Update from the Dog Days of Recovery

The A Train All Start Team is all those folks who were our caregivers over the last month and change. Last week, the last one departed. We are now back to the Saylor Fam unit. This means so many things.

Each person who left said I was better than when they first arrived. Luckily, each person was able to step down their care a notch based on what the previous person did and progress I was making to participate.

Dog Days of Recovery Mascot
Name: Take a Load Off Annie

Alas, Tom has lost the live in nanny service. He goes back to being chief dishwasher, bather, grocery shopper and launder mat.

I started driving short distances. That freedom is nice. (In case you see me on the mean streets of Wallingford, note I am ginger on turning the wheel hard so steer clear of this Rouge in tight quarters.)

Having the quiet and time on my hands to chill alone is nice. Restorative to my health in another needed way. I hadn't been on my own since the first week I took off from work back in August. Filling my time? Not a problem!

1. Neighborhood walks - up to 45mins, 4x/week. Thy legs work well. Feels tremendous to be out in this weather and trail walks are even more fun than the 'burb walks. Use It. Or Lose It. 
2. Television - watching indie movies, Jimmy Fallon day left overs and two PBS series: Roosevelts and African Amer history by Skip Gates. Might binge on Blacklist, Downton, Girls or Sherlock but likely not enough tiiiime.
3. Adding in mommy chores. Waking @ 7a, making lunches & serving dinner for the fam. (Bless the folks who are delivering our dinners, such a god send not to prep or have that kitchen mess daily to deal with.)  This weekend we added a little minor grocery shopping & dishwasher loading. Next week I hope to add laundry. My theory is that I'll be finishing ramping up and ship shaping the home front when I go back into active work duty (vs trying to add back the old routine, as a whole) 
4. Blood tests 2x/week. The lab in my doc's office is conveniently open daily 10-11:15a and  3-4:15p. On average, I've waited 20 mins to be called up, after check in. Quest type lab isn't worth the drive; Trust. I've done the logistics analysis. 

The Prophet TSS noted if I could just get sleep, I'd turn the corner. The Prophet TSS delivery is down right hard to stomach sometimes with out sugar coating or syrup. I have a sweet tooth hankering to be catered to. (Calling my husband a "Prophet" points out that he is right. A lot. And me no like that. Especially his long term assessments/discussion points can be very correct. Damn. Him.) So when I buck and say, oh no no no, there is so much more to it than simply starting to sleep normal. You don't know how this feels, dude, yada yada. Wouldn't you know it? When I do start only waking up 3 times instead of 11 per night, mama bear turns the corner.

So that leads us to this Thursday's 6 week post op appointment. Its a biggie. Follow up w/ surgeon, echo test (ultrasound) and cardiologist. I was last seen in the office 2 weeks post op and my home nurse twice a week. Some nerves but overall def feel we are well down the right road and won't be redirected or get a new brief. I want my brief updated to remove the "Sternum restrictions" … this is where I still cannot push, pull, or carry more than 10lbs aka no more than a gallon of milk.

I still feel "it" when I do certain movements or move a bit more gingerly in some scenarios. It = sitting down or getting up from a deep chair, moving clothes in the closet to the side. So not too bad. On the other end of the spectrum, sneezing is beyond the simple word "painful" but it is something only momentarily stabbing (and normal). So we shall see.

And last note … this time warp continuum I am stuck in. Feels like I have been home f o r e v e r. Surgery feels so long ago. Like wow long. But it wasn't. At all. Literally a blink of the eye, if we were in our normal routine.