I had the surgery in May 2019. I took a while to recover fully, maybe 6 or 7 months. I managed okay at home and was taking care of my husband with Alzheimer's, who was highly functioning.
My heart did beat fast when I exerted myself for some months afterward. I did walk everyday, but I didn't push myself to do anything more than what I felt I could do. I wasn't out to prove anything.
I thought of myself as an egg. Before surgery I was hardboiled, as I never had any symptoms of congestive heart failure. After surgery, I felt fragile, like a raw egg. and I knew I could easily crack. I passed through the stages of feeling coddled and soft boiled before I went back to being my hardboiled self.