Yen

Hubby had his 2nd shoulder replacement surgery this week (the other shoulder was done 3 years ago). The day after surgery the nurse gave him that plastic thingy through which you inhale and try to push the ball as high as possible. Based on his age (71), she suggested he try to get it to 1550; I said "I bet he gets it much higher than that". He pushed it to 4000+, all the way at the top. The anesthesiologist, nurses, and other medical staff expected to see a much "older" person based on his age in the chart. While walking around the halls unassisted, some of the (much younger) staff commented "Wow, you're walking faster than I am!"

I guess they see the gray gotee and think "Old man". They were amazed that he takes no meds and has no other medical issues.... then, when they heard he can ride a bike 60+ miles, they understood. His 25-year-old nurse was inspired to get on her own bike and start riding again. These are people who see seniors recovering from surgery EVERY DAY.

On his recovery, he is doing excellent. He knows the hard work that lies ahead (PT = "Pain & Torture") but is very motivated and cooperative to do whatever it takes. His rotator cuff and shoulder tendons were in good shape, an important marker that indicates an excellent chance for full recovery. This points out the importance of cross-training, strength training and staying active in general.

cyclinfool

Great news. I just hope when I get to be 70 I am still riding and very active. Many of the younger people I work wth just don't take care of themselves.

George

Good that he is doing fine Yen and your right about what younger people say about us and the things we do. I'm only 69, but I get the same comments. Tell your husband good luck and a speedy recovery.

ModeratedUser150120149

Great your husband is doing so well. Absolutely wonderful.

I'm a bit ambivalent about those comments. Sometimes I wonder how much of those comments we get are Softsoap? At the same time medical people don't really like to see us coming because we don't bring as much profit as someone who gets frequent office visits and procedures. Sad isn't it when being in good health isn't as profitable to the medical folks as the sickies. Maybe if fhey were paid for making people well and keeping them that way instead the way it is now attitude would change? Even sadder is that these younger folks aren't in as good shape as we are.

John E

Thanks for posting, Yen. No surprises in this thread -- exercise and sensible eating are the fountain of youth. The average American lifestyle, including the cuisine and lack of aerobic challenge, is deadly, and it is the real reason that our medical and long-term care costs keep escalating. Your hubby is a healthy, normal 71-year-old, but he does indeed look like Superman compared to the pathetically pathological societal norms. I have no natural athletic ability whatsoever, but my normal 5mph/8kph walking pace leaves plenty of younger folks in the dust.

My favorite story is still the Swedish factory worker who suffered horrendous burns in a 1950s plant fire. The doctors attributed his remarkable recovery to his daily 9-mile bicycle commute.

Keep up the good work!

Bud Bent

Glad your husband is doing well, Yen. Tell him I said, "Good job!" Yes, there's no doubt that riding makes a big difference. After her surgery last week, they gave my wife one of those inhale things, too. She handed it to me to try. Even with half a lung missing, I can still peg it out at 4,000, too.

The difference being really fit makes in recovering from something like serious surgery is striking, too. In the lung cancer online support groups I still frequent, you see horror story after horror story from lung surgery patients, trying to recover. I was back on the bicycle 16 days after surgery, and am still doing long distance riding almost two years after surgery.

Besides being so much fun, this hobby of ours is, indeed, very good for us.

cyclinfool

wow - IMHO that is a boat load of cr&p. 99.9% of people in the health care field want people to be healthy - that is why they got into the field.

jppe

Somehow I thought Jim and I were about the same age!! Wow, he is doing really super! I hope his shoulder recovery goes well too.

I was in the doctor's office this week and my BP was exceptionally good. However, I cannot say the same about my cholestrol. I had run out of my prescrip and had some blood work done to see how it was doing. My goodness was it horrible. Unfortunately my genetics around cholestrol are undesirable. I need to get Jim's secret!!

Beverly

It's good to hear Jim is doing well. Let's hope the PT goes as well and he's back on the bike soon.

JanMM

Good news about Yen's hubby!
Glad he didn't break the inspirometer by blasting the ball through the top of the thing.

billydonn

You are so right about the amazing health benefits of cycling. After 17 months of it I feel like a totally different person. I'm very glad to hear that Jim is going so well.

ModeratedUser150120149

I can't look inside people's heads But I can see the results of their decisions. Of course not everyone goes for the money. But, overwhelmingly medical professionals go where the money is. The sad fact is that our medical community gets paid for performing procedures, office visits, etc not for curing people. So, every person who no longer has a need to be "treated" diminishes income and profit. Repeatedly I've seen providers make location and even specialty decisions based on money, not location or need.

Mind you I'm not blaming them. I'm merely reporting human response to the economic realities of our medical system.

Even so, to not stray too far from the OP's post, I'm impressed he is doing so well. He joins those of us who have made health a routine in our lives, however long they may be. Ouality, not Quantity.

tsl

Have you worked in healthcare? I did. I found 99.9% of the people in it are there for either the money or the ego trip.

JanMM

I'm not getting rich and I don't have a halo hovering over my head.
JanMM RN

Yen

Ok, back to the original broadcast.

He actually felt good enough to go to a party last night, an outdoor party in a patio with stairs and other bumpy things to walk on. He took one Vicodin about an hour before we left and felt great the whole time. Several other members of our bike group were there and could not believe he was able to go and looked so good. Came home, slept well last night (one Vicodin prior to bedtime). Went to church this morning.

He seems to be doing better this time than with the first shoulder which was done before we started riding bikes. He was walking at that time, but not at the intensity or duration we do on the bikes. He recovered well after that surgery, but he seems to be ahead of the game this time and able to move his arm freer and get dressed easier than before.

PS -- I've also been in the health care field, as are my mom and my brother (both RNs). Neither of us did it for the ego or the money. But I did see some nurses who should have chosen a different profession; fortunately, in my experience they were the minority.

late

Managed to get my John Deere lawn tractor hung up this morning. Took some tow chain and wrapped it around the frame, lifted it and
walked the sucker back over the obstacle.

Not bad for 58, if I say so.

stapfam

Glad to see Jim is progressing well. But remind him that the best recovery is to keep moblie- Get down the gym and go through the Movements with miniaml weight- just to keep the joints supple. And that is not just for the Shoulder either.

If he doesn't you can always threaten him with the Lawn rake or the Hoover so I guess he will be out of the house a lot exercising.

The Weak Link

You forgot World Domination. I'm in it strictly for the power.

The Weak Link

Inching a bit closer to the OP's intent, and as I'm so darn cold intolerant, I rode for 35 minutes on my trainer and then did Kathy Smith's balance ball workout, targeting the core muscles which I so freely neglect.

It left me with an endorphin high right up until I read Buzzkill Bob's rantette.

It is good to see such kindness and sensitivity displayed by forum members. Respect for others with whom you disagree has become such a common trait these days.

Now back to my schemes of world conquest......

BluesDawg

Every doctor, nurse or other health care professional who has been involved with my cancer treatment has been very pleased that my recovery has gone so much better than most of their patients with similar disease. Many have remarked that my overall healthiness (which is clearly related to my years of cycling) contributed to those good results and they wish there were more stories like mine instead of what they normally see.

While I agree that the medical reimbursement system would be better if more results oriented than procedure oriented, my experiences do not suggest that most medical professionals are primarily motivated by greed.

JanMM

Once hubby gets back in the saddle, be sure to resume nagging him to ride a lot!

cyclinfool

Sorry your experience was so poor. I work with MDs all the time and I volunteer as an EMT. Most of my riding budies are 50+ specialist physiscians. None of them are rich, they are not poor either - they make a good middle class living. IMHO and observations, they do not manipulate treatment to extend care and maximize profits, they spend most of thier time negotiating with the rules the institutions that control what they do make have established while trying to give thier patients the best care they can. All of them work crazy hours, many nights when I call to see if they can ride in the AM they are still in the hospital - they sometimes don't get home until after midnight. Many weekends they can't take a long ride because they are on call.

Some have big ego's but then again, so do many of us. But given thier skills, knowledge and talent in many ways they have something to have an ego about.

DnvrFox

Say "Hi" to Jim from Nora and me, and great news about the surgery.

MinnMan

I think that you are confusing the health care providers (doctors, nurses, etc.) who actually see patients for the business people behind desks who are running health care businesses (for-profit hospitals, insurance companies, hmo's, pharma, etc.)

Red Rider

Congrats on Jim's results and above-average progress! Glad to hear he -- and you -- are doing so well.