6 weeks post-surgery - doing great

Today is Wednesday, October 8th, exactly 6 weeks (and a day) after surgery. I have come a long way in the past month. For starters, my chest incision pain is largely gone (I haven't taken any pain medication in a few weeks) and my energy level, while not quite back to normal, is getting much better. No real setbacks to mention, though I did try a glass of wine last week and still don't quite have the taste buds back yet (though I've been enjoying a non-alcoholic beer or two or three from time to time). Pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

In addition, I started cardiac rehabilitation three weeks ago and have made significant strides. At the beginning, I was able to do only 3.5 to 4 METs (a fun numeric ratio of the calories being burned during exercise to the calories being burned while resting - for example, walking at a slow pace or playing the guitar is about 2 METs, climbing stairs is about 4 METs, and running 6 miles per hours is 8-10 METs). Now I am up to 6.5 to 7 METs per workout and hope to hit 9 METs by the last day of my rehab, in just over 2 weeks.

Finally, I met with my surgeon, Dr. Balkhy, on Tuesday to discuss my progress and determine next steps. He thought the scar looked great and saw no red flags, so I am cleared to go back to work on October 21st, as scheduled. However, he wants me to avoid any activities that involve twisting, turning, or lifting of the upper body for at least 3-4 more months - the sternum needs more time to heal and the sutures around the valve and aorta need time to fully integrate into my body as well. So no softball, volleyball, basketball, rugby, etc. Basically I'm stuck with running, walking, biking, and very light weights (less than 20 pounds). Overall, a very positive discussion, and a reminder that my recovery, while going quite well, still has many months to go. However, it feels good to be close to normal again. Going back to work will be the last piece of the puzzle.