day 9 - Recovery & Menu

February 19, 2012

I decided to combine both posts today. It just made more sense.

I had a good day today with my breathing and the IS. I reached my goal several times while doing my breathing exercises. It's hard to believe I've only been doing those a couple weeks. It feels like it's been ages.

I also watched a television show with Kristin tonight and had some company in the chair. Georgia Peach seems to think I need some protecting. She doesn't take up as much room as she appears too. She just sort of laid down beside me. Kristin did have to help her get "backed in". I missed part of the show because I fell asleep but oh well.

The Menu

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Toast
• Banana
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice

Lunch

• Chicken Teriyaki sub (the other 6" from last night)
• Pringles Light
• Chex Mix
• Cantaloupe
• Lemon Lime soda

Dinner

• Chicken Stir Fry (Kristin's recipe - it was good)
• Pineapple chunks
• Milk
• Lemon Lime soda (finished from Lunch)

Night all. And Eat well!

Day 8 - Recovery

I found out today that according to my "in-house" dietician I am no longer allowed to eat an entire 12" Subway sub in one sitting. Sigh! I have to supplement my 6" sub with fruits and other side dishes that are good for me. I say this is mutiny! Tis a sad day when the captain is told he can no longer eat as he used to. Eh, I supposed I'll survive. hehe

I actually got to leave the house today. We went to the evening church service, then went to Target for a couple items, then Subway to get some subs for dinner. Oh man, it felt so good to get out of the house for a little while. And surprisingly I don't think it left me as worn out as I thought it might.

In other news, I mentioned a few days ago about a new "pet". Some of you might have been thinking I was talking about a fake pet, others might have been thinking "Oh no, not another pet". Well, this one isn't exactly fake but it isn't exactly ours either.

I was sitting at the kitchen table Wednesday morning with Lisa when I saw what I thought was a cat walking along the back fence. Except it had more of a waddle than a cat.

Pennsylvania has Punxsutawney Phil but we have Fort Wayne Freddy.

The cool thing about Freddy is we don't have to feed him. He goes out and finds food all on his own. He's been living under the shed for several months now but the only one of us here that had seen him was Lisa. We weren't even sure he was still around until this week. Geez, I hope he doesn't start coming up to the back door wanting to borrow coffee or anything. I'm not sharing my coffee :)

Day 8 - Menu

Feb 18, 2012 Menu

Breakfast

• Honey Bunches of Oats with Blueberries
• Grapes
• Orange Juice
• Milk

Lunch

• Mac N' Cheese
• Sweet Potato fries
• Salad with Turkey (There was some in the bowl. Seriously. I was hungry)
• Strawberry Jello with Pineapple and whipped topping (the healthy kind)
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice

Dinner

• Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub
• Apple slices
• Check Mix - Italian herbs and Parmesan
• Cinnamon Dulce' Latte from Starbucks (non-fat milk)

I am eating much healthier than I used too. It's going to be some time before all of the "not so good" stuff is out of the house though. Lisa, Kristin, and I are eating much smaller portions of the "not so good" stuff until it's gone.

Day 7 - Menu + Recovery

February 17, 2012 Menu

Breakfast

• Southwestern Scrambled egg beaters - still amazed at how good these taste
• Toast with Grape jelly
• Pineapple chunks
• Orange Juice
• Milk

Lunch

• Linguini Alfredo with Broccoli
• Cottage Cheese with Peaches
• Orange Pineapple Apple Juice

Dinner

• Fish sticks
• Mac & Cheese
• Vegetable mix
• Cantaloupe
• Milk

Just the menu today. I had trouble finding the cable for my digital camera. Finally found it but late in the evening. Will pull "pet" pictures from it tomorrow and get a post up then.

I had a bit of a rough day with the IS. Could barely get over 1750 ml today. The doctor's and nurse's said there would be down days. This feels like it might be one of them. Slept a bit more than usual today as well. Don't know if the two are related or not. I'll try to get a regular post up tomorrow. Night all.

Day 6 - Menu

Menu for February 16, 2012

Breakfast

• Wheat Pancakes made by Kristin
• Peaches
• Orange Juice
• Cup of Coffee

Lunch

• Turkey sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato
• Applesauce
• Chocolate pudding
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice

Dinner

• Peanut Butter Cheerio's (yes, cereal for dinner. nom nom nom)
• Mini Ravioli (half serving. There's more sodium in a serving than we realized)
• Clementine orange
• Milk

Looking back over the day I notice I was very light on the veggies. Going to have to work on that tomorrow.

Day 6 - Recovery

Ack! I've got glue on me! Haha.

So one of the really cool things surgeons are starting to do these days is to use glue to close up incisions. I don't have a single external suture or stable on either my arm or chest incisions. It's all glue. 

The advantage to this that I see right away is there isn't a single point on either of my incisions that was open enough to allow any bacteria under the skin. Which means your body is less likely to get an infection during recovery. I still have some internal stitches but those will dissolve over time and not be an issue.

The photo on the left was taken five days after surgery. The photo on the right was taken ten days after surgery. You can see in the right photo that some peeling is beginning to occur.

As the incision heals the glue will begin to peel similar to a reptile molting his skin. There's no timetable on how long it will take for all of the glue to peel away. It all depends on my body and how quickly the incisions heal. My arm is healing faster than my chest at the moment which is why I used that in the photos.

I'll post pictures of our new "pet" tomorrow since the pictures are still on my main camera. That's it for today.

Day 5 - The Menu

February 15, 2012

Breakfast

• Waffles with Maple syrup
• Grapes
• Orange Juice
• Glass of milk

Lunch

• Chicken Primavera with Peppers
• Toast
• Applesauce
• Orange Pineapple Apple juice

Dinner

• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly (Grape)
• Cauliflower with low fat dip
• Glass of Milk

No recipe tonight. Just a little to tired to type one up.

Day 5 - Recovery

Some of you may have read about the incentive spirometer I am using for my breathing exercises. When I first started using the IS at the hospital, I was lucky to reach a little over 500 ml. Now I'm reaching between 1750 and 2000. My goal is 2000 so I am getting closer to my goal. Thankfully.

There were a few days that I really felt an ache in my back when I used the IS. I'm not feeling that anymore either so it must be working.

The purpose of the IS is to clear your lungs and improve their functioning. It's intended to help avoid pneumonia.

The yellow plastic on the right side is my goal of 2000 ml

I don't think I've mentioned the really cool gift I got from my Mom & Dad, The Official Illustrated NHL History while I was in the hospital. This book contains information and facts about the NHL right from the very beginning of hockey in North America. That's before the NHL existed. I've already read a bit of this book and am really enjoying it. Thanks Mom & Dad. Love you both.

(It's was Dad's idea to get it for me. Guess he knows what I like to read. hehe)

What's in store for tomorrow? Well, I'm thinking glue and snake skin is up for discussion along with some pictures of our new "pet". Fortunately this pet isn't costing us anything. Stay tuned!

2/15/2012

Day 4 - The Menu

February 14, 2012 daily menu

Breakfast

• Honey Bunches of Oats - Fruit blend. This was really good. It had my two favorite fruits, strawberries and blueberries :)
• Banana
• Orange Juice
• Glass of Milk

Lunch

• Angel hair pasta with Marinara sauce. This had diced squash in it which really gave it some flavor
• Clementine Orange
• Strawberry jello - Made by Kristin :)
• Lemon Lime soda

Dinner

• Chicken nuggets - baked not fried
• Green beans
• Peaches
• Coffee - Straight up Regular. woot!
• Water
• The beans and nuggets were flavored with Mrs. Dash. We also had honey bar-b-q dipping sauce.

I received an email from my cousin Alan asking about the sweet potato fries and how to make them. I decided to go ahead and share that recipe here for anyone else who is interested.

Sweet Potato Fries

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Slice sweet potato into french fry strips cutting lengthwise along potato. You can cut the sweet potato in half first if you wish to have shorter fries.
• Place cut sweet potatoes onto a baking pan / cookie sheet.
• Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• Flip potato fries over and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until as crisp you want them.
• Season with your favorite seasoning. I recommend Mrs. Dash, chili powder, or any other low sodium seasoning.
• Enjoy!

Let me know if you enjoy seeing recipes posted and I'll post some that Kristin has if she'll let me. She has an entire recipe book full of healthy to eat foods. She's an awesome daughter!