Arrifana Beach, Portugal, foundation workout with Tommy Rivs and ifit
#CardiacRehab, #PostOpRoss, Month 9 update:
1. At this point in my recovery, I’m starting to let myself drift more into RPE 7 - 9 zones. So far, it looks like making my heart work a little harder is starting to show up on my watch’s VO2Max estimate.
Almograve, Portugal, foundation workout with Tommy Rivs and ifit.
#CardiacRehab, Month 7, #PostOpRoss:
Today is the first day I’ve felt like pre-op me -> in a good way. I was asymptomatic before surgery. I was putting in 7 - 10 miles on my treadmill a week pre-surgery. I had a great 1.5 mile interval run this morning.
Maybe my anemia is getting better.
Cape Espichel, Portugal, growth workout with Tommy Rivs & ifit.
#CardiacRehab, Month 7, #PostOpRoss:
- It’s nice to be doing the occasional workout at trainer speed again.
- I think I finally traced my random low blood pressure issue to screwing up my meds at night. I caught myself almost taking my amlodipine twice in a day and that would definitely do it.
#cardiacRehab #PostOpRoss Month 6:
I’ve spent the last 2 days re-establishing my resting blood pressure.
Some time in the last 2 months, most likely from either adding Humira or subtracting naproxen, my systolic blood pressure has dropped about 10 points.
#CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss, Month 6:
I seem to be having post-exercise hypotension problems. I don’t know if it’s from going on Humira, coming off naproxen, or what. But it’s fucking up my morning routine.
#CardiacRehab Week 20 #PostOpRoss
One of the problems with working & going to cardiac rehab after work is I’m too fucking tired to wake up on time the next morning, especially the Tuesdays because Monday is also my PsA medication day and that shit is exhausting on all its own.
#CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss
Week #19
- I’m 5 days from being finished with cardiac rehab and follow-up doctor appointments from my open heart surgery.
- I can run 2 minutes at 4.6mph and 6.5 minutes at 4.0mph.
- I spent today replacing the running platform on my treadmill.
#CardiacRehab Week #14 #PostOpRoss:
- I’ve been off diuretics for 4 days and I’m down 1.5lbs in that time. The last time I tried going off them for 4 days was the 4th of July weekend. I gained 9lbs and my feet swelled up like balloons.
- I skipped a lot of rehab last week because I was busy.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week #12:
- Thursday, I and my EKG results convinced my PA to finally adjust my blood pressure medication. Beta blocker⬇️, angiotensin II blocker ⬆️, calcium blocker ⬆️. The first 2 are fast acting, the third is slow acting.
#CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss
Week #11:
- I’m doing 60/60 run/walk intervals at 4mph/2.8mph & 1% incline. Tough as hell but I can do them.
- have a check-in with my cardio PA. This would be the PA who told me to find other forms of exercise besides running.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 10:
- did my first official run/walk intervals at rehab today & they were suitably impressed. I said, “now you know what I’ve been doing when I’m unsupervised.” They are going to let me up my intensity next week because I was barely sweating.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 9:
- my ribs doing better today but I canceled my rehab tonight.
- still down 5lbs of water since Saturday.
- got my cardiologist to let me cut my beta blocker in half again. I will be on 1/4th my post-surgery dose tonight.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 9:
- my ribs woke me up at 3am. It’s just connective tissue not used to stretching. I should probably back off a little on the weights at rehab though.
- besides rehab, I’m getting 2 - 5 miles of walking in at the new job.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 9:
- my wife’s response to me complaining about how tired I was from my run was, “nobody made you do it.” To which I replied, “Nobody is going to make me get back to where I was but me.”
- I am enjoying being off the Tylenol much more than I expected.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 9:
- did a real attempt at one of my regular trail runs to see where I am compared to where I was. I’m 5 minutes behind my pace in June 2023.
- Most of the time I wasn’t running much jogging at the same speed I walk but I was able to do some uphills.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 9:
- changed my Tylenol schedule to “as needed.” 5 more pills/day gone from my schedule. 🎉 unfortunately, unless the edema gets under control, I don’t drop any more until December.
- today I start working my arms in rehab.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 8:
- more than 4 half-lives of my old beta blocker dosage have passed, so I should be completely on my new dosage this morning. My blood pressure is averaging 1.5 points *lower* so far.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 8:
- 2/3rds of the way to my sternum healed.
- I should be 3/4ths of the way to my new dose of beta blocker. I’m still under my protocol of 120 systolic. Coffee might be pushing me towards my limit though.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 7:
- so I think what was making my ribs hurt was lying in bed and stretching to turn off my CPAP. Either that or it was my little jogs. I haven’t done either all week.
- the diuretic resulted in 2.5lbs lost in 5 days. How much will I put back on over the weekend?
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 7:
- the difference between being on diuretic every 2 days vs every 3 days is losing 3.5lbs of water vs maintaining weight. I knew it was going to be close to half a gallon just by looking at my ankles (I actually have a couple this morning).
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 7:
- apparently I’m anemic enough to warrant iron supplements now. They want me to take my iron supplements with orange juice. Sounds nasty. 🤮
- I’m going on diuretics 3x a week now, spaced a day apart.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 7:
- my electrolytes are still good. I’m still anemic.
- I asked the doc to up my diuretic one day a week. Waiting on a response.
- today is my first full formal
cardiac rehab day. I enjoyed my half day last week.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 7:
- when I overexert myself, my ribs and back hurt. When they hurt, they hurt for an entire day. It sucks. A heating pad helps a lot.
- my weight has been steady for 9 days. The only problem is it’s 7lbs too high.
#cardiacrehab #postopross
Week 6:
- so far the 2x per week of diuretic has stabilized my weight. However it’s stabilized 7lbs to high so far.
- I’m taking today off from exercise because of the heat. Maybe I’ll treadmill but I doubt it. I was exhausted after being at work yesterday in the heat
CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss, Week 6:
- it looks like I’m back to sleeping on orthopedic pillows until this rib issue sorts itself out. Woke up at midnight instead of 2:30am last night, took me 50 minutes to figure out how to get back asleep without rib pain.
CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss, Week 6:
- I’m getting a good feeling for how much broken ribs hurt. I never had any sternum pain, but I’m getting it in my ribs as I heal. Woke me right the fuck up this morning. I don’t think I even did anything bad yesterday. I just did a bunch of puttering & cleaning.
#CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss, Week 5:
- I messaged my surgeon‘s office about finding out that can’t run on my current medication regimen and asked if there is a way back to running for me.
- I promised myself that I will find a way to get back running even if I have to figure it out on my own.
#CardiacRehab #PostOpRoss, Week 5:
- had doctor appointments today. Generally all good signs and good news. I’m recovering well.
- I found out why I feel like crap and get winded when my heart rate hits 105bpm. I’m on so many beta blockers that 105bpm is my max heart rate.
#cardiacrehab #postopross Day 36:
- my appetite was actually pretty good yesterday.
- my pre-surgery edema is back though I’m still 2.5lbs under my pre-surgery weight. My feet visibly swelled over a 4 hour period after my walk.
#cardiacrehab #postopross Day 35:
- I could only eat 3/4th of my breakfast this morning. And that was after having a smoothie dinner yesterday. I hate feeling full.
- I have my 5 week checkup this week. I’m not sure what to expect.
- my legs want to run again. I know my lungs can’t take it.
