We went to the zoo!!!!

We all went to the zoo yesterday!!!  Rob has not felt up to going to the zoo in quite some time so this was a big day for us!!!  I even forgot and asked him if he needed to sit and rest a couple of times and he said, "What for?" and jogged ahead of me!!!!   It still amazes us how good he is feeling--last week his doctor told us that he can't wait to hear how Rob is feeling in a couple of months since he is doing this good at 5 weeks post op!!!!!  Starts cardiac rehab tomorrow-soon I won't be able to keep up with him!!!!

4 week post op appointment

went to surgeons office today for the 4 week follow up.  Of course, he was impressed with Rob's progress (and his own work!).  He is still in sinus rhythm and healing well.  Rob can now lift a little more (still not Kaitlyn, unfortunately), and can start cardiac rehab next week.     The best part of the appt was walking in--- same way we walked in for the pre op visit but this time Rob did not need to stop once to catch his breath and we parked farther away this time!!!  Amazing what removing a "straight jacket" over your heart will do!!!  Rob will have another follow up in a month and if still going good, medicines will be reduced and the next month, if still good, will be off most medicine!!!!

The doctor looked back at records and he has lost about 70 lbs from appt 8 months ago!!!!  I love when people first see him now and either do a double or stop in their tracks.  We are having so much fun with our family time and getting out more!!!!

Carrie

 

Meals

Just wanted to thank everyone for all of the meals!!  We are doing great right now---and Rob will be back to driving within a few days, so I just wanted to throw out that PLEASE if you feel that the meal that you signed up for is needed elsewhere, we are okay with that!!!  Now that we are out of our Wetzel bubble and entering the world again, we know that there are lots of others that are in need.  Thanks again for all of your support! 

3 week post op report

I was just thinking how fun it will be when I can type 3 MONTHS post op!  Things are still going great!  Rob had a follow up appt with Cardiologist and he was pleased with Robs progress!!  We have gotten out of the house a few times now but no driving for another week.   Likely will begin cardiac rehab in the next two weeks, but continues to walk at least 30 minutes on the treadmill and has really noticed a difference in what he is able to do.

On the home front things are okay-- hectic as usual!  Kaitlyn is sick with a cold/cough so we are praying that Rob does not catch that!  Not very excited about  "making" her write out 22 Valentines today!        For all of those who asked, Sam is fine.  Meds seem to control her "symptoms" and she is back to all of her old ways- knocking the trash can over in search of food, drinking out of the toilet, etc! 

Hope everyone has a great Valentines day-- squeeze the one you love!!!  Rob is willing to put a picture of his scar on here if he gets enough requests!  Love to you all!!!!

2 Weeks Post Op. Update

Rob here.  Things are going well.  No steri-strips on the incision site and my pain level is quite tolerable.  The scar is not bad at all.  It merely looks like a straight razor cut right down the center of my chest.  It only hurts when I cough hard or when I attempt to use my arms more than I should.  Apparently the muscle in my chest takes a bit of time to heal. 

Again, Carrie is a champ and has been taking exceptional care of me, which I probably don't deserve, well yeah I guess I do.  I've been using the treadmill for periods up to 30 minutes at a time a couple of times a day.  What a change from my pre-operative condition when I could only go for a few minutes without having to stop and breathe.  Looking back, I knew something was very wrong but just got used to feeling like crap.

I'm getting a bit of cabin fever and I am anxious to get out of the house and eventually return to work.  I think I will be going to a Superbowl party at the Giljum's.  I have a lot to be thankful for including God, family, friends, church, co-workers, doctors and nurses.  Another special thank you to those who have provided meals for us.  That has really made things easy.

I think the hard part or painful part is coming to an end.  Now it will just take time for my chest to heal the rest of the way.  My advice to friends and family is to please listen to your body when it is telling you something is wrong.  Procrastination could definitely be costly.

-Rob

Carrie's day!

 I know that this is a blog about Rob but I have to vent about the day I had and I have this blog thing, so…….

  People have said before that the daily Wetzel life could be a sitcom and today I believe it!!! 

Yesterday was a great day—snow day for Kaitlyn- lots of baking and crafts and overall fun.  When I was making dinner (well not REALLY making dinner-just heating up a delicious meal that was delivered), I smell something odd.  Sam (our dog) had gone #2 all over the kitchen floor and down the hall into the living room.  Not just formed #2, but explosive.  This continued all night long.  ALL.NIGHT.LONG. She would then want to go outside and would not come back in, so several times during the night, I had to get dressed and trek the yard for her.  She is going blind and hard of hearing so you can’t just yell for her or hope that she sees you at the back door…..Nope, have to go all the way up to her to get her attention.  Mind you, during these trips outside, she doesn’t have her “accidents” she only preferred to do those inside.  So you can imagine the sleep I got.

So this am I then have to defrost Rob’s car (not in a garage).  The automatic starter wouldn’t work, of course, so I had to go out the start the car.  Doors are frozen, so that takes some effort, but alas the doors open and defrosting begins.  20 minutes later I realize that this is doing nothing for the windshield and I will need the ice scraper which is in my car (also not in the garage—what do we keep in the garage you ask????  The golf cart!).  Out I go to my car----doors frozen.  I know the scraper is in the back but there was no getting that open, nor could I get the back door open- so in the driver’s side I go and climb through the car, losing my boot out the door along the way. I climb to the back seat.  The trunk is full of Kaitlyns old baby stuff (exersaucer, bouncy seats, etc) that Rob wants to get rid of but in an emotional not-ready-to-give-it-up phase I decide to just put it all in my trunk so it is out of the house until I am ready to get rid of it.  SO after some moving around I am able to pull out the scraper, climb back through the car, retrieve my boot (after having to put my foot in the snow to get it), walk to Robs car and notice THEN that I only have the stick part of the scraper- the actual scraper/brush part broke off the top!!!!  Oh yeah, I have to repeat the climbing through my car fiasco and retrieve the scraper part.  After rigging the scraper back up because it was actually broken off the top, I go about trying to de-ice the car.   (To add to the fun, the scraper came apart a couple of times while scraping.)   When I am almost done, Kaitlyn starts yelling to me------Yep; Sam had another “accident.”   Eventually I do make it to work and manage thru the day.

So tonight I take Sam to the vet, Sarah Hormuth (aka, one of the sweetest human beings ever).  She went to high school with Rob so she has known us for a long time.   I decide to get the embarrassment over at the start and tell her that she should probably report me to the Dept of Animals bad parent hotline because I know we are behind on shots, blood work, etc., etc.  She assures me that all parents with small children feel this way about their pets.  I tell her what is going on while she is snuggling on Sam telling me how good she looks (yes, Amy Zlatic, this is the same dog that you had to ask what breed she was because of her size- she is a Cocker Spaniel but lovingly nicknamed Sausage.)  So she checks her out and the diagnosis---Acute, Stress Related, Large Intestine Colitis (aka- an Irritable Bowel Episode from stress!).  So she needs Imodium and Flagyl (yep, same as human Flagyl).  SO me and my dog now have the same stomach issues and I find it amazing that she is stressed—she never has seemed very smart so I can’t believe she knows what is going on around her!   Now when I first got her, I would not have said that.  This is the dog that went with me to the nursing home I worked at, the dog that I searched every kennel for and cried at a few the first time I had to leave her, and the same dog that one of the first times she was sick, I famously stated “She has to be okay, she’s all I’ve got” in front of Rob (uncomfortable ride home!).  This is that dog that apparently is smart enough to know what is going on with the 3 senses she has left!  So hopefully once the meds kick in, we can both get a good night’s sleep!!!!

Now that I have vented about my day……Rob is doing good this week!  A little bit more tired, still in some pain, but overall good!  We are hoping to get out of the house, even just for a drive this weekend, so hoping for higher temps!  Thanks for all the ongoing support, prayers, meals, etc!!!!