Nine weeks have now passed since I had open heart surgery and the company I work for have dropped me to half pay. In a further two weeks I lose all my pay. I’m not the only one. Talking to others who have gone through or are going through cardiac operations it’s a common story
I have to admit to something that perhaps a lot of people thought, or do think, about the idea of weekly rehabilitation sessions, particularly of cardiac rehabilitation, that they are filled with older people sitting around drinking tea or coffee, crunching biscuits and chatting. Plus, if there is exercise involved, that they are stretching the
I had been discharged from hospital for four weeks when I decided to call the rehabilitation team at Astley Ainslie Hospital and ask what had happened to my rehabilitation programme. The documentation I received on discharge from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) said that I would receive a call within a week which had
Being at home for three weeks without much contact with health professionals has led to a number of concerns of whether what I’m feeling is right, the same thing that I’m sure other heart surgery patients feel. I’ve talked with my Doctor over the phone a couple of times, the Cardiac Liaison Nurses, again over
I’ve been home for sixteen days now and I keep kicking myself, metaphorically of course since I can’t actually do it for real, especially not with my mobility issues! Five days after open heart surgery, after having my sternum sawed apart and my heart cut open, I was at home. So after being home for
I did think of calling this “Panic and Pain”, but I’m not so panicked by Atrial Fibrillation since I experienced it in hospital and the Doctors and Nurses were so blasé about it – apparently it’s very common and around 40% get it post-op. However I didn’t expect it to surface again when I was
I’m home, and it was a bit of a surprise that it happened. What’s really odd about it all is that to the patient there doesn’t seem to be a process for agreeing the final day, it just sort of all comes together. It did for me on Sunday morning and although it took a
It’s amazing, last night I listened to my valve working. It clicks and it’s audible. It’s the first time I’ve been able to hear it. There are lots of other things happening, my physios were through to test me today, the doctor’s rounds were positive, and I’m feeling more mobile. Still, some things are still
It was almost too good to be true. I was progressing well, heading towards a Sunday home run (not that kind of run) and then I hit a relapse. Apparently an irregular heart beat is extremely common, it just doesn’t feel this way. It might also have been avoided had there not been a mix
It was strange how I woke up before the gentleman arrived to get me organised for the morning’s events. As he walked to the door and turned on the lights I was already awake and on the phone texting my wife. His arrival marked the final stage for me. Packing away my goods, showering in