I dream of Souffles: 5 weeks Post-Op and Evolution of the Scar

Five weeks post-op today! Woo hoo! Apologies for my radio silence recently; time has really gone quickly the last few weeks, which is great! My recovery has continued to be smoother and easier than last time. I have filled my time with puzzles, needlepoint, movies, Disney Emoji Blitz and lots of family time. It has been a restful and recuperative few weeks and I marvel at how well everything is going. My stamina is excellent (I'm walking up to 2 miles a day); my mobility is fabulous (great chest and torso flexibility); and I'm transitioning into regular activity steadily (making food, doing laundry). My energy levels are a bit up and down but I'm going in the right direction.

I visited the cardiologist last week and everything is looking good. I have a little bit of fluid in my lungs still but that's normal; it can take a few months for fluid to be reabsorbed. I'm staying on top of my incentive spirometer, staying active and will remain on diuretics a little longer. My INR levels are in the target range and I haven't had any issues with the Warfarin.

I couldn't have dreamed or hoped for a better recovery! And really all of this is thanks to the extremely talented group of people at Keck USC Hospital. Not only was my hospital stay flawless in terms of care, expertise and professionalism, but the speed and smoothness of my recovery at home is also confirmation of the caliber and quality of the care I received. THANK YOU Dr. Starnes & the entire Cardiovascular Surgical team and Department at Keck Hospital. Thank you!

As further testament to the surgical team's expertise, here's a fun look at the scars from different heart operations. In my humble, unbiased opinion, my current scar is the best of them all! Props to the closer(s)!

The evolution of the scar...