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Big Bison Stampedes Through Stress Test

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The man has the heart of a Bison, my husband does.

He did GREAT!!!

(On the stress test I told you he was going to have yesterday.)

He’d want you to know all the facts and figures, because he is, as we all know, the hardest working Man in Rehab. About two weeks after heart bypass surgery, he began a cardio rehab program. Shortly after that, they gave him his first Non-Self-Inflicted Stress Test. 

The man was “de-conditioned”at his very first stress test, back in June. Well, who isn’t, after they carve your chest open and shift and burn and stitch stuff in there? Let’s just say he was not in peak condition. But he still kept going for 15 minutes. With a 26 VO2 rate, which is indicative of how much oxygen you’re sucking. (That’s not a great level. That’s the part that meant “de-conditioned.”)

 But staying on the machine as long as he did was good. The therapist was impressed with his stamina. 😀 She told him he probably wouldn’t improve that much the next time he took the test.  

Them’s just fightin’ words, to a guy like my husband.

Oh, really?” he says he thought to himself. “We’ll just see about that.

Cardio rehab ends next week. The Bison has had perfect attendance to every session. He is a Bison on a Mission. His desire?

To prove that therapist WRONG.

He worked HARD during his classes. He came home 3x a week with stories of how he’d impressed the nurses that day. Because, he is, after all, a guy, as well as a Big Bison.

Competitive much?

~snicker~

Here are some pictures from yesterday’s stress test, in case you’ve ever wondered what a stress test looks like:

He had two therapists watching him: one watching the monitors that he was hooked up to, and one beside him taking his blood pressure, and ready to help him if he got into trouble, I’d imagine.

First they make you breathe into this thing to check oxygen levels.

Then they put all these probes on your chest. I have a picture…but..nah….that’s MY stuff that’s getting hooked up, after all.

 
 
 
Giving me the wrong (or ring) finger. Pulse monitor and freaky mask they make you wear.
We’re walkin’. The incline he’s walking gets steeper and goes faster about every 3 minutes.
 
See what I mean?

 

Done: and tuckered!

Well, all that testosterone/competitiveness has paid off. He is VERY fit now, according to the graph they showed us, thank you very much. 35% improvement in Oxygen flow, which the therapist told us was substantial. Sucking a lot of air. It’s most impressive.

His new numbers? Stayed on the machine 19 minutes with a 36.3% VO2. The man was sucking all the oxygen out of the room. 😀 I exaggerate, a bit. But still, they like to keep pro athletes at a 40% oxygen level, so he’s doing very, very well indeed.

In fact, I believe that’s the Titans calling now…. (they need some HELP, y’all…)

35% Improvement: Fit/Conditioned and Wishing He Was Well Conditioned, Of Course!
Let’s hear it for the boy!!!
 
Show me a little BisonLove!!!