Mended Hearts Open Forum

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cardiac rehab = waste of time?

  • 1.  cardiac rehab = waste of time?

    Posted 06-22-2020 14:41
    NOT a waste of time! More than anything else during lockdown, I miss Cardiac Rehab.

    I had open heart surgery seven years ago and have been running on an LVAD ever since, now approaching my 82nd birthday. I started supervised rehab three months after surgery and finished 36 weeks at the end of 2013. From there I made a seamless transition into the local hospital's pay-as-you-go rehab program and have continued until lockdown in March of 2020, paying a monthly fee about equal to local gym memberships. I had felt enough of an increase in strength during the three months to know that it was worthwhile. I was glad of the continuity with the therapists, and as I went along I have met some remarkably interesting people. I have met people who have been with the program for more than twice as long as I have. Conversely, I have seen people about whom I wondered how they had managed to get through the supervised rehab; some of these dropped out early on. Plus: the routine of getting there gets me out of the house.

    I first learned about Mended Hearts during my time in supervised rehab, from the president of our local chapter. Since then the chapter has tried to maintain regular presentations at rehab, an effort which I have been part of. All of us "presenters" agree that the listeners are more receptive than many people we've seen in the cardiac wards.

    Oliver Wilgress
    Chapter 382
    Bellingham WA