And really tired.
And slightly short of breath.
And I'd knock down someone's grandma for a cigarette!
I also have a headache from the various meds, and 4 new ones to take.
One "anti-platelet" to prevent the stent from clogging up, two for "high blood pressure" which I've NEVER had (gonna talk to my regular Doctor about that tomorrow morning), and a different cholesterol lowering drug.
And.....
NO more smoking
NO more caffeine (we'll see about that one..)
GREATLY increased exercise when I'm able to get around better
LOSE ~50 pounds
NO driving for a few days (dear wife is taking me to Primary Care Provider tomorrow)
NO heavy lifting for a few months
NO stair climbing until cleared to do so (cool....keeps me OFF the launch platform!)
And a dietary change.
Since I married my sweetie, I *have* been eating much better than when I was by myself, so these coronary artery blockages probably go back years, and have been steadily closing down, and finally caught up with me.
Some of the weight gain I attribute to the workplace accident I suffered last August, which cut down my mobility in walking long distances.
When I was laid-off from Boeing back in 2009, and became a "House Husband", I dropped about 30 pounds, felt great, and my A1c was down to ~5.6 or so.
Within a few months of getting called back to work for the project's new owners, I'd gained the weight back, and my A1c was creeping upwards.
I respond very well to exercise to control my weight and diabetes, and I have to get back to the regimen I was on before I went back to work.
Early retirement is looking better every day.....
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Merry Christmas - <i>He Is Born</i> -
I'd like to wish my friends here a very Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year. We'll be having our Christmas Dinner with family...
Good to hear that you are home.
ReplyDelete[But was the decision to send you home from the hospital primarily a medical decision or an insurance company decision?]
Medical decision.
DeleteThe angiogram/stent insertion is very well understood, and if you don't show any complications after 24 hrs, you're safe to go home.
If one of your BP meds is Atenelol, it's to keep you heart rate down.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, Jim.
I'm taking Metoprolol, a beta blocker, and Lisinopril, an "ACE" inhibitor.
DeleteAtenolol is a beta blocker, so the one I'm taking might have similar properties.
I'm seeing my regular Doctor Tuesday morning, and I'm going to discuss these with him.
He's also a cardiologist, one of the coolest people (as in extremely high Geek Factor!) I've ever met, and a genuine "Good Guy".
Both of these meds come with warnings that stopping them suddenly can cause Real Bad Stuff to happen, and I don't want to take any drugs like that.
I'm glad to hear you're home. Good luck with the new regimen; you know how to reach me if you need anything.
ReplyDeleteThank God you are OK. That is quite the to-do list. Best wishes for a full and swift recovery.
ReplyDeleteThe NO Diet Coke or Iced Tea anymore is going to be tough.
DeleteA Diet Coke has about 25~30% the caffeine of a cup of coffee, so I'll probably be OK if I "sneak" one once in a while.
Glad you are in the comfort of your home.
ReplyDeleteWhew! You had us all pretty scared there! Glad to see you are home to recuperate!
ReplyDeletedrjim,
ReplyDeleteGood to here your home and ok. BTW, welcome to the zipper club, the group of us who have had open heart surgery. Its very exclusive, you know
Keep the spirit up,
PolyKahr
Not quite in the "Zipper Club" as I didn't have open heart surgery, but I'm flattered to be considered an "Associate Member"!
DeleteGlad you're home, Jim. TBH and I continue to pray and think about you. All the post-event stuff will be tough at first, but hang in there.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's no fun. I was talking to my former manager on the phone tonight (BTW, she was the best damn manager I've EVER had!), and made a crack about still having some nicotine gum from the last time I quit smoking. My wife freaked out, and ran out to her car to bring me in 4 cans of Diet Coke!
DeleteShe said she'd rather have me drink ONE can of Diet Coke a day than allow ANY nicotine in my system.
It just don't seem right...We give up all the things that are bad for us, then we acquire new types of ailments! Have you ever tried Jamaican Hibiscus Flower tea? It's very good without adding any sweetner and supposed to lower cholesterol. In your case, it would be instead of a diet coke or even coffee. I hear you about the smoking though. The thing that helped me the most was changing my routine...not doing things that I did before when I smoked. Granted, we can't quit all our routines. Try brushing your teeth and using mouthwash more often (no offense). Keep up your walks...few things are better.
ReplyDeleteWell.....it's just one of those things I'll have to "Man Up" and do. I have my one caffeinated beverage with breakfast, which helps me get going, even though it doesn't have much caffeine in it.
DeleteI went out today and got some caffeine free Diet Coke, and some decaf coffee. I'm not a coffee snob, so good old Folger's Instant is fine with me.
I'm on day 6 without a cigarette (the last one was last Saturday as I was driving to the clinic), and everybody tells me I should be pretty much "over it" by day 10, so things should smooth out a bit more by then.
Still no idea when I will return to work. My next Doctor's appointment is the 21st, and I'm scheduled for a bunch of tests on the 24th, so I guess I'll just play it by ear.
The place I work at is in a real slump right now, so it's not like I'm "critically missed" right now.