DAYS 126-147 Recovery

A week ago I would have summed up my condition in one word - exhausted!  Exhausted everyday and in every way, but this week, thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend who has become my cheerleader, I can truly say that everyday in every way, I'm getting better and better.  I still go to cardio-rehab through one of the local hospitals three days per week. I started the program in April and will graduate Friday.  While there I push my body to the max toward rebuilding strength and endurance.  The guys give me a hard time telling me that I'm making them look bad.  At home I do pretty much the same thing.  Last week I was wheeling a pickaxe to break through our rock laced soil in order to dig an 18-inch deep trench to plant shrubs.  My strength and muscles are slowly returning, but my endurance has a way to go.  I do something, then rest, do something, then rest.  This means I'm slow but given enough time I do get stuff done.  All this work to improve my body comes at the expense of my mind.  My minimal mental energy doesn't accomplish much more than writing the grocery list, thumbing through magazines, and playing word games with my husband.  Even "doing" Facebook seems overwhelming to me.  After completing the rehab program this week, I'll still be working out at a gym a couple of days a week through the Silver Sneaker program supported by my health insurance company, but my physical focus will be running, walking at first, one mile up that mountain road in an effort to reach my "Rocky moment."  My mental focus will be to catch up on long overdue answers to emails, messages, letters, and this blog.  

Meds:   Coumadin, Vayacog, L-Carnitine, Vitamin D, I-Caps, Flax seed oil, Multivitamin, Lutein, Hawthorne, Garlic, B-12, L-Arginine, DHEA, Resveratrol 

DAYS 109-125 Recovery

Like parts wearing out on an aging automobile, an aging body's needs escalate as the years pile on.    During the past couple of weeks I've been making the rounds of the offices of a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy and colonoscopy, a periodontist for a dental implant, and a neurological surgeon to determine the source of neck and head pains.  These areas have needed attention for quite some time but had to wait until my heart was in better condition.  I'm hoping for the day that I'll have all my body parts in good working order and can put an end to medical appointments crowding my calendar.  Is that too much to hope for? 

Meds:   Coumadin, Vayacog, L-Carnitine, Vitamin D, I-Caps, Flax seed oil, Multivitamin, Lutein, Hawthorne, Garlic, B-12, L-Arginine