Six weeks have passed, approaching seven, and I remain the impatient patient. I’m not yet feeling better than I did pre-surgery, and beginning to doubt whether I ever will. I never did have any symptoms like shortness of breath or dizziness, but running was becoming tedious and slow. Right now, walking feels the same way, as I am up to a fairly consistent two-mile distance. Due to drizzle, only a mile today. My lower back is sore, and legs feel stiff to the point where it is a chore rather than a pleasure to go the distance. This is why I don’t really feel that things have changed after all this work on my heart. 

It will be months before my breastbone fully heals, so there is little upper body work I can perform. I have to maintain my arms at the side, cautiously lay on my side, and avoid raising my hands overhead. I miss the sit-ups and pushups that I would do daily. My muscles are going to mush and there’s little I can do but write about it on this blog. At least, I’m maintaining some finger dexterity with the keyboard. I did think about changing some florescent light bulbs but realized there would be ladder climbing and reaching upwards involved, so I’ll wait for help. We also bought an electric fireplace that is too heavy for me to install. Same with a cable box that came loose from behind one of my big-screen TV’s. I couldn’t even help move some bags of mulch or carry-in groceries. 

I did not have fluid on or around my lungs as the surgeon feared, had an excellent follow-up with the cardiologist, and will meet with my primary physician next week. We went out to dinner last night at Shaner’s Pizzaria in Sarasota, featuring a menu with the owner’s numerous baseball cards on the cover. I did not get a chance to meet Shane Rawley while he was busy tending bar. He pitched a total of 198 innings over twelve years in the majors for the Mariners, Yankees, Phillies, and Twins. I have one of his 1989 Twins cards in my collection. 

It’s Sunday and I could run over to the ballpark or watch I.U. miss some more threes. Purdue has clinched the BIG and thankfully there are probably less than a handful of Hoosier games to suffer through before the season is over. I’ll be on a plane or boat for the NCAA Tourney and don’t honestly feel like I’ll be missing much. May not even get to watch a single game, for once in my life. Today, I don’t feel like much more than a quiet day at home being an impatient patient.