Back in Order: Rehab, a Finished Porch, and Website Upgrades
I believe I have eight cardiac rehab sessions left, the porch is finished, the house is settling down, and major website improvements are now live.
Blog category
Health & Recovery Posts
Published Colin Michaels blog posts in the Health & Recovery category.
When Did Healthcare Become Pay-to-Play?
A patient’s story, the numbers behind America’s access and price problem, and six measurable questions worth asking.
Recovery Update: Building Momentum
Recovery Update #7: Returning to Work After Open Heart Surgery
The Emergency Plan Nobody Thinks They Need
A personal reflection on major surgery, family support, health insurance, medical advocacy, living wills, and why every adult should prepare for a medical emergency before one happens.
Understanding Health Insurance Without Losing Your Mind
A practical explanation of health insurance terms including deductibles, copays, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, networks, HMOs, PPOs, HSAs, and what to ask before surgery.
Nurses: The Hidden Angels of the Hospital
A heartfelt personal reflection on nurses, hospital recovery, patient vulnerability, compassion, dignity, and the quiet care that often goes unnoticed.
Recovery Update #9: Keeping the Momentum
A weekly recovery update after open-heart surgery: arm exercises at cardiac rehab, full-time work, twice-daily walks, more energy, therapy-cat support from Gretchen, drone goals, and 257 lbs.
Medical Disaster Checklist: 10 Things Every Adult Should Have
A practical medical emergency checklist covering health insurance, emergency contacts, advance directives, healthcare surrogates, powers of attorney, wills, medication lists, employer benefits, and emergency savings.
Florida Medical Planning Guide: What Every Resident Should Know
A practical Florida medical planning guide covering advance directives, health care surrogate forms, living wills, durable powers of attorney, revocable trusts, and what to organize before a crisis.
Nutrition Detour: Eating Better for Heart Recovery
A personal reflection on Dr. Rahul Aggarwal’s Nutrition Detour presentation and how food, whole ingredients, and heart-healthy habits are becoming part of recovery after open-heart surgery.
The Hardest Part of Recovery Wasn't Physical
A personal reflection on fear, confidence, recovery, and learning to trust yourself again after major heart surgery.
Cardiac Rehab Is Not What I Expected
A personal reflection on cardiac rehab, rebuilding strength after open-heart surgery, and learning that safe movement is a critical part of recovery.
Recovery Update #10: Back to Normal(ish)
A weekly recovery update covering cardiac rehab, work, sleep improvements, flying drones again, Father's Day reflections, weight maintenance, and the ongoing journey back to normal life after open-heart surgery.
Even Though You’re Wrong, You Can Still Be Right
Recovery has a way of forcing you to look back honestly. Sometimes the choices that felt right at the time turn out to be wrong later, but admitting that truth is where growth begins.
Weekly Recovery Update: Still Healing, Still Working, Still a Big Kid
A quieter recovery week is still progress. Cardiac rehab continues, work is steady, the shoulder is improving, and my new RC Rock Crawler Jeep brought some much-needed fun back into the routine.
Summer Heat Safety Checklist for Families and Caregivers
Use this summer heat safety checklist to plan outings, check on vulnerable family members, prevent hot-car mistakes, and know when to call 911.
Two Weeks in Motion: Work, Rehab, and a Family Road Trip
A two-week life and recovery update on cardiac rehab, returning to work, website automation, a family road trip, a porch project, and new music.
Recovery on the Road: A Three-Day Trip to Pennsylvania
A weekly recovery update from a three-day road trip with Mom to Pennsylvania, including car soreness, better mobility, family time, and life on the farm.
How to Build a Personal Health Record for Appointments
Build a one-page personal health record with medicines, allergies, emergency contacts, surgeries, test dates, and a simple secure storage routine.
Back Home, Back at Work, and Back to Cardiac Rehab
After a three-day drive home from Pennsylvania, I returned to work, cardiac rehab, regular workouts, and a porch project that is nearly finished.
Two Weeks Can Change Everything
Returning to Pine Glades Natural Area after heart surgery, walking an entire trail with my mom, and realizing how much progress can happen in just two weeks.
From Staph Infection to Open-Heart Surgery | My Endocarditis Story
The story of how a seemingly simple staph infection turned into infective endocarditis, emergency heart valve surgery, and a second chance at life.