Today I had two heart rehab sessions , 1 - the regular exercise program at the Health Campus & 2 - a session with two of my "zipper club" buddies! Let's start with the best one first!
Heart Rehab from "Zipper Club" buddies.
Around 10 AM I received a call from my "Packer Backer Buddy" Terry Engleman from Ephrata. Not only have we spent many great times at Green Bay cheering on the Packers, but now we are comparing notes about our "open heart bypass surgery"! We both agreed that our discussions are fruitful because we have felt the same physical & emotional pains after heart surgery. Today we discussed our diets, our physical rehab, and our medicines! It is great to compare notes! We discussed the challenge of going out to eat & what to order, missing the foods that got us into trouble, and having two great wives that will cook "heart healthy" dinners for us! Terry also has the double whammy of being diabetic! We agreed that after surgery is so different and focusing on changing behavior is almost as hard as the surgery itself. (I think I got Terry to relax and maybe even enjoy a brats for the Packers & Super Bowl Sunday!) The medications are also a juggling act - what we are taking, how much we are taking & how our body reacts to the meds!
And my other Terry & Zipper Club buddy, Terry Shuman. We had a "heart healthy" lunch together at the Silver Spring Restaurant! We also compared notes and caught up with our recovery from our surgeries. Since we coached together, sports came up & we agreed to travel to some league & district high school basketball games! This therapy is also so critical to recovery, sharing our love of sports and stories from our past. Cardiac Rehab is a lot like getting ready for the big game! Working out, eating right, planning your next week or month and helping each other reach a goal - the big goal of "Happy & Rewarding Life after Open Heart Bypass Surgery!"
And my other rehab, at the Health Campus, also went well today - did my normal warm up & cool down, with 32 minutes of machine work - 12 minutes on the bike, 4 minutes of arm work (pull downs), 6 minutes in the rowing machine, & 10 minutes on the treadmill. Still had my extra heart beats(bygeminy), but seem to be able to exercise through it! I am now beginning to feel it when it is happening. Next rehab is tomorrow - Friday!
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