that's my new valve!

it looks like a little crown inside my heart!

counting sheep... finally!

i've had two full nights of sleeping thru the night! i haven't been able to do that since before surgery. i've noticed that i've had a lot more energy. yeah sleep!

i'm just over 3 weeks post-op now. i still feel like i'm making strides everyday. everyday i can do a little bit more, and i can feel myself getting stronger. i have my first post-op visit with my cardiologist this thursday, and i'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

getting tired of watching the sun rise

i haven't been able to get a full night sleep since we checked into the hospital. during our hospital stay i thought it was because of the constant interruptions. once we got home i thought it was because of the pain. now that the pain is gone, i'm stumped.

i've been waking up between 3 and 5 every morning wide awake. i come downstairs, so that i don't wake jeff, and turn on the TV. i'm wide awake for 2 to 3 hours, then am able to fall back asleep for an hour or two.

they say not to nap in the afternoon, and that should help with the insomnia. that's really hard to do when you're running on just a few hours sleep. also, any amount of physical activity causes me to sleep afterward. not napping is not an option.

it's now 12:30 p.m. and i've been up since 3:30 a.m. ugh!

on my own

i'm doing so well at this point, jeff has gone back to work full time. we also sent my mom home today. i thought it would be a little scary to be here alone at first, but it's actually very relaxing. it's nice to have my house back, and it feels even more like my life is resuming.

there is still a lot that i cannot do on my own, but i'll have to plan to do those things when jeff is home. i still can't drive, and it's going to be hard not to do so.

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.