2 Years since Open Heart Surgery!

Wow, it is the second anniversary of my open heart surgery! Can’t believe it has been that long!

Doing great! Well everything except weight wise.
Walking every day at least 2.1 miles. And trying to get 10,000 steps a day. Also being doing some Kettlebells, but need to do more, though my chest gets sore if I use too much weight.
As for weight, I am still way too heavy. Was doing 8 hour diet, but have been doing warriors diet for some time. And while working it is easy. I don’t eat till about 6:30 PM. And eat till about 8:30. The thing is on the weekend I often eat lunch with my wife, and don’t eat salad like I do all week, and end up gaining weight, which it takes me all week to lose again. This has kept me between 230 and 235 pounds, though I have gotten down to 225, but weekend food doesn’t help. Need to get down to at least 200!

My big job has ended, and a surgery and diet update

Arrggggghhh, just wrote this long blog post and it crashed while saving, so I will try and write it again.

Just finished my big and long job, and have a few days off before the next one starts. And I realized 12 hours a day 6 days a week is just too much for me. I was getting too tired and too irritable working those long hours, so about half way through the job had to cut back to 11 hour days and 5 days a week, which helped, but I was still pretty exhausted overall. Quite a stressful job too. Glad to be done. And I was starting at 5:30 AM, and eating lunch at my desk so I could leave at 5:30 PM, and I kept that up after cutting down hours so I could leave at 4:30 PM and get home a little after 6. Just a long day, especially with getting up around 3:30 AM after going to bed around 10:30 PM.

And the worst part is that with the long hours and stress I stopped losing weight, and even went back up to around 245. And it didn’t help that I sprained my left foot half way through the job and stopped doing my 2.1 mile walk, just doing the subway (still a long walk and about 15 flights of stairs). Now I have since managed to get back down to 242, but was down to 238, so I really need to get losing again. And I am still doing the 8 hour diet, even if I did break it some days (the bagel friday was hard to turn down some weeks).

Have actually been seeing more on intermittent fasting, and there is now a 5:2 diet, where you eat normally for 5 days and then eat only 500-1000 calories on 2 days a week and will lose weight. I am actually thinking about combining the 2 diets and seeing what happens. Of course I also eat as many salads as I can for meals, many days eating salad for lunch and dinner.

Actually the most impressive thing has been not getting sick. Before surgery I got sick a lot. I caught everything I came in contact with. And this is actually going back years, and even asked my cardiologist about it, but he didn’t think it was connected, but this last job I think has proved that it was. I mean this was the most stressful job I have done in a long time with the longest hours, and I was in close contact with sick people and I DID NOT GET SICK! Before even without running into sick people I can bet I would have been sick, and i did not. I wonder if anyone else post Septal Myectomy has noticed the same thing? This is a huge change, and I love it!

As for energy, I do have so much more energy than I used to. Kelly and I went on a long hike a couple of weekends back and it was not a problem other than my excessive sweating, and the fact that my hiking boots caused a huge blister. Still I could do it, and that is huge. Now I just need to lose 50 more pounds and get in as good shape as I can for my age, but no matter where I am going I am in better shape than I have ever been, just need to get my body to catch up now that I have a heart that works right.

My scar is about the same.

Scar13-08-21

As you can see it is still pretty red and has not turned white as it should before it can see sunlight (no swimming for me). I think it has been kept pretty irritated by my carrying 3 big bags to work every day, with 3 straps rubbing on it. So I still try and use my pillow in the car when I can (when it is not too damn hot, which is pretty often in Los Angeles summer).

So back to work next week, but closer to home and direct response so should not be quite so much stress as the last job! Looking forward to it.

Surgery and Diet Update

Haven’t given an update in a while, so I decided it was about time as quite a bit is going on.

I am working 12 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, so up to 72 a week, and I am tired. Exhausted in fact. This job is really burning the candle at both ends. And before surgery I know I would either be sick, or getting sick, and I am not sick at all, which is a huge change. Before the surgery I know this much stress and this many hours would have made me really sick. I had asked my cardiologist about it, and he had said it had nothing to with my condition, but post surgery I am not getting sick as easily. I wonder if anyone else with hyper trophic has experienced this?

Of course things aren’t all good. I has been doing a 2.1 mile walk every day, then taking the subway to work, and getting over 10,000 steps every day. Unfortunately, I somehow managed to sprain my left foot quite badly. I don’t know how, and I do know it is at least not broken, but I am walking with a cane. I have some prescription anti-inflammatory, but I am almost out. The worst part is that I have not been doing my walk because of it, so have been getting only about 5-6000 steps a day which is affecting my diet.
I am still on the 8 Hour Diet, but the getting up at 3 in the morning thing makes it so hard to not eat till noon, and I haven’t made it every day, plus have eaten up till 9 some nights, but even before my foot, and eating well I have been staying about the same. Had gone from 258 to 236, but now am hovering above 240, going up a bit, but always back down, but not below 240. Hopefully when my foot heals I will be able to walk more, and when not working 5:30 AM to 5:30 PM, the weight will start coming off again.
Scar is about the same. Still a bit sore and am still using a pillow over it in the car, but I think that is likely because of the 3 bags i carry to work, that rub against it on the subway. I ave my backpack with my lunch and spare t-shirt and towel, an original xbox bag with 2 big full water jugs, and my briefcase/messenger bag with iPad and kindle. And I get a good 4500 steps walking from my car to the subway and from the subway to work and back every day, plus quite a few flights of stairs!
Looking forward to the job ending, and hopefully a couple of weeks off before getting a nice long term job! One can always hope!

Surgery/Exercise/Diet Update

Very interesting. I have still been walking my 2.18 mile walk every morning, and even though I have parking passes, I have been taking the subway, not only to beat traffic over the hill, but because it helps push me over 10,000 steps and adds a bunch of stairs, though it does mean brining a spair t-shrit and a towel every day as sweat so much.

And I tried jogging for a week, and loved it, but then my knees seized up and my legs started really hurting, even after getting new Reebox running shoes, my thighs have been cramping up after around a mile and my legs have just been hurting.

Well last week I stubbed my toe so badly, and lost most of my nail on my right pinky toe, and it was hurting to wear shoes so I moved to my Hi-Tec strap on sandals, and my toe was so much better, but I noticed something else. My thighs immediately felt so much better, and my legs didn’t cramp up. So has it been my shoes the whole time. I do have a weirds stance and wear holes in the bad of all of my socks way too quickly! My legs do feel so much better.

So do I need flatter shoes? They are not totally flat, and my feet are still (but they are always sore), but my legs don’t hurt at all. Could be a coincidence, but I just don’t think so.

As for the diet, I gained about 7 pounds, but lost it again all within 15 dayd, but seem to be going up a bit of late, even as I manage to get down bellow 240. Stress might be part of it, and I have been eating later, as I am working 12 hour days, and have been eating till 9 PMon many days, so that is probably part of it. As well as having having Ice Cream a couple of nights a week (but mostly just salads for lunch and dinner.

And waking up at 3:30 AM, walking by 3:45 AM for 45 minutes, then walking at the subway makes not eating till noon so much harder!

And as for the surgery. Other than being tired from working so much, I feel pretty great. Not too sore (except a spot on my lower side of my back that has been hurting for weeks now, but I must have pulled something).

Honestly I am pretty tired, but 12 hour days will do that, especially with an hour drive on either end.

Surgery Update, exactly one year!

So, I can’t believe it, but it has been exactly one year since I had open heart surgery! WOW!

Overall am doing pretty great. Have so much more energy, and am still walking every day. Now trying to figure out if I should keep taking the subway (which is great exercise, all those stairs and the walk, or park at work, which this company actually covers, so it would be cheaper). Thing is, the extra steps in the subway are what I think is helping me lose weight, so I will continue for now, even if I do sweat so much I need an extra shirt and towel to go to work with!

Body is still getting in shape. My left hip is hurting, and when I walk fast, trying to beat my average pace my legs often cramp up. Chest does get sore too, though not as bad, and is more just the scar being sore than being too sore (at least right now, well see how I am in a few weeks of these hours).

Still trending down in weight, though slowly. When I don’t have the extra steps, which gets me up towards 10,000 steps, plus all the stairs I am slowing down, but with the extra exercise I do really trend down faster, so it almost worth the extra time and money. Hmmm.

Couldn’t be more thankful for the surgery! It really has changed my life! Now I just need to turn my body around as it isn’t used to being able to exercise this much and is sore, and sweats too much (boy I hope that gets at least somewhat better).

Surgery Update, Heard from someone else my blog helped! And went below 240 lbs!

So I got another e-mail from someone who is having heart surgery soon, and my blog seems to have helped them over the scary part. Awesome. That is why I posted my blog, as I wanted to help out anyone else going through the surgery. Honestly I had a headache for about 2 months leading up to the surgery just worrying about it, so I wanted to document my experiences not only just post surgery, but of my whole recovery.

And here I am 11 months later. And I am doing great. Did my 2.1 mile walk this morning in 36 minutes and 24 seconds, down from about 45, and follow that with situps, hand weights and a little kettle bell. Am also taking the subway to work (at least part of the way, if only the subway went further and had more parking) while carrying 3 heavy bags, and do as many stairs and another decent walk along with it every day, and am getting almost 10,000 steps every day (got 66,740 last week, and 105 flights of stairs and 29.53 miles), and also mowed the lawn in there and did edging, which I figure doesn’t get as many steps, but is better exercise.

And with the 8 hour diet and eating a lot of salads I am trending down in weight, having gone down 19 pounds since my peek after the surgery (lost weight during the surgery, but quickly went higher afterwards without much exercise for 4 months). In fact I have hit 239.7 as of this morning, which is the lowest I have been yet! WOOHOO BROKE THE 240 MARK!!! AWESOME!!!!

Now I just need to get my cholesterol and uric acid levels down (don’t want gout, which runs in the family).

Sure there is some bad. Some days my chest and the scar hurt, but carrying 3 big bags over it doesn’t help much I am sure. And I seem to have a worse gag reflex post surgery, which makes brushing my teeth for 2 minutes harder (seem to have to do it in 2 1 minute sessions, instead of 1 2 minute), and I wonder if that was from being intubated. And my legs are sore from all the exercise, and my bad knee has been acting up (though the jogging seems to have cause that, so for now no more jogging).

Surgery Update, Just over 11 Months now

11 months and been meaning to give a surgery update for a little while now. Am doing very well in some ways, and not so good in others.

If you have been reading I started to try and jog for part of my morning walk, and that was going very well for about a week, then things started to go badly. I already have a bad knee, from when I was hit by a car when I was 7, and it went very bad again, to the point of me wearing a brace again, which I have tried not to do for years (as it seems to make it worse over time). And now my left hip (opposite of my knee) has been killing me for a week, even making it hard to sleep (having a knee on one side and a hip on the other does not help at all). I think I just pushed it too hard too fast.

I am still walking though, followed by sit-ups  some hand weights and a kettle bell (just about 15 minutes worth) and then taking the subway to work. And I am sure that is part of the problem. The stairs are great exercise, but I carry 3 big bags, backpack with lunch, big bag with 2 large water bottles, and my briefcase with ipad and kindle and pens and stuff. So a lot of stuff. Plus all that and the lurching of the train means I could have pulled something.

And it is likely the bags over my scar that have made it a bit sore of late. And it is still pretty pink, so can’t see sunlight as of yet. And yes it is sensitive  but the multiple bags really can’t be helping. Still using a pillow in the car to keep it from being rubbed.

And this will likely continue for the next 3 months, as I will be working in the same building, and pulling 12+ hour days and 5+ days a week, which means I will be really really tired soon! Wish I could get a break before this next big job starts, but it seems unlikely that will happen now, even though I could really use the break.

Overall am doing well though. Walking is not so hard (other than the other problems), but I am still getting pretty tired going up the big hill, though I no longer stop (unless it is to see the voles or ground squirrels that litter the Veterans center lawn).

Am at my lowest weight yet since my high, which is 241.9 after getting up to 258.5.

Doctor said cholesterol is high, and so is uric acid, so could have gout. Am eating salads every day for lunch and dinner, though am not good on weekends, but hopefully it will go down without further meds, as it would suck to be weaning off heart meds only to go on cholesterol meds. And am trying cherry supplements to try and lower uric acid so I don’t get gout like my father and grandfather.

Are there any recessive genes I did not get?

Diet and Surgery Update, 10 Months Out

Had to do an update today as I weighed myself, and as of this morning I am down to 243.3 from 258, 14.7 Pounds! Nice! Now it has been 3 months, but I seem to be going down fairly steadily now, if slowly! Of course I am also doing quite well exercise wise and eating wise.

I go to sleep around 10PM and asleep by 11 and up around 4 AM with my alarm set for 5 AM.

I start my day with a 2.1 mile walk, and I have started jogging in it. a 1/4 of a mile section and then 2 1/8 mile sections I jog in. And I don’t even get all that out of breath, do I do sweat a ton! My new GP has me then doing some weights, I do some kettle bell focusing on legs, some hand weights and sit-ups. I then go to work, but right now am taking the subway from universal into Hollywood, and take as many stairs as I can handle, while carrying 3 bags, a backpack with my lunch, my briefcase with iPad and Kindle and my big bag with 2 big bottles of water and ice. The first walk is around 4500 steps, and the subway is around 3500 both ways, plus a lot of stairs in between. For lunch I have a salad (I pre-make a lot of salad) with chicken I bake and slice with my meat slicer and red beans. And some Briggs salad dressing cut with straight vinegar to make it less fattening. I have 3 apples during the day and a handful of nuts, though I do chew sugar free gum to get by as I get hungry by 11. I bring another salad, but have been saving it for dinner and having that when I get home along with something else. I have had nuts or a handful of goldfish or yogurt. And I end with a couple of 15 calorie sugar free popsicles and stop eating by 8 PM. Now I have cheated some, as we usually eat something bad on the weekend (I would prefer a rueben at Brent’s) and some days where I have been working late I got a couple of big burgers at Carl’s JR, and have still been losing weight! And my dad was just in town, so I had steak rice bowls at Take a Bao and made Bulgogi, and still am losing weight!

As for the surgery. Well honestly my chest is really sore. Not only working, but the weights I am sure. Chest just hurts, so need to do a little less weights, maybe the 10 pound Kettle bell instead of 15, and take some weight off my hand weights.

Now i just need to find more time in the day! Ha! Doing pretty darn well, just need to get taxes done!

I CAN JOG! Surgery Update at about 10 Months

I wen to a new General Practitioner and he wants me to lose weight faster, and do my morning 2.1 mile walk in 30 instead of 45 minutes. To that end, yesterday I jogged part of it. 1/4 of a mile, then 2 1/8’s of a mile, and I did the same today. And it really wasn’t a problem. Didn’t even get that out of breath, though I did sweat allot! Still I could NEVER JOG! Not at all, ever! This is a huge difference! Absolutely huge! Wow, I can jog! Now I need some better sneakers and I bet I can jog a whole lot more! Wow!

He also wants me to exercise for another 15 minutes when I get home. Leg exercises, so I am doing kettle bell, and core, so situps and some hand weights, like I used to do. Not too much with my chest as it is still sore, but as much as I can.

As for my weight, I am still losing some weight, and am still on the 8 hour diet, though things are moving very slowly, but I am trending down.
weightloss
Here is my last week from Fitbit. Tend to go up a bit on the weekend, but still trending down. Even with some days getting fast food as I get off work so late (hate still driving at 7:30 PM).

Still I am sticking with the 8 hour diet (though the doctor said to eat breakfast, but I have never liked breakfast, it makes me hungry all day!).

Surgery10Months

Here is my scar. Still not white, and if anything it has gotten bigger, or at least wider. Still not hurting so much, though I am still using a pillow under a seatbelt as it feels better in the car.

Brain fog is better, though my creativity really isn’t better, but getting home by 8 and going to bed at 10, and having super busy weekends may not be helping on that end much either.

Overall I am doing pretty great, and I CAN JOG! WOW!

Surgery Update, Sore as hell!

I thought i was done being sore post surgery, but i sure was wrong.

Doing a 2.1 mile every morning without a problem (well I have had some leg pain from the walking at various times), and have been using a 10 pound kettle bell about 3 times a week. Well that was getting easy so I switched to my 15 pound Kettle bell, and the next day woke up as sore as I have been in many months. My chest is so sore! Youch! Both on the sides by my shoulders and on either side of the scar. Now it is getting better, but I am back to the 10 pounder for the time being, and see just how sore I am.