it feels good to feel more like myself again

the speed of my recovery continues to amaze me. i can do so much more at two and a half weeks post-op then i ever thought possible. being able to shower, get dressed (in real clothes), do my own hair and makeup makes me look and feel more like myself. i feel like my life is resuming... slowly but surely. i still need help doing many household things (cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping etc) but am enjoying letting others do it for me. for the next three weeks, i'll be doing my post-op doctor visits, then it's cardiac rehab time. i'm officially off all meds, even for pain. what little pain i have still is in my lower ribs. weird... i think it must be from the chest tubes. my incision is still tight but almost completely healed over, and i can feel the stitches underneath stretch and pull on occasion. every once and a while i'll try to do something and will be reminded quickly by my sternum that it is not yet healed. i still get some minor discomfort from that, and i still can't put my arms up on a table, but all in all i'm almost pain free.

it's new years eve and we're planning a really relaxed night at home. a fun dinner, some fun snacks and great friends. we're going to play games, drink (non-alchoholic for those with healing hearts) and hopefully laugh a lot. i'm looking forward to it.

have a safe and happy new year!
shannon

Things I can now do myself

1. shower
2. blowdry my hair
3. kick back the recliner
4. make cereal
5. get dressed
6. open the car door
7. walk up the stairs

i'm also now officially day 2 without pain meds and my stomach is returning to normal.

small victories!

week three

it's been a whole week now since we've been home, and there have been several small victories:

1. i'm sleeping in my own bed again... i've figured out a way to prop myself up in a way that makes me comfortable.
2. my meds are on a regular schedule and it's keeping me relatively pain free.
3. showers. not completely on my own yet, but always make me feel better.
4. getting out. so far i've been to dinner, breakfast, the movies, and watching friends bowl.

there are still a few issues we're continuing to deal with:

1. random bouts of nausea and vomiting. (extremely painful in my healing sternum).
2. headaches. which is wierd considering i'm taking tylenol every 4-6 hours.
3. dependence. it sucks, but i need to come to terms with the fact that it may be a while before i can take care of myself and my house on my own. i'm trying to relax and enjoy letting others do it for me, but the loss of independence has been difficult to get used to.

overall, i'm getting stonger everyday. i'm looking forward to starting cardiac rehab in just a few more weeks. the visiting nurse thinks she'll only need to stop in for one more visit. it's been great being home with my hubby, mom, and dog. i'm able to do more at this point of recovery than i thought i'd be able to, and i'm becoming more familiar with my limitations.

we had a great christmas. jeff LOVES his new guitar ( i AM the best wife ever :), mom got us some cool new digi cam toys, and i got the diana camera i've wanted for a while. we went to the movies, and enjoyed mom made dinner (pot roast, potatoes, carrots and salad). we watched superbad, and ate apple pie ala mode.

Week Two

So it's been a whole week since Shannon was put in a regular hospital room. There's been some ups and downs but overall she has made some great progress. She decided to try and go out to dinner this evening after feeling great all day. The dinner was good and getting out was great but sitting up in a table chair eventually took its toll on her. She is now sitting comfortably in her lazy boy. Sleep well tonight. Sleep well. -Jeff

Feeling Normal

Today was a bit of breakthrough for Shannon. She woke me up by calling from her cell phone around 5 this morning. It was pain med time. She walked upstairs and we set up some pillows in the bed so she could sit up like a lazy boy. It was the best sleep she has gotten so far. We woke up around 10 ate breakfast and I helped her take a shower. We got her dressed and did her hair. She's feeling like a whole person again. I caught her folding blankets. No no no! -Jeff

Working Out a System

"I've got to stop forgetting that my heart is held together with stitches." Poor Shannon. She feels good so she wants to get up and move around. But then she ends up paying for it with pain in her chest and palpitations. All she wants to do is have mobility. Today she decided to take it easy all day. It payed off. She feels pretty good.

We have to work out a system where she can go up stairs, rest, take a shower, rest and then go back down stairs some time after. Doing all of that in a short period of time results in major discomfort. We are learning what her limitations are one day at a time. -Jeff

Visiting Nurse

Today a nurse is visiting to do an at home checkup. Unfortunately, she is from the local hospital and is not too familiar with Shannon's condition. The data entry process is very time consuming. She will be coming by once a week for the next couple of weeks. After a little struggle she was able to get out the stitches left from the chest tube holes. -Jeff