[QUOTE=stapfam;11311759]It is not the norm- but there are very few By-pass patients that wish to go out and ruin the surgeons handiwork.
My surgeon had no experience of someone wanting to get back to "Extreme" physical activity so soon after a by-pass so this was done after 1 year to check that I had the capabilities of reaching my previous Max Hr and average HR under controlled conditions. Pre Bypass I had a max of 170 before starting to fail- on the stress test I had a max of 172. And I have only got that high a few times since but when I did it was get off the bike and lie down before I fall down. A lot of training went after the By-pass to get fit again.
QUOTE]
That the medical pros have no clue as to the recuperative powers of exercise is a serious problem. Most only know about the sedentary guy who goes out and shovels snow and has a massive heart attack. That was the attiude of my "new' doctor about 5 years ago. A few months ago he asked me to scope out a jogging program for him.
You did a critically important thing by managing your own recovery. I've done it several times. The last several years the US media has had many articles pushing the same philosophy as the outcomes are generally far better than being passive.
My most profound like-experience was when my left carotid artery lining shredded resulting in intermittent total blockage with Intermittent total paralysis of the right side. Extremely rare unless suffering a severe blow to the head and with a survival rate of about 20%.
While in the ICU for 5 days, I incessantly pumped the team of three neurologists ( I was a case of considerable interest) about the possible adverse consequences of strenuous exercise when it became clear that my physical condition was pulling me through (that's what they told me).
I gradual started building back up on the aerobics. If I had to live with one functioning carotid, then I was going to increase the flow in that one pipe to allow a normal lifestyle. That was my plan. But, I couldn't weight train as they had me on a thinner and the risk of bleeding to death was too high. I warned them though that I expected to quit the thinner in three months unless they could prove a serious adverse consequence risk.
I felt that I had educated myself sufficiently with my questions while in the ICU that I was about as reliable a judge of risk as they were especially since nobody had any real experience with my condition.
Come the end of the three months, I told my regular MD I was quitting the blood thinner. He said no, your not. I said yes I am and call the neurologist now. He did and said OK.
Another two months goes by and I'm being checked out by the neurologist and answering questions about my activities which now included not only heavy weights, but long strenuous canoe paddles. He says, that's impossible, you can't be dong all that.
He runs an MRI and the blockage is totally gone. He says, you have to be under 30 to have the blood chemistry to dissolve a blockage like that. I was 55 at the time.
You can read the reason in Younger Next Year which came out a few years ago. Had I not rebuilt my blood chemistry, I’d likely still be incapacitated to some degree if here at all.
Needless to say, the neurologists we very surprised and commented about writing a paper. I sure they didn't because I'm the one who should have written the paper. They were bystanders except they did help to pull me through.
I met a young lady age 25 last year at a bike trail parking area who had the same thing, but a much milder case. She's big into exercise now.
Al