Whining is never becoming, but six months ago, I ran for the last time then laid on the operating table and spent 9-days in the hospital. I quite honestly felt I should be fully recovered by now, but I’m far from it. It goes back to a statement I heard from a neighbor but didn’t necessarily believe, “the surgeon’s knife is a year long.” I felt that I was in decent shape for a 72-year-old, who had never had major surgery. My blood tests proved “perfect,” but good cholesterol has always been a concern. The doctors confirmed that there were no obstructions in my blood vessels, but I needed a new aortic valve, along with repairs to both my aortic roots and an aneurysm fix. It took two consecutive days. Beforehand, I had no related symptoms but the correlation with “time bomb” was used all too frequently. Thankfully, I’ve been diffused!

Six months have slowly passed, and I have to sit on an ice bag every morning to ease the pain in my spine. I’m still not sure how this is related, or it may not be, but my sciatic nerve is angry. It started in my left thigh and calf, and with chiropractic treatment, moved into my lower back. Now, it’s moved again to the side of my leg, hampering my ability to walk without discomfort. First thing in the morning, it can be painfully debilitating. I’ve tried to cut back on Advil and make the switch to Tylenol, to relieve some of the water retention that causes my feet and ankles to swell. Medication adjustments have been made for this excess fluid issue in addition to countering bouts of dizziness or unsteadiness. I’m taking over 15 pills/vitamins a day, plus eye drops for my recent cataract surgery, and have to wear funky sunglasses. Old age sucks!

I don’t seem to be getting stronger, but I keep working out every day without fail. Seemingly small tasks make me breathless, especially when I’m outdoors in the Florida heat and humidity. I began to increase my walking distances once I came home from the hospital, initially aided by my new friend, “Sky Walker.”  This continued through our Cross-Atlantic cruise, but then cramps, Charlie Horses, and lower-back pain began to seize my left leg. This comes and goes but has destroyed my walking confidence. Stretching at intervals seems to help and I’ve restarted my once-a-week Chair Yoga classes for more flexibility and balance. I go to the fitness center every day but would like to walk there and back. Instead, I rely on the treadmill where I can lean on the siderails and take pressure off my back. I do not have trouble with the stationary bike, rowing machine, or weights. 

Weight gain seems to have stabilized, but I’m still about 10-pounds heavy. Gym work makes me hungry, while daily running tended to curb my appetite. I do sit around a lot these days watching TV, writing, reading, and snacking. I wish I felt like being more active. Cataract surgery, one eye at a time, has restricted my pool usage, but at least I can do some yard work, lug my own suitcases, and bring in the UPS packages. I have discovered a hernia around the bottom of my chest incision, but it isn’t painful, and the doctor feels like we should wait to see what measures need to be taken. It is annoying when I cough or sneeze and please don’t make me laugh too hard!

The muscles in my upper chest are still stiffly sore around where my breastbone was severed, as well as in my upper arms. It may be from overworking on the rowing and weight machines. My wife stresses to keep me workouts limited to one-hour, but I’m frustrated with my recovery time and tend to push that a bit. Even a simple matter like rolling over in bed is still not easy. Tossing and turning is the norm complicated by frequent trips to the john. Oh, to have the bladder and stamina of a teenage stud once again!

One thing tends to lead to another. This year has certainly been a medical nightmare, with visits to the Neurologist and Urologist yet to come. I continue to work with my Chiropractor on what he calls “the bypass-sciatica issue.” Electrical stimulation, ice, massage, and “the stretching rack” are included in the treatments. My left knee is also sore from compensating for my right leg pain, so I occasionally wear a compression brace. All in all, I’m a mess from head to toe!