Heart Attack: Rehab

Three and a half weeks ago I was released from Hamot Hospital after suffering a heart attack. My doctor told me at that time that I should be able to return to normal activities, including tennis, in six weeks. This is a progress report.

My rehabilitation has centered on four basic areas: (1) a daily weigh-in, (2) a low-animal fat & low sodium diet, (3) taking my medications, and (4) a gradual return to physical activity. The hospital has provided some educational guides for me including a “Heart Owner’s Manual: Your Personal Guide to a Healthy Heart,” and “Strong Hearts: An Educational Guide for Heart Failure Patients.” While I was in the hospital I received healthy heart education and dietary guidelines. All of this information has helped me understand and follow four basic areas for rehabilitating my heart and my life.

The principal reason for weighing myself each day is to be alert to the possibility of congestive heart failure (CHF). An indicator is a sudden weight gain of two pounds over my weight as I left the hospital. My weight the morning after returning home was 203. Today, after a little Saturday night celebration, it is 200. I have been as low as 198. So, far my weight is doing fine.

Since I had a clot in my left ventricle, the hospital emphasized the importance of following a low animal fat diet. In addition, the “Strong Hearts” book recommends a low sodium diet. Fortunately for me, the transition to a heart-healthy diet has been reasonably easy. Partly because of changes my wife introduced to our diet over the years, and partly because of her devoted effort to prepare food that meets my guidelines and tastes great. Another help is that we both enjoy a variety of foods and like fish. When eating out or choosing food it is easy to make mistakes, especially by eating foods that are too high in sodium, a hidden ingredient in most prepared foods. It’s important to read the Nutrition Facts on pre-packaged foods and choose wisely. Learning the foods to avoid and the foods that are recommended eases the decision making process. I’m still learning, but for the most part I’ve been able to follow my low animal fat-low sodium diet.

I’ve established a routine for taking my medications and have yet to forget. My medications include asprin as a preventive measure; Plavix to prevent blood clots; metoprolol for myocardial infarction; Crestor, for cholesterol; and a blood pressure medication. Within a week I developed a cough from taking the ace inhibitor, Altace. My family physician changed my blood pressure medicine to Diovan, an ARB, two weeks ago and my cough is nearly gone. I cough only occasionally, and this is a great relief to me because coughing is a symptom of congestive heart failure. Now I know my cough was a side effect of the ACE inhibitor. The cough was also constantly annoying and made some of my activities more difficult, especially playing the clarinet. I take my blood pressure daily and have achieved a desirable range. My medications are doing their job.

In addition to the basic three steps to survival of diet, medications, and weigh-ins, I’ve started exercising. On the day after leaving the hospital I took a slow, twelve-minute walk. I gradually increased the tempo, length, and time of my walk. Today I walked three miles. Last Wednesday, three weeks to the day after leaving the hospital, I started therapy at the Hamot Cardiac Fitness Center.

“A medically supervised, insurance based, monitored exercise program designed to restore one’s strength and stamina. Walking, biking, strength training and education on heart risk factor reduction are offered. Physician referral required.”

A monitored exercise program restores my confidence that I’m progressing at an appropriate pace. I’ve started doing more chores around the house and yard, and I’m gradually returning to normal activities.

My rehabilitation appears to be progressing according to plan. I’ve been fortunate in my health care from the time I left my front porch with the medics dispatched from our 911call through my restoration at Hamot Hospital, one of the best hospitals in the nation for cardiac treatment, to my wife’s loving care at home. Half of the people who have a heart attack, such as the one I experienced, die. The care I received has already extended my life, and by following the “doctor’s orders,“ I will have more good years to come.