It
has now been 305 days, 10 months, since I had my last cigarette and I
can still say I don't miss it and that I haven't had a problem giving
them up. It, also, doesn't bother me to be around smokers!
In addition to Advair my pulmonary doctor has also prescribed Atrovent--the former has been a tremendous help while after a month I really don't see any benefits from taking the latter so I may discontinue it.
My
sleep pattern hasn't improved though once in awhile, like last night, I
will sleep through the night. More likely I will get up around 2 AM,
play a couple of Hearts and/or Free Cell games on the computer, take a
1/4 of a Lorazepam tranquillizer and go back to sleep. I am also sleeping less, averaging
6-7 hours a night. I know that the older you get the less sleep you are
suppose to need (and, as one blogger reported, smokers who give up smoking lose an hour a night of sleep!!) but I miss my 8-9 hour nights.

I
am having a weight problem--AGAIN!!! Getting close to the 200 pound
mark--very close--like 199 and 3/4s. I would like to blame it on some
of the medicines I take, which have as side effects a possible weight
gain, but I know that isn't true. I have been sloppy with my eating
habits the past two months so I guess I have to start watching what I
eat AGAIN!!!

I have been in the pursuit
of getting the shingles vaccine--if you are over 60 you should get
it--but it has been a farce between my HMO and getting my doctor's
prescription filled. It has been a month and nothing  has been resolved.

I have been having problems with my eyes and have been seeing my ophthalmologist
who has given me eye drops and eye cleaning pads but so far they
haven't helped. He did, once again, suggest I get rid of my birds and
I, once again, ignored him. :O)

Regarding the eyes he did mention the possibility of cataract surgery in the future which leads to another problem. I have been taking flomax and there have been reports that it can interfere with cataract surgory but yesterday I got an e-mail from drugs.com that said a very recent medical report has stated that taking flomax can affect cataract surgery before, during and after. Will definitely talk to my urologist about this when I see him. I do want to stop taking it but for other side affect reasons.

Ironically, ten months AFTER surgery I received a copy of the hospital bill yesterday and the bill came to $90,475.53!!

Next month I am going to my vascular surgeon for a stent in my left leg and angiogram regarding my right leg. It is an in house procedure which will only
require a local anesthetic and I should be back on my feet the next day.

From the very beginning I was told by many--doctors, nurses, people who have been through the operation--that it will take at least a year to recover from the aorta valve replacement operation and here
it is ten months. I certainly feel a lot better than I did 7, 8 months
ago and most of the anxiety spells are gone but I don't feel I will
ever get back to being 100% and the claustrophobia has not diminished.

All in all I am doing okay BUT, and I can't emphasize this often, IF you have any heart surgery
insist on rehab--I feel my doctor not sending me to rehab had a lot to
do with after effects of the operation that could have been avoided.

(All the pictures above were taken this month--I must admit I am looking good! LOL)