29 January 2020… A better day weather wise, chance to get out of the house and enjoy some sunshine. Still cold and with a keen wind it was necessary to wrap up with scarf and gloves, but Alfie enjoyed the walk as much as I did and I reached my target of 10,000 steps without a problem. 12 months ago I would have been panting for breath and feeling as if I was dying, so the diagnosis and treatment have certainly been the saviour… Ramipril was returned to the pharmacy today, I do not want to take that again, two days in with Losartan, not expecting to see a difference for a wee while yet…

28 January 2020… For as long as I can remember, I always considered Tuesday as a strange entity, so given the weather does not know what it wishes to do and the fact that I started taking Losartan today, a rest day was on the cards…Temperature outside has dropped and the decision was made by Alfie and I that it would be a day indoors… As the chair of governors of a local primary school I do not get to stay indoors all day… A parents meeting this evening at 5:30pm, but that should only be an hour… better days are to come when the weather is warmer and the rain stays in the clouds…

27 January 2020… Plus point today…taken off the dreaded Ramipril and prescribed Losartan 50mg instead…one a day…let’s hope it gets rid of this awful cough that Ramipril has given me…

26 January 2020… One of the drawbacks I have experienced since surgery is being prescribed Bisoporol… It was administered throughout my stay in hospital both pre and post op… Before I was admitted I was taking Securon once a day… but after taking it for 26 years with no review it was hinted that it could have been a contributor to my heart problems, by relaxing the heart too much requiring the heart to work harder when required. From the day of admission it was history and Bisoporol was introduced… But Bisoporol causes cold fingers and toes and it could be quite alarming… I have now had the dose halved but it still causes the same effect… Fix the aortic valve with surgery and then get screwed by the medication required. Ramipril should be history by Wednesday this coming week so cold fingers and toes crossed.

25 January 2020… Another weekend, weather a bit cold and dreary, decision is made to stay indoors with my wee mate Alfie… The cough that is a side effect of Ramipril is becoming a little tedious, cough… cough… cough… day and night, not for much longer I hope because it is hampering the healing of the sternum… never mind I will survive, got through the surgery so I will get through this…Test cricket it is then…

24 January 2020… Another week flies by, really feeling foul today maybe the weather, maybe the boredom but it certainly does not feel great. Decided on a bus trip today, not far but just needed to be in a different place, how people ride on buses daily I will never know, getting in and out of the car can be an effort some days, driving on the roads around home with the speed humps does not help, every bump and pot hole felt, but that is nothing like the discomfort of a 12 mile return trip on a local bus…Do they actually install suspension on the buses? I am sure that the passage of time will help and the discomfort will recede… But some good news today, my consultant has changed my medication, Ramipril was prescribed for me 6 weeks post op and I have had a constant cough ever since, everyone I have spoken to has confirmed that is is the main side effect of this medication and it has been getting me down, but after continued questioning of medical and support staff the phone call came today that it is being replaced by another medication, not sure what it is yet but as long as I lose this cough I will be happy…

23 January 2020… Today is a rest day, had three reasonably busy days this week averaging 9000 steps a day so I am trying to improve the daily level of exercise. Awaiting notification of the next level of Cardiac Rehab, hopefully it will come soon. Please do not avoid any chance of getting exercise provided after surgery it is of great benefit to the recovery process. Chest pain is still there and it is attributed to the sternum, the information given to patients says to allow up to 12 weeks for it to heal but speaking to various other individuals that have gone through the same operation the response is very different, even specialist nurses have advised that it can take up to 12 months in some cases to really heal… So the message is relax, it will heal itself, there is no way to hurry it up…

Well I am approaching the 6 month anniversary of being wheeled into theatre for the operation that will extend my shelf life… Been a bit of a trip but I have survived and look forward to many more anniversaries…