Cardiac Rehab begins

started cardiac rehab today. 


if the treadmill doesn't do me in, the cooldown to michael bublé will.

Heart Light

Not to put too fine a point on it...but sorry for being late, but thanks to everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes!!! 


All of the good vibes totally help! Slowly getting better, chest still really hurts, but doing more each day, and I go to my orientation for cardiac rehab tomorrow. 

And thanks to Chris and Claire for the night light. Made out of New Orleans Mardi Gras beads. Love to all! ♥ ♥

7 weeks

7 weeks post surgery - feeling better, chest still aches a whole lot - it's amazing how nice life is without gasping for breaths all the time. 


Much lower energy and some erratic beats this week but going next Tues for stress test to begin cardiac rehab. 


Horrible insomnia but seems it's a common side effect, who needs sleep anyway? :)

Week 6

6 weeks out from surgery - feel ok, my chest area still hurts A LOT, like all the time. 


They cut a lot higher and lower than before, and here's an awesome description from the report. 


"We were able to peel the aorta and the right ventricular outflow tract off the sternum without getting into trouble." - have cardiac rehab set up for beginning of May, hanging in there! :)

Week 4

4 weeks after surgery! wanted to take a chance to thank everyone who has been sending me lots of uplifting emails and stuff. 


means the world! and an extra thanks to all the people who donated to help with medical bills...


i'm slow in sending thank you letters back bc it hurts to type and write (strain on my chest/sternum) but i will soooooon. just know it truly helped. it's been a kinda rougher week - tired - creaky - pain - but still feeling doing ok! ♥

3 weeks

Quick update - It's been 3 weeks since my open-heart surgery. 


Still hurt a good deal with my chest, and I have some type of nerve probs from how they positioned me on the table...so from my right hip to knee it feels like my leg has been sleeping - constant pins and needles - weird but ok. 

Overall, doing good. I can walk about 100 feet without having to stop, so yay! 


Long road ahead...


Thanks for all of the good thoughts, prayers, and support. 


Much love! Lei Lani

Out of surgery

6:40 pm CST Update: Mom and dad made it to Cleveland. 


They just got finished visiting with Lei Lani Michel - she still has tubes in her nose and throat and can't speak, but she was able to write things down on sheets of paper (testing to make sure blood is flowing to her brain). 


Dad says she looks really good for having just had surgery. Her pain is bad, but expected. 


She's now resting for the night. Will have more updates tomorrow morning. 


Thanks again, and much love to everyone!