Hi Everybody:
By now you've probably added me to your spam filter, so I won't be offended if this doesn't get read. As many of you have shown an interest in what's happening, I'll keep sending these updates until you stop acknowledging them .... probably another week or two ;-)
So - it's been two weeks since my surgery. The doctors/nurses/janitors/homeless all said I'd be surprised by my recovery, and I truly am amazed.
Pain: Didn't take any painkillers at all yesterday. Previous to that, I was down to a couple of Tylenol before bedtime. It's still uncomfortable to get in and out of a car, sleep on my side, and do one-handed-pushups, but every day my mobility gets better and the pain is less of a factor.
Sleep: I've been getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night for the last week. It's not continuous - more like 5 hours, then 1, then another 1, but I can manage just fine on it.
Appetite: The metalic taste I talked about last week is still there with sweet foods, including fruit. Vegetables, fish, grain are all tasting close to normal. I'm hungry all the time.
Frankenstein Scars: I think they're going to heal just fine. The staples and stitches were removed before I was discharged from the hospital 11 days ago, and the teflon tape they applied to hold me together when I left Royal Columbian was gone this Monday. I've been taking photos of the scar every week ... I plan on creating a scrapbook for our grandchildren ;-)
Energy: Laura and I walked to Starbucks a couple of days ago. This would be about 1km each way, and was probably more than the "book" said I should do. Regardless, I managed it OK. Trying to get out and do something "ambitious" every day.
Attention: Still have a hard time concentrating for very long ... watching a movie is frustrating, and reading more than a few pages in a book is hard. I understand this is pretty normal, and will improve quickly over time as well. I find I'm thinking about 50 things at one time (not much different than from before surgery!). It was pointed out that I misspelled platonic in my last message - and I'm going to use my mental state as the excuse.
Health: Saw the doctor again today. Everything is exactly where it's supposed to be; BP is low (110/60), HR is good (50), lungs are clear. No pain other than from the large axe wounds I have in my chest and my left leg (they took a vein from there too).
Attitude: I haven't suffered any of the depression they talked about in the hospital. I'm feeling very "up", and am anxious to get on with life!
Plans: I have to see the cardiologist mid-August, and the surgeon mid-September. Once I'm cleared by both, Laura and I will "re-start" the plans we had for early June. We'll likely spend some time on Vancouver Island in September (Laura's mom lives there), and then head south to California in October. We plan on spending a few months in CA, AZ, NV, NM ... maybe get as far as Houston.
You: Again, thank you for all the words of encouragement, the email conversations, the phonecalls, the visits, the cards, and the psychic apparitions. I look forward to checking my email in the morning to see what's what, and to screening all our calls on Laura's phone (604-505-1963).
Platonic love to you all,
Doug
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