Mama said go to rehab, but I said no, no, no...

I’ve had Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” in my head ever since I scheduled my first cardiac rehab session. Only, I just discovered I’ve been singing the wrong lyrics over and over and over again for weeks! This is not unusual; song lyrics have never been my strong suit. Amy (not Winehouse) will be the first to tell you that I only sing more loudly when I don’t know the words to a song – I either make something up or just belt out an indiscernible cacophony. It turns out there is no mention at all of “mama” in the song “Rehab” and the line I’ve been attempting to sing is actually, “They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no.”

Anyway, when “they tried to make me go to rehab,” I said yes, yes, yes! I have now completed three sessions of cardiac rehab (slightly different from the rehab being referenced in the aforementioned song, of course). The workouts have been very light so far, but they will continue to get more rigorous over the next several sessions. Basically, we do five minute increments of various types of cardiac exercise – bike, treadmill, hand bike, elliptical – while hooked up to heart monitors. More than anything, I think I’ll benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing there are medical professionals nearby while I first stress my new heart. It’s scary to exert myself. Mentally, I know my heart is healthy and is strong enough to keep up with me. Emotionally, I’ve had some bad experiences with my [old] heart not being able to keep up. Proving to myself that rigorous exercise is perfectly healthy now will go a long way in my emotional recovery.

I think I would fit in better at Amy Winehouse’s drug rehab than at cardiac rehab! I am a little different from my fellow rehabbers. When I first walked into the gym, I easily brought the average age down by twenty years. The oldest patient has to be about 85-years-old. I feel a little weird on the treadmill next to him! The other patients are in their fifties and sixties, and I am the only one in my time slot that has had a heart transplant. So, the fact that I’m about half the age of my colleagues combined with the fact that I’m the only person there with a perfectly healthy heart makes me feel like Superwoman (minus the 6-pack in the picture below and with much bigger cheeks, of course)!

Day 6 - Cheeseburger in Paradise

UPDATE FROM MARG - Very short update tonight as things are progressing smoothly at the hospital. Our girl enjoyed a delicious cheeseburger from Rafferty's for dinner tonight. And I'm guessing that it tasted better than any cheeseburger any of us have ever had.

She was a little uncomfortable with pain today, but otherwise recovery is going smoothly. Nurse Dreamy did her job last night and Andrea finally got a good night's sleep. The doctors are hoping to spring her from the hospital on Thursday - fingers & toes crossed that all continues to go well. Many thanks on Andrea's behalf for all the great comments & well wishes - please keep them coming!

Day 5 - Out of the ICU!

UPDATE FROM MARG - Happy to report that Andrea has officially moved out of the surgical ICU and onto the regular cardiac step-down unit. She continues to feel good today and even ate a full dinner tonight - her first real meal since Tuesday night, and a critical milestone because it was her first meal without sodium restrictions since October! Next stop: that slice of pepperoni pizza she'd been dreaming about.

Andrea's iron levels have been low, so they gave her another unit of blood tonight. The doctors don't seem to be too concerned, and are keeping a close eye on her. Her nurse for the evening is named Dreamy, so she's hopeful that this means she'll finally get some sleep...

Many of you have been asking what you can do for Andrea & her folks. Right now, e-cards, comments on this blog, and prayers are the best offerings you can make. When she is released from the hospital, I am sure Andrea will appreciate any care packages you'd like to send her way, but in the meantime, please just keep cheering her on! Thanks for your continued well-wishes for our dear girl & her family.

Day 4 - First Visit from Non-Family Members!

UPDATE FROM MARG - All the exercise must have done her good - Andrea has turned a corner and is doing AMAZINGLY well today! I just got back from visiting her in the hospital, and she looks so good that if it weren't for the significant incision on her chest, you would be convinced that she was in getting her appendix out. Her blood pressure is back at normal levels and she has more color in her face than she's had since October (when she first got sick). She was moving around pretty comfortably in bed, and even walked out to the hospital atrium earlier today to get a change in scenery from the ICU.

Her nausea has largely faded (finally!) and so she woke-up this morning feeling like a new person, texting friends at how grateful she is to be alive. The plan is for them to move her out of the surgical ICU and onto the cardiac floor tomorrow, and then to hopefully discharge her within a week if all continues to go well. Andrea's parents are encouraged by her continued progress and how much better she was feeling today. Please keep sending positive thoughts & prayers her way - we're all hoping for a continued smooth recovery.

A get-well card drawn by a friend's 4-year-old daughter, Cailyn. Commentary was, "A picture of Andrea with a new heart and a pretty necklace. Her ears don't look that big in person."

Day 3 - First Exercise with Her New Heart!

UPDATE FROM MARG - Another good day. Andrea continues to be the valedictorian of heart transplants, and today completed not 1 but 2 laps walking around the floor in the ICU. They have weaned her down to only 1 medicine in her IV, and her pain management seems to be better today. The most stubborn symptom that she is complaining about is the never-ceasing nausea, which the doctors think is being caused by the steroids she is on. They may move her to the cardiac step-down unit tomorrow, where she is hoping that she will get better sleep.

Our girl seems to be turning a corner - today she read through all the e-cards she has received so far, and asked for both her cell phone and her iPad. Please continue to send her messages on the blog and e-cards through the hospital - as she is coming out of the fog of the last few days, I think they will give her the boost she needs to keep fighting. Thank you for all your kind words and well wishes - I know she appreciates them dearly.

Day 2

UPDATE FROM MARG - (Posting yesterday's update). Andrea's body continues to get stronger. Yesterday they removed her chest tubes and weaned her down to only 2 of the 12 IV medications she had been taking. She sat upright in a chair for several hours, which is terrific progress. Andrea's chest is hurting her quite a bit, so her doctors are adjusting her pain medications to see if they can make her more comfortable. She will remain in the ICU through the weekend, which is good news since the nurse/ patient ratio is lower in the ICU than the step-down unit.

Yesterday she was flooded with e-cards, which I'm sure will help keep her spirits up. She hasn't had the strength to read them yet, but asked her mom to bring her glasses to the hospital, so hopefully this weekend she'll get a chance to flip through them all. Please keep all the well-wishes coming!

Questions Anyone?

Since this whole “heart thing” began, people have asked me a lot of questions. I know many others have countless questions they haven’t even asked, probably because I rarely summon the energy to answer my phone or respond to e-mails these days – please don’t take it personally, I just spend the vast majority of my time working or sleeping. I hope you know how sincerely grateful I am for all of the positive thoughts and support, despite the crickets you sometimes hear in return. Since I can’t seem to keep up with the emails and cards and phone calls coming my way, I thought I’d address some of the frequently asked questions here.

Do you have dietary restrictions?
Yes, I am currently on a low-sodium and caffeine-free diet. I’m told I can have caffeine again once I have a new ticker, but I’m not sure about the sodium thing…I’m sort of afraid to ask!

What can I do to help?
So many people have asked what they can do, and I’m so grateful for the many offers. Besides a healthy heart (which I don’t want to take from any of you!), I don’t need a thing. I do always enjoy receiving emails and cards with your positive thoughts and well-wishes, so thank you for sending them.

When will the transplant take place?
While it would be great to have the procedure scheduled in advance, heart transplantation just doesn’t work that way. Timing is completely dependent on when a match is identified. While that could happen anytime, my money’s on June. It could be May, it could be September, but the average wait for my hospital is 1.7 months.

How many other people are awaiting hearts?
There are a total of 35 people waiting for hearts in New Jersey, which is the “universe” that I’m concerned with in terms of my wait. There are a total of 8 people (myself included) that are my status or above, have my blood type and have been listed for at least 90 days. There are only 2 females (myself included) listed with my blood type, which is a good thing since one match criterion is body size. I am the only person younger than 35 waiting for a heart in NJ (most are 50-64).

How does the process work once a match is identified?
While a lot of people seem to think doctors can store organs on ice for extended periods of time, unfortunately Encino Man was just a movie. Hearts only last for a few hours after brain death, so once a match is identified, a whirlwind of activity will begin. I’ll get a phone call and will need to report to the hospital within two hours to be prepped for surgery. At the same time, my cardiologist will travel to wherever the heart is located to evaluate it and confirm whether or not it’s a good match. Assuming it is, he will then bring the heart back to my hospital.

How long are surgery and recovery?
The surgery lasts 4-6 hours and is apparently pretty uncomplicated relative to other major operations. I’m told I can expect to feel more energized as soon as I come out of my haze and may be able to walk (albeit not far) the day after surgery. I expect to be in the hospital for 7-10 days, which seems like a blink at this point, and then will continue my recovery from home. I’m not sure how long the full recovery period will be, but I’m thinking I should be pretty normal (at least as compared to how normal I was before this all began…) after 4-6 months.

While I look forward to having the energy to e-mail and call all of my wonderful friends and family, I just don’t seem to have the bandwidth to keep up with more than a few people these days. Even when I don’t respond, please know that I so appreciate the voicemails and e-mails and cards from all of you. I hope this post helped answer some of your questions and I look forward to connecting with each of you once my energy is restored!