Mummies Had Heart Disease Too

I just read an article about forensic studies done on some mummies that are over 3500 years old. Turns out that heart disease was a problem then too. As the article says, "You can't blame this one on McDonald's".

In an era when the average life span was around fifty these mummies, thought to be in their mid-forties, showed definite signs of atherosclerosis. One even had evidence of a heart attack.

Most of us think our modern life style is responsible for our health problems but it turns out that fast food, couch potato living and smoking are not the only things that cause heart disease. Some of us are just going to get it. What we do then is probably what dictates our quality of life from then on.

Anyway here is a link to the article. It is an interesting read.

Steps today:10,432

Man Set on Fire During Heart Surgery

Here is the headline from a malpractice lawyer's blog: "Man Set on Fire During Heart Surgery Sues Doctor!"

The story is not as good as the headline but the blog itself is quite interesting.

Another interesting story recently making the rounds is this one about a doctor who is using a type of Crazy Glue called Kryptonite, to hold the breastbone together after open heart surgery.

As most of us know who read this blog, having your chest held together with wires and waiting for it to heal is the worst part of the whole heart surgery in most cases.

This new method heals the breastbone in days rather than weeks and you can get back to normal activities in weeks rather than months.

Read the whole story here:

Using glue to mend breastbone after open heart surgery.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is always a time for sober reflection as we remember and give thanks for those who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much for our way of life.

I walked to the ceremony this morning and was struck by how many people there were there. Thousands of people from all ages and walks of life crowded the park around the cenotaph.

It was a touching ceremony and I was grateful to be there.

Steps today: 8987

I Might Need to Join a Gym

October has passed and the temperature is dropping fast. That is not so bad for walking except that the time has changed to daylight savings time. It is already dark when I get home from work still needing six or seven thousand steps to meet my goal of ten thousand steps a day.

It is cold, uninviting, and not very pleasant to walk in the dark..

The question is, Does it make sense to spend the money on joining a gym or would I be wiser to invest in a good treadmill for home?
-
-
I don't know which is more practical. more importantly, I don't know which option will keep me motivated and exercising to the level I need to maintain my rapidly improving health.

If you have any ideas please let me know what you think. Your experience and advice will be most welcome.

On a positive note, I took a few days off to go salmon fishing last week . That is a fairly rugged proposition in late October in Nova Scotia. It was great though, I felt good and was comfortable with the demands of a couple of days on the river.

It was great encouragement to keep eating well, taking my meds and exercising. I was happily able to do something I thought was lost to me forever since my heart problems and subsequent bypass surgery.

On December 22nd it will be one year since my heart surgery. I need to think of something special to mark the occasion. Any suggestions?

Steps today: 7980

Making Even One Positive Lifestyle Change Lowers Your Risk

Here is the latest photo of Shorty. He is doing well. He ate the Dandelion flower then continued on his walk. Well, not so much a walk as a carry but I'm still getting my steps in, just not as quickly as before. A walk with this puppy also involves a lot of pauses for chatting as people stop to admire him.


I found out today that the Maltese breed is over 28 centuries old. Talk about tried and true!



-
-
-
-
-
There was an article recently in the Globe and Mail, life section. It listed at least eight lifestyle changes to help you avoid heart disease. In our case, to help prevent the recurrence of blockages and other symptoms after Heart Surgery.



The thrust of the article was that there are a lot of recommendations from your doctor and other health care team members of things you should do for your health, even if you only do one good thing it will have a positive effect.

We all know by now that we should:

• Quit Smoking
• Moderate Alcohol
• Get Daily Exercise
• Reduce Salt
• Eat more Whole Grains
• Control Our Weight

And on and on goes the list.

Here is the thing though, you don't have to do it all in a gulp. Just do something. Maybe try starting with one thing and include the others as you go along. Building on your successes slowly and surely until you find the balance that works for you.

As a fellow in my ninth month of recovery after Open Heart Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts, right now I feel like I will do whatever it takes to avoid having to go through this (or perhaps even worse) again. Knowing myself though, I suspect as I feel better and better my resolve to do all of the things on the list may weaken.

Which brings me back to the point. Doing something, even if it is only one thing on the list, is better than doing nothing.

Steps today: 10987

Get Shorty! Get Moving!

Look at this little beauty. This is Shorty the newest member of our family.

he has been with us now for three days. I have never been a big fan of small dogs but this guy is hard to resist.

--

-

-

-

-

-

-

There seems to be a link between successful recovery from bypass graft surgery or other heart operations and sharing your home with pets.

-

If you think about it, it does look to be likely. It is certainly hard to be stressed while stroking a cat or playing with a puppy. Reducing stress is one of the key lifestyle changes recommended to diminish the risk of heart disease.

-

Having a dog will also get you out of the chair or up off of the couch pretty regularly as they need to pee or go for walks. Your dog may be sympathetic to the fact that you are feeling pretty crummy but when he's got to go, he's got to go.

-

Once you are on your feet a dog is a great walking companion. They are definitely an important member of the Zipper Club Support Team .

-

Shorty is technically my wife's dog but I had no idea just how darn cute a Maltese puppy can be. Our Field Spaniel pup arrives in mid-December so I have a feeling that our house is going to be so full of puppy cuteness for the next few months that I'm going to have to work at being my grumpy old self or no one will recognize me.

Recovery is a Family Affair

Waking up after open heart surgery is a stunning experience. There are all of the physical sensations but there is also a moment, somewhat delayed by the overwhelming immediacy of the physical stuff, when the impact of the event strikes home. "I'm alive. I've made it. Now what?"

It is the "Now What?" that has been my preoccupation for the last eight months and will likely be on my mind for the foreseeable future.

Part of the recovery is the physical rehabilitation. An even larger part is the educational process. In my case, I had to complete a number of classes about living with heart problems, heart healthy life styles and general knowledge about the pharmaceuticals used in treating heart diseases before even being admitted to the physical rehabilitation centre.

The Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Health in Motion Program involved two sessions a week doing exercises under the supervision of a nurse, a physio-therapist and a dietitian as well as one class room session a week.

The classes were spread out over the first eight weeks of the program and covered topics like:

• Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stages of Change
• Exercise and Goal Setting
• Dietary Risk Factors
• Basics of Heart Healthy Eating
• Super Heart Healthy Foods and Foods to Avoid
• Label Reading
• Eating out and Meal Planning
• Coping with Heart Disease

The smartest thing I did was to take my daughter Nancy with me to the first round of classes. I encourage you to do the same. Take a family member with you to as many classes as they can attend.

There are two reasons for this. First, I was still quite dopey for the first couple so a lot of the information didn't stick. The second reason is that a lot of the life style changes, the mood swings and depression that are the after-effects of open heart surgery require not just co-operation from your family but their active support and understanding.

Even though you are the one feeling the physical pain, your whole family feels the repercussions of your operation.

Steps today: 10,287