June 12: In Stow at Judy’s for my rehab.

June 11: Probably had the best night of sleep since the operation. And this is the direct result of my whole chest cavity feeling better and way less sore while I’m in bed. I was also able to snag some significant time sleeping on my side. So I’m beginning to feel more comfortable looking at going to bed than I have been. And the morning was really good with respect to chest pain, in that I am feeling much better. 

Now there still is chest pain, especially with respect to ROM (range of motion) issues. This entails my reaching, pushing off the hands etc. But all in all it’s feeling much better. And I still do have this tightness feeling in the areas of my chest, right and left sides, where they removed the mammary arteries. It feels tight just as it feels in my left forearm where they removed my radial artery. I feel that in my chest when I make a full arm extension reach or grasp for an object. Like if I were to do the chest fly exercise, it would feel super tight in the areas deep down in my pectoral muscles. 

So with today predicted to be super hot and humid, I went out early to get my walk in, going for just about an hour. I didn’t want to stress the heart too much by doing my typical 1:20 hour walk in the already hot morning, so I opted for just an hour. And heck, I’ve been at the final stage of the walking program I’d been giving as much as a week ago. They wanted me to get up to an hour walk at the end of this 8-week period. I didn’t really make any kind of a conscious effort to be a bad ass and just walk way more than I should. No, it was more like I’m just doing it nice and easy at a volume that feels ok, and to me walking an hour is a pretty mellow endeavor, especially at the intensity level I’ve been advised to stay at. I have my first appt. with my rehab cardiologist this Thursday, and one of the questions I’m going to ask, this among MANY questions, is how far and long can I walk if I’m feeling ok?

I’m hoping he tells me I can walk as far and long as I want as long as I keep the intensity level in the RPE 3-4 range. What I like about hiking longer distances is that my muscles really begin to feel like they’re working. I mean my shoulders, traps, and arms begin to feel tired and heavy. Same for my leg muscles. I just feel like I’m giving my muscles an endurance workout. I just have no other way to work my muscles to the point to where I FEEL them right now other than hiking over an hour. Anything less than that and I really don’t feel them. 

Later in the day I had Judy drop me off at home so I could watch pop for a bit while Kim and Mike went back to their house in Lakewood for a bit. Judy is still having a hell of a time with her low back, so she went back home to lay on the couch the rest of the day. I ended up staying at home for the night just to Judy didn’t have to come back out to pick me up. Kim and I made some dinner, a healthy dinner, at the house in the evening. 

I did have some visitors today with Bill coming over for a bit in the late afternoon, and then Chris coming over in the evening. As I said, it’s really nice to have company during this rather lengthy rehab period. Like I said yesterday, I’m now entering this grey area where I’m way more able to do things, yet I’m still restricted in what I can do. So my life consists of “The Walk” followed by nothing but sitting the rest of the day, working on the computer for many hours per day, and then some cooking and/or grocery shopping. But there comes a point to which I just cannot take it anymore. That’s why it’s so nice to have visitors, where I can become engaged in conversation. 

Ended up having two glasses of red wine with some great salmon and veggies for dinner. Had a very relaxing time sitting on the porch last night visiting with family and friends.