[vigsom]

It has been six months since my last updates on my condition. Before I move ahead, I'd like to drop links on the post op, and the recovery phase here in this thread, in the hope that it helps instill some confidence in those who have had their plumbing fixed.

1. The Post Op Story

2. Recovery phase

How's it been from Aug-2023 till now

Travel

I resumed work related travel in end Sep. Docs had advised six to eight weeks full rest but I gave it an extra month. As @GTO had mentioned - "Good recovery key to long-term strength". Am not yet travelling 2AC or 3AC overnight, but have taken the upper berth in 1AC twice - no issues climbing up the stairs, but still not sure of climbing monkey ladders

Drives

Resumed outstation drives in early Nov, and am doing one a month on an average

Medical condition, symptoms, changes, moods

1. Am on limited medication eg. Ecosprin and a couple of others for now
2. Face severe mood swings - not sure if this is a normal "compression"() - depression cycle but this wasn't so bad pre-op
3. Vitals are all super normal. My sugars are at their best levels recorded in the last 6 years
4. I was apprehensive of me losing strength in my left leg (the clutch leg) but that fear seems to have been unfounded
5. The only major change - for the first 30 mins or so post lunch, I am not able to concentrate at the conference table and keep yawning. This wasn't the case pre-op
6. While riding in a sedan eg. Dzire, Etios road undulations would hit me straight above the belly button but just placing my hand there would absorb the shock. No pain, but the subconscious would trigger a reaction.

Diet

1. am careful around the spice, oil but what I'm totally avoiding is cheese and butter (can't help if a preparation has a bit of it)
2. little to no rice, and even if I do, I eat a rice based meal only once a week
3. eggs at max 2 whites a week
4. fruits restricted to apples, guava, pappaya and an occasional orange; completely stopped grapes, chikoos, and remains to be seen how I'm able to ward off mangoes
5. following a 14 hour fasting regimen
6. Meals - three a day but eat in moderation

Exercise

Get a lot of it when I'm at work, since it involves a lot of walking up and down, climbing stairways etc. Matter of chance, but my airport walks have gotten much longer thanks to unfavorable positioning of non- Digi Yatra entry gates, security bays, and boarding gates, but it's helping me.

Review

Have had a full review including a TMT and it looks good so far; but I'm being careful though. Fingers crossed!!

[nirmaljusdoit]

Nice to hear of your recovery ! You will get stronger with time and have more energy and look younger than before !

By the way fats and egg yellow do not have any effect on heart health and this has been debunked, healthy fats can be consumed & avoid too many carbs and fried stuff especially seed oils which cause inflammation as well. All fruits contain fructose which is as bad as sugar (glucose) and is better in moderation.

[RunGaDa]

Thanks for your update on post recovery. Wishing you progress in recovery ahead.
I was having one question. How are you completing the daily protein requirement?

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by vigsom

am careful around oil

You might be interested in an air fryer. My parents recently purchased one and I am quite astonished at how good food tastes despite almost zero oil. Wishing you a fast recovery!

[Vikram87]

Great going Vigsom

Just some words of wisdom since being a practising cardiologist at a leading medical college of India

1. Eat raw fruits and veggies 2-3 servings 0f 100-150 gms each per day
2. No single oil is best - mix and match like olive oil, mustard oil, desi cow ghee etc keep rotating every 15 days
3. Eggs not an issue u can easily have 1-2 whole eggs per day and there is no limit on egg whites
4. Don’t stop antiplatlets i.e. ecosprin unless there is some bleed
4. Keep BP and Sugars under strict control ~ (target BP <130/80 with or without medications)
5. Be stress free, exercise liberally
5. Avoid stimulants and intoxicants

CABG is infact best treatment for coronary heart disease ~ so u got best for yourself

Point number 04 is most important factor to prevent reocclusion on bypass grafts

Good luck for future and be free to contact in case of any query or need
Regards

[Amrit@wheels]

In 2021, my aunty had suffered a heart attack but survived thanks to swift medical attention. She was a typical Indian woman with a terrible diet, no specific workout regime and poor mental health as well. She suffered from diabetes, fatty liver and multiple cardiovascular issues. She was 56 when she had the heart-attack, and now she's 59 and MUCH fitter overall. Here are the lifestyle changes she incorporated that led to reversing her condition-
1 - Fasting. I can not stress enough how important it is. EVERYONE should fast, at least 12 hours. Ideally 16 hours but 12 hours is the minimum. She started by fasting for 8 hours, then 12, 16, and gradually 18. 18 hours of fasting was a game changer. Give your body a chance to recover fellas.
2 - Low carb and bad fats - Minimizing wheat and rice and replacing them with veggies worked wonders. Completely eliminating bad fats such as refined oils and butter helped a great deal. Any sort of processed fat was a big no.
3 - Incorporating healthy fats - Replacing refined oils with cold-pressed coconut oil and ghee in reasonable quantities definitely improved her health overall.
4 - Adding more veggies and fruits - 2-3 medium-sized servings of green veggies (cabbage was a staple) and adding fruit like Orange replaced evening snacks. One serving of Sauerkraut was mandatory.
5- Milk products - Almost all milk products were eliminated including cheese and Chai. Only green tea twice a day without any additives.
5 - Mutton soup - She suffered from other health issues as well and mutton soup/broth improved her gut health and helped her lose weight. This was the go-to dinner/last meal. Only mutton bones were boiled with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and turmeric, with no other additives.
6 - Daily walks - Started from a mere 1km, now she walks 5kms+ every day. This helped in cutting down weight, increasing stamina most importantly, improving mental health.
7 - Adding daily supplements - Zing, Magnesium, Vit B and D along with usual C and E were added daily.
Thankfully, she is now living a very healthy life, free from all of her major health issues. Her blood work is clean as well. This is supposed to be an informative post for people who need help. Take care guys, in this day and era, health is literally wealth!

[vigsom]

Thank You @nirmaljudoit, @RunGaDa, @Vikram87, @Amrit@Wheels, @McLaren Rulez

Originally Posted by RunGaDa

How are you completing the daily protein requirement?

Haven't kept a track but I have pulses in all forms. Not sure if I should take something else/ more.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by vigsom

1. Am on limited medication eg. Ecosprin and a couple of others for now
2. Face severe mood swings - not sure if this is a normal "compression"() - depression cycle but this wasn't so bad pre-op
3. Vitals are all super normal. My sugars are at their best levels recorded in the last 6 years
4. I was apprehensive of me losing strength in my left leg (the clutch leg) but that fear seems to have been unfounded

Diet
5. following a 14 hour fasting regimen
6. Meals - three a day but eat in moderation

Exercise
Get a lot of it when I'm at work, since it involves a lot of walking up and down, climbing stairways etc.
Review
Have had a full review including a TMT and it looks good so far; but I'm being careful though. Fingers crossed!!

Good to know that you are on the path to recovery in the 6th gear. Could relate to many of your points here.

I recently got the annual medical check done with a renowned Cadiologist in pune and based on the results the medications have been halved now. Its 2 medicines now and one of them is Ecospirin.

I have been practising 2 meals a day since the past 6 months and that coupled with the daily 1 hr walk has helped to reduce the weight in addition to an improved heart beat rate and BP vitals. However I feel i have been losing the muscle fat rather than the bad fat, have started weights based on the Doctor's advice. Diet has been mainly salads, sprouts, nuts, fruits for one meal, heavy breakfast, reduced non veg, zero carbonated drinks, moderated alcohol. Hope I continue to stick to this although do get tempted once in a while.

Climbing heights is still an issue with me as I tend to get slightly breathless (so Ladakh is still out of scope). I too am getting mood swings sometimes and wifey says its due to men's menopause. Of course I laugh it off.

All the very best to you in your journey to the "Back to Normal".

[srvm]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

......

I have been practising 2 meals a day since the past 6 months and that coupled with the daily 1 hr walk has helped to reduce the weight in addition to an improved heart beat rate and BP vitals. However I feel i have been losing the muscle fat rather than the bad fat, have started weights based on the Doctor's advice. Diet has been mainly salads, sprouts, nuts, fruits for one meal, heavy breakfast, reduced non veg, zero carbonated drinks, moderated alcohol. Hope I continue to stick to this although do get tempted once in a while.

Wonderful. Kudos to sticking to it for 6 months. Thats great mental strength

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Climbing heights is still an issue with me as I tend to get slightly breathless (so Ladakh is still out of scope). I too am getting mood swings sometimes and wifey says its due to men's menopause. Of course I laugh it off.

The correct term should be 'andropause', no?