I Walked !!!

June 15, 2022 - I WALKED !!!

I am continuing to slowly regain my strength here at the physical rehabilitation facility. This early afternoon, I continued working with my occupational therapist. She guided me through various upper-body exercises using a short, one-pound pole that I held in my hands while lying in bed. Soon after, I continued with my physical therapy. Two therapists helped me to stand and ultimately to walk. Yes, I was actually able to walk a short distance down the hallway and back, to and from my room, using a metal walker for support.

Walking certainly was a challenge, considering I was wearing special padded shoes (due to the diabetic ulcers in both of my feet), plus I had a hose in my nose connected to an oxygen tank; a hose taped onto my chest for my wound vacuum; and a catheter down below with the hose taped to my left thigh. One therapist was there to grab me in case I fell. The other therapist pushed a wheelchair behind me that held the oxygen tank, the wound vacuum, and the catheter bag.

My blood pressure was low when I started (111/40), but was substantially higher when I finished (157/88). My blood pressure has since settled at 129/78.

PHOTO: Here is my "infamous" wound vacuum that constantly sucks out discharge and infected blood from the seven open wounds within my chest to keep them dry and also pulls the individual wounds closer together, both of which promote faster healing. I am expecting to have the wound vacuum dressing on my chest changed today, as I do every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

(I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022, and two plastic reconstructive surgeries on my chest last month.)

CLARIFICATION: My seven wounds are the result of an eight-inch-long, vertical incision in my chest closed with seven sutures.

UPDATE (June 16, 2022): The dressing on my chest was not changed yesterday. It will probably be changed tomorrow. WRONG. It was changed today.