Today is the First Day of the Rest of my Life

Thanks Lyn,

I'm trying, but fatigue, lack of motivation sometimes gets in the way. 

I think a return to regular work would help.  The shift I did for the newspaper on Sunday seemed to go quite well.

Steve x

Hi Dave,

I have a few jobs booked on the diary including Election night on May 7th.  I'm due to see my cardiac consultant on Friday morning who will review my recent test results and hopefully, will say I can return to work.

My normal sleep pattern before diagnosis of cancer was that I usually went to bed at about 2am and woke around 7 - 7.30am.  I very often post quite late because I find it easier to write then, when I can focus on what I want to say without any other distractions. 

In the last few months, I have felt extreme tiredness most of the time.  Everything I do makes me feel very tired, even after a couple of hours, I just feel as if I want to have a sleep.  Whether it's a combination of the heart medications and the side effects of Zoladex, I don't know, but it's having a great effect on my desire to do anything or make any plans for the future.  When I was in hospital last week I slept most of the time to the point where the nurses made me sit in my chair rather than lay in bed.  I had a very uncomfortable day trying to sleep with my head resting on my bedside table.

I know that exercise can help with fatigue and I always go for a walk at least once a day.  I usually manage about 25 miles a week.  Up until last Tuesday, I was doing my twice weekly cardiac rehab exercise classes to so it's not that I'm taking too little exercise.

Hopefully, tomorrow should answer a few questions when I see the consultant.  Whatever happens, I'm almost certain I will try to work as from Monday, if I can get any.  What I have on the diary at the moment, won't be enough to survive on as my benefits will stop on Sunday.

Steve

Hi,

Saw a cardiac consultant yesterday for my post angioplasty review. I feel happy now that at least I know what the situation is. It was the not knowing that I was uncomfortable with. The uncertainty.

Basically what I was told was that I suffer regular eptopics (extra heart beats), which results in my heart beating before it has properly filled with blood. This is not ideal but my normal heartbeats ensure that the heart does receive the blood it needs. The eptopics were clearly shown on the results of the 24hr monitor I had.

She decided that I needed to go back on the beta blockers again even though they caused me low blood pressure and heart rate problems. I talked about my dizziness and breathlessness and she said it was something I was going to have to adjust my lifestyle to live with. It was more important that I continued with my medications to avoid another heart attack. I told her about the kneeling, the ladder climbing and the general active nature of my job and she said that it was something that I would have to decide if I could continue to do this. Listening to what my body was telling me was her best advice. She was pleased with the level of the walking I was doing, not so happy about to idea of me running a half marathon just yet, but felt I should build up to it gradually.

She agreed with my other consultant that another angiogram (slit wrist, tube up the artery into heart) just after Christmas would be a good idea, just to see how things we're going. Also they will review the results of my Echo stress test that I'm due to have at the end of April but she way happy for me to return to work if I thought I was able.

She said that damage had been caused to the heart during my attack and it will never be as good as it once was, but I was fortunate that it was not far worse. So I feel lucky that it can still do it's job even if it limits what I might want to do.

Being here for my family and friends is the most important thing to me right now.

Steve

Edited by member 28 Mar 2015 at 09:09  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Lyn,

I'm really sorry to hear your brother died so young, it makes my wish for another 15 years seem rather selfish. 

I suppose I'm still trying to get used to a new way of looking at my life now. 

This time last year, before diagnosis, I couldn't see anything preventing me from being around that long for my family.  I still hope I make it to that goal, but if I don't (and I've said this before), I will be perfectly satisfied with the life I've had.

Steve 

Edited by member 30 Mar 2015 at 02:36  | Reason: Not specified