I know this is starting to sound like a broken record, but I like to keep track of how far I've come toward recovery from my open heart surgery on May 14, 2019. Yesterday was the one month anniversary of the surgery, and I'm still "recovering."
My recovery has been plagued by problems with my leg. The wounds from the vein harvesting are having a hard time healing. Especially one of them which extends into the back of the knee joint of my leg. The movement there from simple walking tends to re-open the wound slightly, thereby resulting in a new scab which becomes hard and dry. My doctors want the wound to be exposed to the open air rather than be bandaged. No medicines or lotions of any kind are to be applied to the wound. Antibiotics keep the risk of infection down.
The wound opens frequently and the scab partially dissolves during showers. Once the wound dries it tends to pull on the skin as it dries making for considerable discomfort, often mixed with serious pain. It is made worse if the leg is swollen with fluids left over from surgery. Occasional naps in my recliner or bed with my feet on pillows helps the fluid re-distribute from my legs
Compression stockings tend to help somewhat but they too eventually result in discomfort and pain. Plus, installing the very tight stockings is both a challenge at best, and impossible at worst, depending on how swollen my leg is.
Meanwhile, I have been walking a controlled route through the house that allows me to accumulate one or more miles per day. Some days, like yesterday, have to be skipped due to the pain from the healing of the leg. The pain and the antibiotic's side effects makes any thought of walking any distance at all an impossible task. Plus, I just feel like crap from the nausea and the feeling of pending diarrhea all the time. Plus, my body temperature swings from warm/hot to cold/chilled due to the anemia from the lack of blood.
My weight loss is back to normal and blood pressure is excellent. That alone is suggestive of success. As does a daily log I've maintained from just after surgery.
Yet, in spite of the negatives mentioned above, I see and feel daily progress is being made. It's just slow and fraught with difficulties.
No comments:
Post a Comment