Lisa and Kris fixed a wonderful breakfast this morning including a Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole. They will be leaving to go back to California in a couple of days. They have spoiled me rotten, and I will truly miss them. They've taken me to Doctor appointments, taken me on walks, cooked for us all, walked our two canine companions, and kept me company.
Today, was my first appointment with the heart rehabilitation center. New Heart, Center for Wellness, Exercise and Cardiac Rehabilitation, located right next to the Heart Hospital here in Albuquerque, will guide me on my path back to full recovery.
New Heart has a terrific set-up. Their Doctors carefully evaluate you and the surgery you've had, and then they develop a customized rehabilitation program just for you. While you are exercising at New Heart, you are constantly on a heart monitor. They can tell you when you are over-doing, or if you need to pick up the pace.
When the staff showed us the gym and machine area, an elderly female on the road to open heart surgery was going 90 miles an hour on some type of stair stepping machine that could also be converted to an upper body workout machine.
Just two weeks out from my own valve replacement surgery, the sight of this lively woman putting herself through her recovery paces was just plain scary. It made my chest hurt just to watch her. Actually, I think I cringed when I saw her.
Dr. Blake, my Cardiologist, was insistent that I get right into the New Heart program as soon as possible after surgery. Right now, I'm doing two, 10 minute walks a day, so I think I'm getting a jump on things.
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