Comments on: Yo, Robert! How about an update on your medical condition? https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:05:37 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43912 DanS Sat, 07 Dec 2019 17:03:51 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43912 FYI: Henny Youngman was also in the movie Airplane. He was Ted Striker's (AKA, Robert Hays) abandoned taxi fare (a running visual gag throughout the flick). He was really a lot funnier than he was. ...And yes, I did write that line correctly. FYI:
Henny Youngman was also in the movie Airplane. He was Ted Striker’s (AKA, Robert Hays) abandoned taxi fare (a running visual gag throughout the flick). He was really a lot funnier than he was. …And yes, I did write that line correctly.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43863 Robert Sat, 02 Nov 2019 01:01:09 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43863 After a recent cardio rehab class, a classmate was at the next urinal in the men's room, and told me that he gave CPR to somebody at the gym, only to discover he had recently had open-heart surgery. He confirmed that he broke open the guy's sternum. I asked if he survived and the answer was no, but I think it wasn't just the chest thing, but more likely whatever made him collapse in the first place. But man, that's a caution, isn't it? For me there's a tension between protecting the incision, and the need to stretch my chest and get the muscles back in shape. Sore ribs still give me bad twinges from time to time, and I need to stretch those out...carefully. I'm guessing the Henny Youngman was the old joke about going to the doctor and saying "Doc, it hurts when I do this!", right? Definitely, if it hurts, don't do that. After a recent cardio rehab class, a classmate was at the next urinal in the men’s room, and told me that he gave CPR to somebody at the gym, only to discover he had recently had open-heart surgery. He confirmed that he broke open the guy’s sternum. I asked if he survived and the answer was no, but I think it wasn’t just the chest thing, but more likely whatever made him collapse in the first place.

But man, that’s a caution, isn’t it?

For me there’s a tension between protecting the incision, and the need to stretch my chest and get the muscles back in shape. Sore ribs still give me bad twinges from time to time, and I need to stretch those out…carefully.

I’m guessing the Henny Youngman was the old joke about going to the doctor and saying “Doc, it hurts when I do this!”, right?

Definitely, if it hurts, don’t do that.

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43862 DanS Fri, 01 Nov 2019 21:50:35 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43862 Great to hear! Had a friend of mine at WorldCom (way back when that was happening) ripped himself open. Actually, it was pretty funny -- unless you're sensitive about how other's feel... He was in the weight room -- had not had any surgery at all -- and was pressing weights. One day he actually split his sternum. When to the doctor who affirmed he was indeed now ready for surgery. Of course, there was nothing to be done about it but to heal. He told me ->seriously<- that the worst was trying to pick up his 1-year-old son. Felt like he was ripping himself in half. Henny Youngman stepped into my head and I told him "Well, don't do that." Great to hear!

Had a friend of mine at WorldCom (way back when that was happening) ripped himself open. Actually, it was pretty funny — unless you’re sensitive about how other’s feel…

He was in the weight room — had not had any surgery at all — and was pressing weights. One day he actually split his sternum. When to the doctor who affirmed he was indeed now ready for surgery.

Of course, there was nothing to be done about it but to heal. He told me ->seriously<- that the worst was trying to pick up his 1-year-old son. Felt like he was ripping himself in half. Henny Youngman stepped into my head and I told him "Well, don't do that."

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43784 Robert Tue, 01 Oct 2019 02:27:19 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43784 You must've been under the same restrictions as me regarding not pulling on the arms to avoid ripping open the sternal incision. How did you keep Jesus from ripping your chest open? Enquiring minds would love to know... You must’ve been under the same restrictions as me regarding not pulling on the arms to avoid ripping open the sternal incision.

How did you keep Jesus from ripping your chest open? Enquiring minds would love to know…

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43781 Robert Mon, 30 Sep 2019 18:35:36 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43781 Thanks, Dan. Each day is a little better. Today I made trip to the grocery store (3/4 mi round trip) and brought back a light bag. At this point, the biggest constraint I face is not putting strain on the incision by lifting anything heavy, which I'm pushing back on a little bit at a time. Nice having the visiting nurse, isn't it? It's one thing to be able to call the doctor's office, but it's a comfort to have somebody drop by a couple of times a week and take a personal look. Each day is a little better. Thanks, Dan. Each day is a little better. Today I made trip to the grocery store (3/4 mi round trip) and brought back a light bag. At this point, the biggest constraint I face is not putting strain on the incision by lifting anything heavy, which I’m pushing back on a little bit at a time.

Nice having the visiting nurse, isn’t it? It’s one thing to be able to call the doctor’s office, but it’s a comfort to have somebody drop by a couple of times a week and take a personal look.

Each day is a little better.

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43772 DanS Sun, 29 Sep 2019 18:05:49 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43772 About this time in your recovery, I was doing the block and had taken charge of walking my son's dog (dark wolf-hound) (I had moved in with him and his girlfriend -- now his wife -- during recovery). Jesus (that's the wolfhound) looked vicious as hell, but was just a big puppy. He had been abused by his previous owner, and only responded to the name Jesus, because that was what was always shouted at him in puppyhood. During that period, I also proved to myself that cigars do indeed lower the heart rate (surprise), so that went away. Short, shuffling steps, but getting stronger. Also, I'm on a pacemaker which needed to be adjusted. I reported a rate of 130 bpm to my after-hours MD contact, which was not believed. Home nurse arrived the next morning and raised holy hell with the hospital. Fun to watch. You're doing fine, Robert. Hang in there. About this time in your recovery, I was doing the block and had taken charge of walking my son’s dog (dark wolf-hound) (I had moved in with him and his girlfriend — now his wife — during recovery). Jesus (that’s the wolfhound) looked vicious as hell, but was just a big puppy. He had been abused by his previous owner, and only responded to the name Jesus, because that was what was always shouted at him in puppyhood.

During that period, I also proved to myself that cigars do indeed lower the heart rate (surprise), so that went away. Short, shuffling steps, but getting stronger.

Also, I’m on a pacemaker which needed to be adjusted. I reported a rate of 130 bpm to my after-hours MD contact, which was not believed. Home nurse arrived the next morning and raised holy hell with the hospital. Fun to watch.

You’re doing fine, Robert. Hang in there.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43743 ER Fri, 27 Sep 2019 19:27:31 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43743 Copy that. Copy that.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2019/09/26/yo-robert-how-about-an-update-on-your-medical-condition/#comment-43742 Robert Fri, 27 Sep 2019 16:16:14 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78538#comment-43742 The arc of my health generally bends toward better, with the occasional bad day. I'm having an irregular heart beat that is slowly going away with drug treatment, but when it acts up, it can ruin my day. For years I've gauged my health in terms of walking. At my best I'd walk three miles a day at a fast pace. These days, a good day is two walks, more like strolls, of 1/2 mile each. That's progress, and I think I'm ahead of the normal curve for somebody in my position. I'm discovering the expensive joy of home grocery delivery. Started with Safeway, but when they left out <i>23 of 28</i> items on an order, I switched to Instacart, and that's working out. This is in support of completely revamping my diet, to return to cooking almost everything from scratch so I can control the fat and salt content. Got an InstantPot pressure cooker, which seems to be able to cook everything, and thats interesting. Today I'm going in for a chest x-ray and blood tests, in preparation for a meeting with my surgeon next week. I expect he'll remove the stainless steel staples from my chest incision, and I'll be left with just the scar. There you have it. Thanks for asking, ER. The arc of my health generally bends toward better, with the occasional bad day. I’m having an irregular heart beat that is slowly going away with drug treatment, but when it acts up, it can ruin my day.

For years I’ve gauged my health in terms of walking. At my best I’d walk three miles a day at a fast pace. These days, a good day is two walks, more like strolls, of 1/2 mile each. That’s progress, and I think I’m ahead of the normal curve for somebody in my position.

I’m discovering the expensive joy of home grocery delivery. Started with Safeway, but when they left out 23 of 28 items on an order, I switched to Instacart, and that’s working out. This is in support of completely revamping my diet, to return to cooking almost everything from scratch so I can control the fat and salt content. Got an InstantPot pressure cooker, which seems to be able to cook everything, and thats interesting.

Today I’m going in for a chest x-ray and blood tests, in preparation for a meeting with my surgeon next week. I expect he’ll remove the stainless steel staples from my chest incision, and I’ll be left with just the scar.

There you have it. Thanks for asking, ER.

]]>