Posted by Carl Plaskett on May 09, 2001 at 01:23:26:
Thanks, Rob, for your detailed report, although us in the South, (or at least me)may not have a clue to what you're talking about re: skiing. It sounds worse than the maze to ME!
I believe your discomfort must be because of the 2 procedures, unless I just don't have any nerve endings in the sternum area. I was, and still am a little sore, but coughing caused most of that. The strange feeling of being in NSR, as you described, is something that most of us had forgotten, and perhaps that feeling masked some of my discomfort.
It will get much better for you, but with your "double procedure" I wouldn't want to hazard a guess as to when. I will say though, that swimming has been the most exhilerating exercise, with virtually no discomfort, that I have resumed. I did not swim after AF became so dominating. I had all kinds of excuses for doing next to nothing ("don't want to crash my bike if I pass out; don't want to hit the pool gutter doing flip turns; etc., etc.). It all boiled down to not wanting to do anything I could no longer do well...and the fact that exercise would induce AF more than 1/2 the time.
If swimming helped you before the maze, I think you will find it the easiest thing to do soon, when your incision has healed (and you get an OK from your DR,...like YOU are going to wait for THAT!
Keep up the healing, and keep us informed of your progress-OFTEN. It will be helpful, pro or con to many others.