From CNN:
Just because you have heart disease, doesn’t mean you can’t be an Ironman.
Author Archives: MaryO
Monday – Four Weeks Post-Op
This is the first of the timeline posts that I’m actually writing more or less as they happen!
Last Monday, Feb 18 was the first visit with the cardiologist. Getting there was a bit of a problem but the appointment itself went smoothly.
We got into the inner sanctum and a very nice nurse named Lisa took down DH’s info. It worked out well that we hadn’t finished all the paperwork since she had lots of info fron the hospital, anyway.
She took DH’s blood pressure and oxygen levels (both good), then took the bags of meds and vitamins away for cataloging.
The doctor came in and asked some of the same questions as everyone else about how he was eating, sleeping, exercise, swelling, pain. He listened to DH’s heart and lungs and everything sounded good. He checked the legs for swelling…none.
We made 2 more appointments – one for a low-stress treadmill next week and one with him for three months out. There’s also bloodwork to be done before the treadmill. After passing the treadmill test, DH can start rehab. Yea!
When we got home, there was a call from the PCP’s lab. DH called back but had just missed them.
DH slept in the bed and out of the recliner for several hours last night. Another step forward!
DH finally got through to the PCP’s lab and the cholesterol numbers were excellent. Hooray! Other numbers such as liver enzymes were good, too.
DH did some work today, with several naps in between. I got the car taken care of. He got the disher unloaded and reloaded – with resting afterwards.
He decided to start off the night sleeping in bed and made it until about 4:00 am. He said that there was no pain but he would be more comfortable in the recliner.
DH spent most of the morning working (at home) on a proposal, then most of the afternoon napping. Most of the pain seems gone – hooray! Evening there was a short meeting with a nap before and after. Then, dinner and another nap before bed.
He started out for about an hour in bed, then back to the recliner for the rest of the night.
He doesn’t seem to cough nearly as much. Hooray!
Friday through Sunday – lots of napping, trying to sleep or nap in the bed but usually winding up in the recliner.
It was a nice day so we took the dog outside for a very short walk…followed by more napping. DH is looking forward to the treadmill test on Wednesday so he can start the rehab soon.
Coronary Bypass Surgery
From MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. They say “Last year alone, our doctors performed more than 880 open-heart surgeries and 6,100 catheter-based procedures, including nearly 2,000 angioplasties. No hospital in Maryland or nationally performs a higher percentage (94 percent) of beating-heart bypass surgeries.”
Warning – graphic video!
Silent Heart Attacks: Symptoms You Might Not Recognize
Studies indicate around one out of every two women who suffer a heart attack feel no chest pain. They’re known as silent heart attacks. They’re often misdiagnosed or go untreated making them twice as deadly. Learn more in this video.
Low Sodium Crockpot Vegetable Broth
An Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I’ve been making this for years, even before the heart attack, mostly because I’m too cheap to buy pre-made vegetable broth. I also do something similar with chicken.
I save all my vegetable scraps such as carrot peelings, celery ends, onion skins, garlic skins and ends, bell pepper scraps, ends from trimming cabbage, trimmings from tomatoes, broccoli stalks.
Belonging to a CSA farm, we get lots of veggies during the summer.
I put all the peelings in a Ziplock Freezer 1 gallon bag and save them in the freezer, and keep adding to the big bag until it’s full.
When I’ve gathered a couple of full bags, I take them out and dump them in the crock pot and fill with water (about 6 quarts), cover and set on LOW for overnight.
Allow to cool completely and ladle into a colander in it with a big bowl under it. Discard all the scraps in the colander.
Package up the broth into quart-sized Ziplock freezer bags, 2 cups per bag, canning jars or other freezable containers.
You can also freeze some of the broth in an ice cube tray. Pop out the cubes and put in a freezer bag, labeled and dated. Use these when a recipe calls for 1 to 2 Tbsp. of stock or broth.
To use this with chicken – I do all of the above and save chicken bones and parts in a separate freezer bag, When it’s time for the crockpot, I add the chicken to the veggies and cook overnight. Strain well!
Reduced-sodium Tomato Soup
The original recipe:
Ingredients for heart healthy homemade tomato soup:
- 1 can (15-ounces) reduced-sodium tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup sodium-free or reduced-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 2 Tablespoons Smart Balance or Olivio Light buttery spread or similar heart healthy buttery spread
- ½ to 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- You can also add rice
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the Smart Balance or Olivio Light
- Add vegetable broth, canned reduced-sodium tomatoes, salt, sugar and pepper to the saucepan. Stir to incorporate. Over medium-low to medium heat, bring mixture to a slow bubble, but do not allow mixture to reach a boil.
- Add the fat-free milk to the tomato mixture in the saucepan. Over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring to a slow bubble for approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow soup to reach a boil.
- Remove from heat and cover the saucepan; allow soup to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
- One cup equals one serving; recipe yields approximately six servings
Adapted from The Examiner
My version:
Ingredients for heart healthy homemade tomato soup:
- 1 can (15-ounces) reduced-sodium stewed tomatoes
- 1 cup sodium-free vegetable broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- Chunks of red and green pepper
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 2 Tablespoons Olivio Light buttery spread
- ½ to 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
- Leftover rice
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the Olivio Light
- Add vegetable broth, canned reduced-sodium tomatoes, onion, peppers, sugar and Mrs. Dash to the saucepan. Stir to incorporate. Over medium-low to medium heat, bring mixture to a slow bubble, but do not allow mixture to reach a boil.
- Add the fat-free milk to the tomato mixture in the saucepan. Over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring to a slow bubble for approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow soup to reach a boil.
- Remove from heat and cover the saucepan; allow soup to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
- One cup equals one serving; recipe yields approximately six servings
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
A slideshow of symtoms a woman might have during a heart attack.
Tips For Visitors
These are based on our personal experiences and may not apply to every situation. If you have other tips, please add them to the comments section and I’ll edit this post.
Call before dropping by. The patient (or caretaker) may be napping and not up to entertaining visitors
Send an email before calling. The sound of the phone ringing can be disruptive. I turned off all the ringers but one in our house and that one is very low.
Leave a voicemail. Then we can get back to you when it’s more convenient.
Don’t be general with things such as “call me if you need anything”. People like me will never call – unless that’s what you’re really hoping for. Instead say something like “I’m bringing you dinner tomorrow night. What are your dietary restrictions?” Or “I will sit with the patient on Saturday for 10-2 so you can get out of the house for a while”.
Limit your visit to 20 minutes or so. Twenty minutes may not seem very long, but plan for your visit to end promptly at the twenty minute mark unless the patient invites you to stay longer. Being hospitalized is exhausting and staying awake to entertain visitors can be draining.
Do not tell the patient about other friends or relatives who had the same surgery/disease but didn’t survive.
When talking with the patient, don’t expect him or her to solve YOUR problems. Leave those outside and focus on the patient.
Be SURE the patient isn’t allergic to flowers before sending them. By the same token, don’t wear perfume, cologne or shaving lotion. The patient may be allergic to those scents.
Don’t wake up a sleeping patient.
If a nurse or doctor wishes to speak with the patient, leave the room to give them privacy.
Do not use this time to text or make phone calls. Pay attention to the patient.
Something I Need to Remember
