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How I Walked Day One After Heart Surgery

  • 2 min read

As promised, I am blogging from the hospital to share (via attached video) my recovery after heart surgery. First of all, thanks to my stellar medical team, the surgery was successful and I’m now on the mend in my room. But here is what is truly exciting and personally gratifying -- within 24 hours of surgery I was up and walking on the LifeWalker Upright. On my first walk I went 400 feet! Stated one of my attending therapists: “For this soon after surgery, that’s pretty impressive.”

 I found that the LifeWalker provided me the support I needed given my condition, and the armrests enabled me to stand upright despite my invasive surgery. Upright posture, of course, is good for restoring core strength, as well as for blood flow and breathing conducive to overall conditioning.

 The LifeWalker I used today was fitted with prototypes of new accessories we are developing for the acute care environment.  As noted in my previous blog, I am the first clinical patient to use the LifeWalker with these accessories. These include an attached IV bag pole, catheter bag holder, oxygen tank holder, and basket for monitors and other devices attached to the patient. With these and other accessories, we plan to leverage our core LifeWalker platform to provide therapeutic benefit across the continuum of care.

 The results I experienced today are great because early mobility is known to reduce recovery time and I am all about rapid recovery and getting back to my life. To memorialize the event, we videoed my initial post-surgery ambulation (to view video, click here), and believe me, I feel much better than I look! Thanks for all the well wishes I’ve received, and for your interest in the LifeWalker and how it is making a difference in this grateful patient’s recovery. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

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