What they probably didn't tell you earlier
There aren't many times in your life when you are given a second chance to wipe the slate clean.
Hip-hop, for tomorrow belongs to no one.
The good news is, you're encouraged to walk the corridors, as soon as humanly possible, after arriving on the recovery ward. I know this is done for sound medical reasons, such as building back your muscle base. But there's really no good way else to also say, "g'wan scram, get outta here!"
The Dutch have a phrase that loosely translates, "A guest, like a fish, stinks on the third day." They're more accommodating in Myanmar, of all places: "Seven days is the length of a guest's life."
While its never really expressed in specific terms, you're expected to be in a recovery phase, that ideally lasts no longer than a week. Put otherwise, there can't be an orderly flow of cardiac by-pass operations scheduled at the front end, if there's no recovery beds and sufficient nursing staff available at the back end. After all, the hospital doesn't get their much deserved gold star on your behalf, until you're officially discharged. Don't believe my mild cynicism, just look at this post operative period, as what the manufacturing sector might: a unionized 'just-in-time' repair and overhaul plant. Nothing more, nothing less.
I never connected these dots at any of our hospital pre-surgery meetings, even though I was always the youngest non-smoking candidate in the room. If one was a gambling person, then one might conclude one's chances were both good to survive the by-pass operation as well as the recovery phase, on-time-on-budget.
It didn't take an aging baby boomer's groggy mind long to soon realize, that most patients - this week anyway - could demographically be those of my aging parents. A goodly number of patients shuffling along the corridor, looked closer to 85 than 65 years old, and according to the main board at the nurse's hub, were already fast approaching a double-digit post-recovery stay. Some were there already. One person had already reached Day 25!
So here's a few layman assumptions from what I observed in my 5 recovery days on the ward, and from a week's recovery now at home:
1. Recovery first, finances second. That said, it's time to review your financials. Every case is different, but there could be a consultative period of up to 90 days, leading up to your operation date. Whatever your timeline, you should take this period to quietly be proactive with your life-affairs. If you're aged and alone (or as an aged couple) and your support/kids are not available upon discharge, then prior source a range of for-profit home support services and contract staff to assist you in the first couple of weeks after discharge, should this be the case. If you find these necessary services to be too expensive, then specifically ask the hospital staff -- either in your pre-op sessions, or in your recovery phase -- for a list of social support services, that may be available in your area. Either way, be clear of your medical and emotional options prior to discharge.
Your survival and mobility in the first couple of weeks is paramount, no matter the costs! My sense is, the odds of your survival lessen greatly, without this layer of support home assistance close by.
2. Rent a shower stool from the Red Cross. It's heavenly. You'll find each planned shower, an excellent time to put your daily exercises to work. More importantly, with all of this enclosed warm mist, it's just a great time to place your thumb over each nostril, and give a good blow! Our little secret. This is no time for a slippery bar of soap to become a lethal weapon, stopping its unplanned trajectory at any recent ankle or leg stitches. For now, try some liquid hand soap.
3. Don't underestimate the importance of listening to your on-site physiotherapist, as I did. Your daily exercises at home might seem exhaustive at first, but so necessary, as your recovery phase continues. With continued practice, you'll also soon be able to inhale those three ball thingies up their plastic chutes, more times than not. Your lungs will thank you for it, later on.
Other hospital professionals that are on hand prior to discharge, might be the timely services of an occupational therapist, dietician, pharmacist, social and pastoral worker. If you have any nagging thoughts or feelings about your future, this is the time to ask questions.
It's never too late to work out, particularly, if you are used to a sedentary lifestyle, the land where I come from. I'm told, I will notice increases in body strength, flexibility, agility and balance after participating in a customized walking and resistance training exercise program. Bring it on! First things first, though. One has to gain one's strengths back, while early in a recovery stage.
4. A planned exit-strategy is important. There may be a mountain of evidence here to possibly suggest otherwise, but a family caregiver's fitness is directly linked to an orderly patient recovery. This was never stressed to us at any of the preliminary hospital meetings. If possible and if health permits, the caregiver should learn and practice how to get the patient out of bed and up and down from a chair, days or weeks before your operation. Not after surgery. Patient leg muscles should be as strong as possible to allow you to rock forward and lift up from a sitting stance, very early-on in your recovery phase. What I noticed in my lone physiotherapy group session, was a group of aging lady caregivers in full-fright, who likely couldn't carry a regular bag of kitty litter too far, never mind lift up their 175 lb spouse from a bed. Or from the floor.
The post-op services provided by each cardiac hospital may vary. Ask your nurse or social worker on staff, as to whether you can tap into any classes that may prepare for an easy return home. There should be regular sessions offered, in the areas of dietary or nutrition, stress management and a pharmacy overview of medications.
5. Assertive launches and controlled crashes. Again, if health and time permits, then start honing those leg muscles above your knees. You're soon going to find this most useful, when lifting up from a chair or sitting down on a toilet, while in your early recuperative phase. Try these little exercises, soonest. It may work, in your case:
(a) Put a chair beside a guard rail, if you think this is necessary for support. Stand in front of the chair. Back into the chair, until it touches the back of your legs, then slowly descend to the chair with your arms crossed in front of you. Before contact with the chair, you should feel the use of your leg muscles at work, that I'm referring to. Then rock forward and up a little, clutching a small pillow over your chest area, as you try and rise to your earlier position.
(b) Lie flat on the floor on your back, more or less at attention like a soldier, with your arms beside you. Then try and roll over on your nose, while still at attention. I know it sounds silly, but try it, anyway. With this simple exercise well practiced, you should find it easier to later perform the basics of rolling out of your bed.
(c) Use a bed that will allow you to sit on the edge, and at the same time, comfortably have your feet touching the floor. With your two feet grounded, and a pair of good legs, it should be easier for you to rise up with your red pillow in tow. Rock on. After that, the world's your oyster!
The sooner each patient learns how to rise up and sit down from a chair, toilet and their bed, then the sooner they can reclaim their domain!
6. A walk through your house with your kids/caregiver to prevent any future accidents. Are the lights bright enough? Are throw rugs a hazard? Are there fresh batteries in your smoke detectors? Is there a fresh fire extinguisher on each floor and in the garage for quick access? Is it possible for you to rent an electronic medic-alert, a Medicalert bracelet, or purchase Gift Certificates / credits from a local taxi company? I wished I would have thought, to buy a shoe horn with an extra long handle.
7. Network. Surround yourself with strong people. You'll soon need to tap into their energies. Use this period before your operation date to reach out to friends, family, medical staff, support groups. Everyone. You'll soon be on intimate terms with your pharmacist, who can direct you through a flurry of new prescriptions (and describe their side effects.) This is no time for patient / family misinformation. Can your new medical or phar- maceutical people advise and direct you to any recommended websites, strictly for educational purposes? Do you have a current support system in place?
Specifically, do your children know how to contact your doctor, lawyer, banker, church or temple, and neighbours? Certain friends might be willing to help out a bit by taking you shopping, shoveling the sidewalk or mowing the lawn. If not, homework time with your kids (or new caregiver) is about to begin.
8. Keep a weekly journal. The first thing caregivers should write down at the top of each page is, "You can't care for your spouse or loved one, unless you look after yourself first." Later on, patients or caregivers might wish to write your symptoms down longhand, or go to www.blogger.com as you're now viewing, which is a free electronic service to any patients with minimal internet savvy. If not, you'll soon find out how quickly this lead-up to The-Day, and your early recuperative weeks will soon become a forgetful haze, for posterity or medical reasons.
9. You've likely already found out that doctors these days are busy professionals, with few bedside manners. Time is money with this new crowd. You'll soon get passed around beyond your family doctor, on to your cardiologist, your surgeon, post-op community services; and finally, the rehab team. Try and have a short-list of pertinent questions ready in advance of these medical follow-up appointments. And take notes. They may get called away on an emergency, half-way through your long awaited meeting. There are no dumb questions to ask, just dumb answers!
10. Surviving. You may not realise it yet, but the hard part is already behind you. And you even slept through the entire main event! Survivors belong to a unique club, with select admission. They're usually driven by a singular vision. They're resolutely defined of purpose. Not unlike most entrepreneurs, they usually start with nothing more than an idea and a belief they can turn a germ of an idea into reality. Surviving should now be your new entrepreneurial life venture (no experience necessary, appar- ently.) You've been given a second chance, to not make the same mistake twice. Think about that for a moment. Take that new baton stick recently handed to you and run with it for as long as humanly possible. Plan B is not even an option for consideration or debate.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog site is provided for reference and/or education purposes only. This electronic web information is not intended to be a substitute for a physician’s advice, diagnosis or treatment. The writer assume no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or omission of information or from the use of any information or advice in this blog site.
Hip-hop, for tomorrow belongs to no one.
The good news is, you're encouraged to walk the corridors, as soon as humanly possible, after arriving on the recovery ward. I know this is done for sound medical reasons, such as building back your muscle base. But there's really no good way else to also say, "g'wan scram, get outta here!"
The Dutch have a phrase that loosely translates, "A guest, like a fish, stinks on the third day." They're more accommodating in Myanmar, of all places: "Seven days is the length of a guest's life."
While its never really expressed in specific terms, you're expected to be in a recovery phase, that ideally lasts no longer than a week. Put otherwise, there can't be an orderly flow of cardiac by-pass operations scheduled at the front end, if there's no recovery beds and sufficient nursing staff available at the back end. After all, the hospital doesn't get their much deserved gold star on your behalf, until you're officially discharged. Don't believe my mild cynicism, just look at this post operative period, as what the manufacturing sector might: a unionized 'just-in-time' repair and overhaul plant. Nothing more, nothing less.
I never connected these dots at any of our hospital pre-surgery meetings, even though I was always the youngest non-smoking candidate in the room. If one was a gambling person, then one might conclude one's chances were both good to survive the by-pass operation as well as the recovery phase, on-time-on-budget.
It didn't take an aging baby boomer's groggy mind long to soon realize, that most patients - this week anyway - could demographically be those of my aging parents. A goodly number of patients shuffling along the corridor, looked closer to 85 than 65 years old, and according to the main board at the nurse's hub, were already fast approaching a double-digit post-recovery stay. Some were there already. One person had already reached Day 25!
So here's a few layman assumptions from what I observed in my 5 recovery days on the ward, and from a week's recovery now at home:
1. Recovery first, finances second. That said, it's time to review your financials. Every case is different, but there could be a consultative period of up to 90 days, leading up to your operation date. Whatever your timeline, you should take this period to quietly be proactive with your life-affairs. If you're aged and alone (or as an aged couple) and your support/kids are not available upon discharge, then prior source a range of for-profit home support services and contract staff to assist you in the first couple of weeks after discharge, should this be the case. If you find these necessary services to be too expensive, then specifically ask the hospital staff -- either in your pre-op sessions, or in your recovery phase -- for a list of social support services, that may be available in your area. Either way, be clear of your medical and emotional options prior to discharge.
Your survival and mobility in the first couple of weeks is paramount, no matter the costs! My sense is, the odds of your survival lessen greatly, without this layer of support home assistance close by.
2. Rent a shower stool from the Red Cross. It's heavenly. You'll find each planned shower, an excellent time to put your daily exercises to work. More importantly, with all of this enclosed warm mist, it's just a great time to place your thumb over each nostril, and give a good blow! Our little secret. This is no time for a slippery bar of soap to become a lethal weapon, stopping its unplanned trajectory at any recent ankle or leg stitches. For now, try some liquid hand soap.
3. Don't underestimate the importance of listening to your on-site physiotherapist, as I did. Your daily exercises at home might seem exhaustive at first, but so necessary, as your recovery phase continues. With continued practice, you'll also soon be able to inhale those three ball thingies up their plastic chutes, more times than not. Your lungs will thank you for it, later on.
Other hospital professionals that are on hand prior to discharge, might be the timely services of an occupational therapist, dietician, pharmacist, social and pastoral worker. If you have any nagging thoughts or feelings about your future, this is the time to ask questions.
It's never too late to work out, particularly, if you are used to a sedentary lifestyle, the land where I come from. I'm told, I will notice increases in body strength, flexibility, agility and balance after participating in a customized walking and resistance training exercise program. Bring it on! First things first, though. One has to gain one's strengths back, while early in a recovery stage.
4. A planned exit-strategy is important. There may be a mountain of evidence here to possibly suggest otherwise, but a family caregiver's fitness is directly linked to an orderly patient recovery. This was never stressed to us at any of the preliminary hospital meetings. If possible and if health permits, the caregiver should learn and practice how to get the patient out of bed and up and down from a chair, days or weeks before your operation. Not after surgery. Patient leg muscles should be as strong as possible to allow you to rock forward and lift up from a sitting stance, very early-on in your recovery phase. What I noticed in my lone physiotherapy group session, was a group of aging lady caregivers in full-fright, who likely couldn't carry a regular bag of kitty litter too far, never mind lift up their 175 lb spouse from a bed. Or from the floor.
The post-op services provided by each cardiac hospital may vary. Ask your nurse or social worker on staff, as to whether you can tap into any classes that may prepare for an easy return home. There should be regular sessions offered, in the areas of dietary or nutrition, stress management and a pharmacy overview of medications.
5. Assertive launches and controlled crashes. Again, if health and time permits, then start honing those leg muscles above your knees. You're soon going to find this most useful, when lifting up from a chair or sitting down on a toilet, while in your early recuperative phase. Try these little exercises, soonest. It may work, in your case:
(a) Put a chair beside a guard rail, if you think this is necessary for support. Stand in front of the chair. Back into the chair, until it touches the back of your legs, then slowly descend to the chair with your arms crossed in front of you. Before contact with the chair, you should feel the use of your leg muscles at work, that I'm referring to. Then rock forward and up a little, clutching a small pillow over your chest area, as you try and rise to your earlier position.
(b) Lie flat on the floor on your back, more or less at attention like a soldier, with your arms beside you. Then try and roll over on your nose, while still at attention. I know it sounds silly, but try it, anyway. With this simple exercise well practiced, you should find it easier to later perform the basics of rolling out of your bed.
(c) Use a bed that will allow you to sit on the edge, and at the same time, comfortably have your feet touching the floor. With your two feet grounded, and a pair of good legs, it should be easier for you to rise up with your red pillow in tow. Rock on. After that, the world's your oyster!
The sooner each patient learns how to rise up and sit down from a chair, toilet and their bed, then the sooner they can reclaim their domain!
6. A walk through your house with your kids/caregiver to prevent any future accidents. Are the lights bright enough? Are throw rugs a hazard? Are there fresh batteries in your smoke detectors? Is there a fresh fire extinguisher on each floor and in the garage for quick access? Is it possible for you to rent an electronic medic-alert, a Medicalert bracelet, or purchase Gift Certificates / credits from a local taxi company? I wished I would have thought, to buy a shoe horn with an extra long handle.
7. Network. Surround yourself with strong people. You'll soon need to tap into their energies. Use this period before your operation date to reach out to friends, family, medical staff, support groups. Everyone. You'll soon be on intimate terms with your pharmacist, who can direct you through a flurry of new prescriptions (and describe their side effects.) This is no time for patient / family misinformation. Can your new medical or phar- maceutical people advise and direct you to any recommended websites, strictly for educational purposes? Do you have a current support system in place?
Specifically, do your children know how to contact your doctor, lawyer, banker, church or temple, and neighbours? Certain friends might be willing to help out a bit by taking you shopping, shoveling the sidewalk or mowing the lawn. If not, homework time with your kids (or new caregiver) is about to begin.
8. Keep a weekly journal. The first thing caregivers should write down at the top of each page is, "You can't care for your spouse or loved one, unless you look after yourself first." Later on, patients or caregivers might wish to write your symptoms down longhand, or go to www.blogger.com as you're now viewing, which is a free electronic service to any patients with minimal internet savvy. If not, you'll soon find out how quickly this lead-up to The-Day, and your early recuperative weeks will soon become a forgetful haze, for posterity or medical reasons.
9. You've likely already found out that doctors these days are busy professionals, with few bedside manners. Time is money with this new crowd. You'll soon get passed around beyond your family doctor, on to your cardiologist, your surgeon, post-op community services; and finally, the rehab team. Try and have a short-list of pertinent questions ready in advance of these medical follow-up appointments. And take notes. They may get called away on an emergency, half-way through your long awaited meeting. There are no dumb questions to ask, just dumb answers!
10. Surviving. You may not realise it yet, but the hard part is already behind you. And you even slept through the entire main event! Survivors belong to a unique club, with select admission. They're usually driven by a singular vision. They're resolutely defined of purpose. Not unlike most entrepreneurs, they usually start with nothing more than an idea and a belief they can turn a germ of an idea into reality. Surviving should now be your new entrepreneurial life venture (no experience necessary, appar- ently.) You've been given a second chance, to not make the same mistake twice. Think about that for a moment. Take that new baton stick recently handed to you and run with it for as long as humanly possible. Plan B is not even an option for consideration or debate.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog site is provided for reference and/or education purposes only. This electronic web information is not intended to be a substitute for a physician’s advice, diagnosis or treatment. The writer assume no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or omission of information or from the use of any information or advice in this blog site.
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