The Graduate

Today was my last day of Evergreen Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, celebrated with a certificate, a graduation cap and a speech!  I started rehab back in March of last year then abruptly quit in May when I landed in the hospital with a line infection.  I then took the summer off (to play with kids…and, sadly, spent another 8 days in the hospital) and resumed the class in September. 

Insurance will only pay for 36 sessions and even though I switched from “rehab”, i.e. recovering from my bad winter health to “prehab”, i.e. gearing up for a lung transplant, insurance doesn’t recognize the difference.  I did, however, make sure that after my lung transplant surgery, I can do another 36 sessions because I’m certain I will need that to get back into shape.

Evergreen offers a post-rehab program called “Power Exercise Class” and that program has more people, less monitoring (i.e. no blood pressure cuff unless you’re looking really unwell), no one-on-one support – but it’s still being accountable to a group and is supervised by trained staff.  Unfortunately, it’s at 1pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and that is the time of the day that I’m really pooped and looking to take a break before kids get home and the afternoon/evening chaos begins. 

So my plan is to continue my exercise (about 30 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes of weights, 5 minutes of stretching) at the YMCA, where we are already members.  I have printed up a calendar called “Mommy’s Gym Accomplishments!” and have put the kids in charge of issuing me star stickers each time I go to the gym.  My goal is to reach 15 stickers by the end of February and if I do that, we will all get a treat.  Sound doable?   Hopefully writing about it here and having the World’s Best Pests Annoyances Helpers will git ‘er done. 

I am going to miss the friends I’ve made in this class and the pulmonary therapists I admire so greatly: Tom, and our walks to nowhere; Peggy, and her constant enthusiasm and her Costa Rica adventure planning; Dave, and his willingness to be a lung donor by owning a Kawasaki (I kid, I kid!);  Doug, and his simple loves of football, steak and pumpkin pie; Anniko, and her awesome red tennis shoes; “Grandpa” Doug, and his affection for my kids, especially “Charlie”; Betty, who I swear we know each other from somewhere but I can’t remember where; and all the Sues, Susans (and a Sue Ellen), who, along with many others, have kept me in their prayers.