Oh White, you have no idea how much I can’t wait to get back to that exact stuff!

Gimme two weeks and I’m in!

LOL ! It sure can be fun !!

Get better quick !!

I had knee surgery a few years back. After the surgery when I got home, I decided to lookup a video of this procedure done on someone else.
They treated that leg like it was a piece of meat. Weren’t gentle at all! Lol

Glad I didn’t watch that prior to surgery.

Your surgery was much more serious and complicated for sure.

On a related note; my plumbing subcontractor is the only non-family member, besides you folks here on T-man, that know that I’ve had this procedure.

He’s a great friend, with a great sense of humor. He made me promise him that I would let him know if I survived the procedure afterwards. I told him as long as I didn’t have to call from the great beyond, because I didn’t know what the toll charges might be for that, I would let him know.

I called him soon after I got out of the ICU. I was telling him how I had my first shower four days post-op with a nurse assisting. He asked, “What did he look like?”

I laughed and it felt like I ripped stitches. After I recovered enough to talk again I told him
”she was very professional.”

I owe him one.

Judging by the amount of bruising, soreness and various cuts all over my body, they weren’t gentle with me JP. There’s a small but deep puncture wound near my left ankle. I told my wife I think somebody dropped a scalpel there…

Glad your still with us, Lug! I’ve watched many of my friends go through what you did, and hope I neverr have to! None in my family….hope it stays that way! Get healed up and you will be like a new man. Read this whole thread and it’s amazing how many on here have a zipper! Get well bud!

They cracked a rib spreading mine. When I complained, the doctor said it's not a gentle procedure. Told him I realized that, I've done it to hundreds of deer. He told me it's the same but he is neater. mikec

2 years ago had an aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair.In sept of this year I finally started feeling really good. Got covid the second week out of surgery which sucked bad. What ever you do make sure you do all your breathing exercise i have 2 small dead spots in my lung as I couldn't do those breathing exercises.

War stories:

33 years ago, age 41. They removed my aortic valve and ascending aortic arch. Replaced with Dacron mesh tube and Titanium valve. Used three Teflon washers to hook up three arteries to the mesh. Made retirement, still trapping and farming. Got to see my kids grown and two grandsons. On Coumadin and have blood checked regularly. It was a tough go for 6 months/year. Long time ago, so kind of forget some of the details.

I always said, good health is just a slow way to die. My heart issue was same as Lugnut, but I never made it to a stress test. My Dad was 97 at the time, I was 68, he never had a problem, but all his maternal side died in their 70's. Two weeks after triple by pass I said I could go to a security seminar for church, wife said I was pushing it, ended up passing out there and a lady started to do CPR, my friend told her "stop, he just had open heart surgery" I ended up back in the hospital for a day, all OK but my chest hurt. Doc changed my blood pressure med, I didn't need to be so low.

Things are good so far will get a check up soon . I will put it off until after spring beaver trapping. They said it can be put in a vain so will see. Going to get my fish shanty home tomorrow. Just don't stop doing what makes you happy. Larry

Thanks for the great tip Cheever, it works well. The only pain meds I’m still on are 750mg Tylenol every six hours and I think I’m going to cut that back to 500mg next dose.

So I’m starting to feel it a bit more but hooking at least one foot under the bed frame and pulling with my leg(s) seems to be the least painful way to get out of bed.

I’ve been walking around the property with my wife the last several days. The short lap is about a quarter-mile. I did one lap the first day, two the second day and today. I wanted to do three today but didn’t have another lap in me. LOL I did putz around in the shop for a bit this morning.

The doctors, nurses and therapists all encouraged me to keep moving so…tomorrow three laps minimum

I started using the spirometer three days post-op. It was pretty painful and I could barely move the indicator. I still did it ten times every hour. Even at night because there’s no such thing as a good night’s rest in ICU. Every hour or so someone is waking you up to check your vitals, administer drugs, takes X-rays, etc.

It was remarkable how quickly my lungs cleared and gained capacity.

keep going, never stop that's what I do every day,

Advice to live by Trapper Dahlgren.