Well… I’ve been on the mend now for roughly 5 weeks and am doing really well. I started cardiac rehab on the 28th of August and am doing just fine. I’ve stared working out in my basement on the treadmill every day and am on a pretty strict diet, which basically consists of:
- Little or no salt (sodium)
- As few calories as possible
- No cholesterol.
I am consuming on average 1200 mg of sodium and 1500-1700 calories daily. My doctors recommended I stay under 4000 mg of sodium and 2500 calories daily, which I am finding very easy to do with salt substitutes and no junk food. I’ve also completely wiped out caffeine from my diet which was a big step for me. Prior to my heart attack, I was drinking (4) 20 oz Diet Mt Dews before lunch and (4) 20 oz coffees after lunch. No wonder I didn’t sleep very well :). Needless to say, I suffered through a couple of days worth of headaches and am just fine now with water, flavored water, juice and one Diet Rite (0 caffeine/0 carbs/0 calories/0 sodium/very little taste) daily. So far the diet and exercise is doing the trick as I’ve lost about 25 lbs. It is also a huge help that Kami is involved in both the diet and exercise. We trade off working out and are both making heart-healthy meals. That definitely eases the pain of both diet and the exercise.
I have a stress test tomorrow morning (9/10) which will determine my progress and my return to work. I’m anticipating some restrictions with work, but at least I’ll be back. I’ve been getting a little stir crazy.
Thanks everyone for all of the cards, meals, thoughts and and prayers. I am a very lucky individual and feel blessed that my situation wasn’t worse. It has been a very eye-opening event in my life which has pointed me in the direction of a much healthier lifestyle.
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