Sunday ; post-operative day 16
Sunny and cool.
The main problem I have had, ever since surgery, has been an inability to effectively get rid of the fluid build up around my lungs. My deep breathing exercises are not accomplishing that. My coughing exercises are not accomplishing that. Every day since surgery my breathing becomes more difficult, more shallow, more rapid. It is especially a problem at night. As soon as I lie down, it becomes more difficult to breathe. I experience a drowning / suffocating sensation, and become unable to breathe unless I sit up and / or get out of bed.
Last night I tried sleeping in an upholstered chair in the living room. That helped a small amount, but not enough. Eventually, and out of utter desperation with discomfort, I discovered that extremely gentle fingertip "massage" on my chest moves fluid away. HALLELEUJAH ! I caressed / massaged my chest with my fingertips, and as I did so, my breathing difficulty diminished. Eventually I fell asleep, and slept comfortably.
To monitor fluid retention, the hospital doctors instructed me to weigh myself daily, and present those findings at each subsequent doctor's appointment I have. Okay !
WELL ! This morning I weigh 3.5 pounds less than yesterday, and 5 pounds less than three days ago ! ! ! I certainly hope that indicates I have "turned a corner" on fluid retention.
This afternoon our neighbour Bob came over to help me winterize Elsie the truck camper. Following my instructions, and with some assistance from Joanne, Bob got the job done quickly and efficiently. And a big load has been lifted from me. Thank you, Bob. Joanne worked on removing our vegetable garden. We went over to our friend / neighbour Jeanine's where we completed the threshold installation project. I coached, Joanne did the little bit of work remaining, filling and staining an errant nail hole on the quarter round trim.
I posted this week's journal entry to my blog. I did some investment analysis. I set up on my desk the S.A.D. ( seasonal affective disorder ) therapy light Joanne bought for me on Thursday in Penticton. < BLINK BLINK > OUCH ! Take that back and get a refund ... please.
Monday ; Mix of sun and clouds, cool.
I think that my physical "improvement" both yesterday and today was noticeable. Both days I walked further than the day before. And both days my "fluids around the lungs" problem has diminished a bit. I think. I hope.
Joanne worked very hard today on yard work. The biggest job was cutting down the plants and shrubs on our rock slope front yard, then hauling all the debris to the "burn pile". Most years I help, but ... not this year ! She was on her own.
I made vehicle service appointments. I made medical appointments. I walked twice, both times further than before. Walking outdoors still is a very painful process, but must be done. Our neighbour / friend Jeanine visited. Joanne did laundry. She was a very busy girl today ! I installed a new identity tag on Ozzie's collar, displaying his name and our phone number. I guess that means he's ours now ! I installed a new battery in my
( father's ) Canada Post gold watch. And because I don't have the physical strength right now to snap the back case back into place after replacing the battery, I used pliers to help. And ... shattered the crystal ! < sigh > With a lot of help from Joanne I stored my bicycle in the shed for the winter. I paid utility bills. I reconciled our Bank of America monthly statement.
Tuesday ; The morning was cold, with steady rain. BRRRRR ... winter ! In the early afternoon, the rain stopped, the sky cleared, and it became extremely windy for awhile. Later in the afternoon, the wind stopped, the temperature rose, and the day became pleasant.
I slept better last night. Not well, but better. I slept for four hours, was up for half an hour early in the morning, then slept for another three and a half hours.
I went outside to walk twice today. The first attempt was thwarted when the wind picked up and it hurt my chest / sternum to walk facing into the wind.
Joanne barbecued steak, potatoes, and our own garden grown beets for supper tonight. Very good !
Wednesday ; Mix of sun and clouds, a few drops of rain, cool temperature.
I spent much of the morning on the phone, making medical appointments, trying to get answers to medical questions, checking on the delivery of our large propane tank, shopping for a gas fitter to connect the propane tank. I took some photos of Ozzie, then downloaded them from my camera to my computer, and "processed" them.
I walked a new route for exercise today. It included down hill and up hill. I was very proud of my achievement. However, when I went around 5:30 PM to do it for the second time, I was unable, and had to ask Joanne to go home, get the car, and pick me up. < sigh > I felt like such a failure. Since surgery, my emotions have been raw and fragile.
We packaged some stuff that we will have taken to our Yuma home for us by friends.
I did an annual review and purge of our kitchen's "junk" drawer, and my desk's "junk" drawer. I sent photos of Ozzie to our sisters, then posted a photo of Ozzie to my blog template.
OUCH ! Gee, my sternum hurts tonight !
Thursday ; Cloudy and cool.
My days are becoming routine. Morning clean up routines, showering, etc. Takes me a couple of hours to plod through that ! Phone calls to medical people, delivery people, trades people. Two walks. That's two slow / long walks. That's two slow / long excruciating walks. A nap in between the walks. Usually unsatisfactory because of breathing difficulties. A series of exercises done while sitting.
Tonight's second walk was very ambitious. And I accomplished it ! Well done, Daniel.
And Joanne "officially" declared that my beard is fully re-grown, twenty-one days after
I had to shave it off.
Friday ; Sunny and cool.
This morning we had a large propane tank installed beside our home. When that was done I went for my first long walk of the day. This afternoon we went into Keremeos.
I ordered some prescription refills at the pharmacy, then went for a compression sleeve fitting. The woman who supplies and fits Joanne's breast prostheses suggested a compression sleeve to help my left arm incision heal better. Today she fit me with an appropriate compression sleeve, and taught Joanne and me how to put it on, take it off, and care for it.
Over dinner and afterwards we watched the Tragically Hip / Gord Downie tribute documentary.
Saturday ; post-operative day 22
Cloudy, cold, windy ... feels like it's about to snow. Joanne has just left ( at noon ) for an afternoon of running errands in Penticton. She has taken Ozzie with her because
I am not able to walk him. I am "prohibited" from walking dogs for at least three months after bypass surgery.
The fluid build up around my lungs has diminished. Finally ! And as a result, I am able to sleep a bit better. Last night I slept for three hours, then three more hours, then two and a half hours. And all three periods of sleep were in our bed, lying flat. Finally ! ! !
The one remaining significant problem is the lump at the top of my sternum. At the top of my chest incision is a lump, surrounded by inflamed tissue. Joanne thinks the lump is getting larger. I can see that the skin inflammation is increasing. The lump is sore and tender. And I think that lump "shifts" ever so slightly when I lie flat, and the result is my airway gets blocked. I have no idea whether the lump is wires at the top of my sternum holding it together, or a clamp of some sort holding my cut sternum together, or maybe misaligned cut bones, or ... ? ? ? I am hoping that it will not require medical attention in the next few days, and that it can wait until Thursday when I see my cardiologist.
< HUGE SNEEZE >
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH ! ! ! ! ! < cough cough > OUCH ! Sneeze number four since surgery. Those sneezes are not becoming any less painful yet ! My eyes are watering from the pain of that sneeze !
DSK
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