And Yet Another Method to Heal a Heart - Green Bay Packers

This will be a great sports weekend!  Friday was my first experience with BIG TIME Drag Racing.  Maple Grove was packed with people and the racing was awesome - 270 mph!

Today I leave for Green Bay to see the Packers play the Broncos!  Just as my cardiac group that get together with me to discuss our heart issues, the Packers group has been just as dedicated! (And 3 of the 4 going today have had heart issues!)

A trip to Green Bay is a trip back into time!  Small town atmosphere, BIG TIME football!  The entire town will get behind the Packers.  Game day everyone will be wearing their Packer Colors, restaurant workers, gas station workers, people at the mall, the entire town will be ready to cheer on the Packers!

Here is our itinerary:
1 - Saturday - fly out of Baltimore to Milwaukee
2 - Rent car & drive to Green Bay
3 - Sunday - Breakfast with other Packer fans - maybe the Bay Motel! http://www.baymotelgreenbay.com/
4 - Do some shopping in the local mall - Green Bay Stuff!
5 - Game time Packers vs. Broncos - Packer Website   http://www.packers.com/
6 - Victory Dinner ( I HOPE!) at Prime Quarter http://primequarter.com/about.html
   (Will try to pick a good steak to stay on my heart healthy diet!)
7 - Monday - drive back to Milwaukee & fly back to Baltimore!

Another Method to Heal the Heart

Today was yet another way to heal the heart!

Our youngest son works with a great bunch of guys at a car dealership - Dell Toyota in Thorndale, PA.  They have helped Josh grow into his job and supported his music career.  One of the salesman, Steve, races part time.  He offered tickets to Sue & I this Friday to Maple Grove Raceway!

The Sound!

The Speed!

The People!

What a great day for a new experience!

One of my methods of healing the heart has been new experiences!  This was AWESOME!  To see a vehicle go 270 mph in 1/4 mile is amazing.  A motorcycle go 200 mph!  

Maple Grove Raceway Video

And I am also, as an ex-educator a people person!  First of all the crowd size was amazing,  People were parked everywhere!  And ALL types of people, young & old, black & white, skinny & fat!  And speaking of fat, the food was "cardiac crazy"!  Plenty of french fries, hamburgers, & beer! (I behaved myself!)  This is one of the most difficult things about having fun in the real world, eating!  Events like this allow you to see how disciplined you are!

If you ever want a different kid of day, try drag racing!  But here are some items to bring to make the day better for your heart!

What to bring to Maple Grove Raceway?

1 - Healthy snacks

2 - Ear Plugs!  VERY IMPORTANT!

3 - Change seats - try next to the start & move down to see different angles!

4 - A T-shirt - something with cars!

5 - A baseball cap - some about cars!

6 - Good walking shoes - parking, walking, vendors, walking, change seats, walking, etc.

7 - Change your Cell phone ring tone to screeching tires!

Albright Report Card after Open Heart

It is time to grade my progress after 9 months of a life changing event - Open Heart Surgery.  Here are some categories that I found at: Cleveland Clinic - Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery  Remember the Cleveland Clinic Website is one of my favorites!  And the Cleveland Clinic is ranked as the top Heart Hospitals in the country!

Importance of Making Lifestyle Changes

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery increases the blood supply to your heart, but it does not cure coronary artery disease. You will still need to decrease your risk factors by making lifestyle changes, taking medications as prescribed and following your doctor’s recommendations to prevention future disease.  Lifestyle changes include:

• Quitting smoking  Easy - (Never started!)  Grade A+
• Treating high cholesterol - (My reading are down to the 130-170 range in the last 3 blood tests)  Grade - A-
• Managing high blood pressure and diabetes (Never had high blood pressure or diabetes) Grade A+
• Exercising regularly - I would say I have average 5 of 7 days a week for the past 40 weeks - Grade A-
• Maintaining a healthy weight - Have lost about 15 pounds, need to go about 10 more  Grade B-
• Eating a heart-healthy diet - Have changed my diet, but need to stay focused!  Grade B-
• Controlling stress and anger - Stress is better since I retired and my anger is never an issue - SO STOP ASKING!! Grade B+
• Taking prescribed medications as directed - I have stayed on all meds since surgery!!!  Grade A+
• Participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program, as recommended - Did my Rehab Program  Grade A
• Following up with your doctor for regular visits - Have attended all my doctor appointments!  Grade A+

FINAL GRADE B+  Need to avoid sweets, eat more fruit & veggies, try exercise more intensely (PVC's are holding me back!!!)

A New Contact and PVC's

Recently I had a person comment on my blog about his PVC's:

Hello, my name is Mike Montoya and I am a teacher as well. I also had PVC's today after my rehab. I am unique in the fact that I am a sponsored triathlete and had my RCL dissect. My rehab is going really well, but today after I biked and ran on the treadmill I had them after I got off the the tradmill in the recovery phase. Feel free to check out my blog and also I would like to talk to you and get more info. Thanks, Mike

Mike had the PVC's after exercise in his rehab session.  The more research I do, the more confused I get!  PVC's are by nature very confusing!  The people that suffer from them all have the same comments: "PVC's are a pain!!"  In Mike's case, it is the recovery phase of rehab.  And he is quite the athlete, a sponsored triathlete!  If you go to his blog, you can see what I mean:
Mike Montoya's Triathlon Journey

Mike is also a teacher of special education.  And I am a retired educator!  Mike is into triathlons and I still coach track and field!  So, we share PVC's, heart issues, and as educators, a passion to learn more about solving our medical issues.  Welcome Mike!

Forty Weeks After Open Heart Surgery

One year ago I started to feel what was to be the reason for my quintuple bypass surgery!  It was late September, early October.  I was mowing the yard and starting to rake leafs.  After about 6-8 passes in the yard I stopped to catch my breath.  I though it may be my asthma, I had it since I was a kid!  But this tightness in my chest was a little different.  The location was more on the upper left side, instead of the middle of my lungs.  I finished the yard work and ignored it!

Each week it was more intense.  Now it was on 2-3 passes with the lawn mower.  The raking of leaves was more difficult.  And walking up steps at school was beginning to be more difficult!  I ignored it!

End of October, early November, the tightness of my chest was more frequent.  I did not tell anyone (even my wife!)  I wanted to get to our next in-service day at school where I was teaching some technology courses to the teachers and maybe get to the Green Bay game in early December!  I had trouble walking one lap around the school!

It is now early November.  I finished the teacher in-service, got home and decided to talk my walk around the neighborhood and see how bad this was and then make a decision.  I walked about half a mile and turned around to come home.  I had to stop about every 50 yards to catch my breath!  I made it home - called my wife and the family doctor!

The rest is history - next day family doctor, next day cadiologist, 2 days later heart cath, and I had 3 blockages - 50%, 60%, and 99%!!!!

Don't wait!  See a doctor!!

Exercise and Mowing the Grass

OK, does mowing the grass count as exercise?  First, I have a push mower and I emphasize the word PUSH!  So, I provide the power!  What does that mean for exercise?

My heart rate starts at around 75-80 and goes to 95-100.  That means it is equal to my walking workouts and is a bit more intense.  It takes me about 40-45 minutes to do the entire yard. I do get a good workout!

Check out the article "How to Exercise after Heart Surgery"

Open Heart Surgery and Pumphead!

There are many concerns after open heart surgery.  One is called "Pumphead".  An article I found interesting is at the web site:  Scientific American - Can Open-heart Surgery Make You Dimmer?

How are my cognitive skills after surgery?  Take a look at the following:

. . . . . . .lead study author James Slater, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Atlantic Health System in Morristown, N.J. Slater says the amount of cognitive decline varies; some patients have a tough time concentrating, others have trouble with memory and learning. Slater recalls, for instance, a onetime crossword whiz who, post-surgery, could no longer do The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.


Part of my issues, at age 58, I think are age related.  Just as an athlete, I was a pretty good athlete, my ability to run 100 meters, catch a football, hit a baseball, have all slightly declined (sorry, declined  a bunch).  I think my mental ability has also, declined, but not as fast (I think!).  So, for me, I have not seen a large decline.  I do feel my attention span has shortened, and it never really was great!


Part of the problem is oxygen getting to the brain during the transition on & off the heart & lung machine.  Another theory is fatty deposits are released and get to the brain, and some patients are genetically more inclined to has issues.  Whatever the reasons, I do not feel that bad and I still can tackle Sudoku puzzles & the Sunday news word search!  As I try to keep on my physical exercise, I will also work on my mental pushups!