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If it wasn't for the chest pain

And the fact I'm not quite in the same physical condition I was in prior to my surgery, I might consider myself normal. Even my blood counts were back to the [abnormal] levels they were prior to my bypass surgery.

Saw my cardiologist yesterday, and my primary care physician today. Both gave me the thumbs up to start increasing the intensity of my exercise (as tolerated), with of course the caveat of not overdoing it. The cardiologist even said I could ride my bike, but I wasn't buying that. I'm gonna still hold off for at least a little while longer.

I was also told I would be on the statin drug, the blood pressure drug and the baby aspirin the rest of my life. I was resigned to taking the baby aspirin and statin the rest of my life, but I was hoping to someday get off the blood pressure medication. BUMMER!

The most interesting thing I learned yesterday was the cardiologist telling me I was done with Cardiology. Since my recovery was so far advanced, they didn't need to see me anymore, and my Primary Care Physician (PCP) would be in charge of my recovery. The only problem with that was, my PCP wasn't aware of that.

I don't even need a stress test since I'm so far advanced with my recovery. Only if I experience angina pain would that be warranted. I'm not so sure about that, but............
[note]I do have an inside source at the VA who may be able to help get a stress test should I deem it necessary. I'm just not ready to play that card yet.[/note]
In the meantime, my plan is to start increasing the intensity of my exercise by increasing my heart rate about 5 - 10 bpm every week. Hopefully that will be doable, and should any problems arise, I won't have caused any irreparable harm.

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Comments

Gerry said…
Figures, all that bowling has made you more physically fit that most 60+ year old men! Maybe I should take it up in my spare time!
Sounds like everything is going good for a change, lets keep it that way!
7:52 AM
Marc said…
Yeah bowling works the entire body, legs, arms, etc. It can even be pretty aerobic, depending on how fast you run to the foul line.

And yeah, you should think about taking it up. That will give us a fourth, you, Rob, [big] Ron, and me. :)
8:30 AM
dignan said…
you da man, Marc. Longer than you wanted but way faster than the average heart patient
11:39 AM
Marc said…
I received the following comment, on this post, which was marked as spam by my anti virus program. While it really doesn't pertain to the subject at hand, and I still believe it is spam, I thought the information was of some value. So I'm reprinting it here without giving the person spammer credit.

Practice breath control. Make sure that you breathe regularly throughout your warm-up, exercise routine and cool-down. Holding your breath can raise blood pressure and cause muscle cramping. Regular, deep breathing can also help relax you. Do I need to consult my doctor before increasing my activity level? Healthy adults generally do not need to consult a healthcare provider before becoming physically active. Adults with chronic conditions should talk with their healthcare provider to determine whether their conditions limit their ability to do regular physical activity. What is moderately intense physical activity?
4:51 AM
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