Well Mick, Hopefully you're getting these messages relayed via your visitors. Since we met on ward 31 I've been discharged and have begun the slow road to full recovery.
It is a slow road, but getting started is helped massively by being positive and upbeat, and I know from talking to you that you'll take this in your stride and that you'll be on your feet in no time.
The staff in James Cook are outstanding and the best advice I can offer you is to go along with their suggestions. They really do know what'll help you to feel better more quickly, so if, on day 2, they suggest that you "might want to let them help you up and sit in the shower" or whatever, and all you want to do is assume the feotal position under the covers, fight the urge to tell them where to go, reach for your reserves of plucky, pleasant demeanour, and let them lead on.
A bypass is more invasive than you were expecting but, no doubt, you've seen the number of bypass patients going through that ward, myself included, and you've seen how fast their recoveries are.
Consider, I was in theatre on Monday. Monday?!!!
OK I'm still a bit sore but I came home on Friday and I'm sitting at my computer, under instruction to take it easy. I can do that and so can you.
Good luck and best wishes and please keep us posted.
C-flat