Exercise is essential

My elder daughter Susan was only too right when she thought even my modest BedEx programme was too ambitious !  Still I have struggled through some moderately bad days when energy levels were low, did three proper BedEx exercises, and managed at least some serious exercise most days. as well as two to three days gardening when the weather was nice.  I am very pleased that I have increased sit/stands from 45  through 50 to 51 today, all in under 4.0 minutes by  a stop watch and without undue distress.  Difficult to get comparative facts but I reckon this is not bad for an octogenarian with heart failure and COPD.  Days with not much energy are now fewer than they were, but still depressing when they happen. 

I am currently having a bit of trouble with my medication.  The targets for dosage and what the patient (that is me) can withstand are not the same.  I am making progress getting it sorted out.   I'll report next blog. 
          

Laid low by lassitude

The last few months I have been laid low by two bad chest infections.  Three courses of antibiotics managed to keep me out of hospital.  However during much of this time I was afflicted by severe lassitude; it was an effort to do even minor things.  Until the last fortnight or so, I had no energy for exercise, so I am extremely unfit.  Walking a short distance is quite a triumph. 

It seems to be generally agreed that most patients with heart failure benefit from exercise, and indeed it is, with medication and healthy eating, considered an important part of treatment.  There is a helpful chapter on exercise in the excellent book “Living well with heart failure” by Kasper and Knudson.  They point out that it is desirable to carry out varied exercises as well as the standard advice to walk for half an hour or so regularly.  Over the years I have devised many exercise programmes which were fine, but ultimately too ambitious, as I gave up before there was much chance for them to do me any good.   I hope I am now more realistic, time will tell.  I plan to spend some twenty minutes, say five mornings a week.   Start with  warm up (marching, heel raising, stretching, wobble board or standing on one leg etc), deep breathing, sit/stands from a chair for four minutes,  wall press-ups for two minutes, biceps curls with a medium rubber band for two minutes, and a gentle cool down with more dreaded stretches.  Perhaps, in the fullness of time,  I could add abdominal crunches, wrist and back exercises, stepping up and down on a stair – the possibilities are endless.  For the moment I plan to keep it simple: twenty minutes of morning exercises, plus walking.    Watch this space.    

Dizzy dangers

The last few days have been like a bumpy ride, high highs, and low lows.  A week or so ago, I was on my way to a good recovery from the chest infection.  I had started an exercise programme, spent 2-3 hours each day in the garden, making good progress.  Then Wednesday evening, feeling unwell, I experienced a return of lethargy, chills but no raised temperature.  Cough back with a  vengeance.  Also continuing dizzy spells.  Doing the least thing was a huge effort.  Feared I may not be fit for weekend in Manchester.  

Saw my GP: chest noisy, put back on doxacycline.  Was dose of ramipril too high?  Basic blood pressure close to 120/80, but standing it was down to 70/40s accounting for the dizzy spells.  Told to cut ramipril from 5 mg a day to 2.5 mg a day.  By the weekend  started to feel better.  

Son in law Steve drove us to Manchester with Judy and Joey to see the Manchester University Theatre Group.  My grandson Andy was Musical Director of Grand Hotel the musical, and it  went really well.   Andy conducted with great enthusiasm, and kept his band in perfect synchrony.  Hugely enjoyable. .  Three days on with lower ramipril dose and dizzy spells seem to have gone.  Really cheered as in addition my energy levels are getting much better.  Looks as if standing blood pressure monitoring should become more routine.