Having chronic conditions is hard. The baseline is to stay stable, not pick up any germs, and not get hospitalized. I missed my last session of physiotherapy because I woke up very dizzy on the 27th. I'll complete it this week, get my report and then see my Ortho doctor again.
There are a couple of things I want to work on for this year, especially since I need to prepare for the replacement of my mitral valve. I had ten years to prepare last time I had heart surgery. I've managed to delay it for a year (thanks to my knee and ankle), but it's imminent.
Anyway, aside from the baseline, I'd like to increase my stamina, increase my oximeter level, reduce weight and eat healthy. One thing the dietician of my boys said is it's better to eat home-cooked meals. It's better also than ordering prepared healthy meals. It's important to know what's going on your food and you can control the ingredients.
I did notice the difference the past three weeks. During Christmas and New Year, I tried to cook more. I had less bloating and it was easier on my tummy. It has probably helped reduce some of the red flags on my blood markers. The thing is I need to have better stamina so I can cook more.
Physiotherapy helped me to move more. My knee and ankle are a bit better, so I've been able to do more gardening (sometimes 150 minutes in a day!). I once had a day where I did gardening and cooked. I was half dead though the next day, so I need to temper things. My physiotherapist also said I should still take it easy since I still experience pain when I do too much.
In summary, here's what I want to do for the year:
- be more than stable
- increase stamina
- increase oximeter levels (will go back to pulmo rehab after I complete my PT)
- move more and get more sunlight
- reduce weight and eat right
- survive heart surgery and be rolling by my birthday or Christmas (depending on when it happens)
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