Post-Surgery Check-Up

I had my appointment with the surgeon yesterday and don't go back to see him for a year!  Everything is fine, and I can drive and resume activities again!  Yay!! However, I wish I had a do-over for that appointment since I forgot to ask several questions.  Fortunately, they have a website for patients where we can send and receive messages, pay bills, and see reports.  So I asked the questions that way.

When I drive, the seat belt is uncomfortable enough that I'm going to put a little pillow between it and my chest.  The incision/scar is sensitive but doesn't bother me.  The skin on either side of it for about 6" at best feels very sensitive when my clothes touch it and at worst burns.  That's the best way to describe it - a burning feeling.  Then sometimes there is a shooting pain like a nerve is firing across my chest.  I'm recovering from what was done to my heart just fine but sawing through my sternum is taking a while.  For some reason under my arm aches and burns and so does my back under my shoulder blade sometimes.  Odd and uncomfortable but will get better eventually.

I called the local hospital about cardiac rehab that I'll go to now after my post-surgery appointment.  I have been walking on the treadmill at the gym when I could get a ride and got up to a mile in 32 minutes - so not that fast but better than I did before surgery.  I also didn't get out of breath and could have done more but my knee was bothering me.  (I'm old.)  So the nurse told me they have to get an order from my cardiologist for a treadmill test to see if I'm able to do the rehab.  I think so. 

And that's how things are with me!