I asked the surgeon how was it that he operated on just a foot or so of my chest and knocked the stuffing out of the rest of me! Before surgery I jogged a bit over a mile around my neighborhood most days, weather permitting. Now I have trouble keeping up with the family when we walk through a shopping mall. Going up a flight of stairs takes me longer and I always make others go ahead. I went through cardio rehab (about 40 sessions) and then joined a health club to do the same exercise routine 4-6 days per week but it's just not helping. I was hoping to go skiing in Colorado this winter but that's definitely off the table.