If you dare question Carl Barnes’ commitment to his weekly exercise regimen, you better think again. When asked if he’ll ever stop, with a smirk he confides…“‘till death do us part!”
Carl, a Pepin, Wisconsin native and longtime farmer, began his life makeover four years ago when shortness of breath led to a doctor’s visit, which led to a stress test, which landed him in a hospital recovering from quadruple bypass surgery. With blockages ranging from 70 to 95%, his heart needed more than a quick fix to keep it beating for a long time.
His doctor offered him a prescription he couldn’t pass up – cardiac rehabilitation (CR). CR is a professionally supervised program of exercise, education, and support that helps patients recover from heart attacks, heart surgery or other heart procedures. It’s a comprehensive program that empowers individuals to manage their heart disease through lifestyle changes like increasing physical fitness, eating more nutritiously, and quitting tobacco.
At Saint Elizabeth’s Wellness Center, CR is one of several structured programs that is customized to meet the specific needs of each patient. On any given day, 60 or more patients are walking treadmills, pedaling stationary bikes, or pumping iron. Carl is one member of the Monday-Wednesday-Friday morning family. During his weekly sessions, CR specialists check his heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs. If everything checks out okay, he begins his exercise ritual.
“I start on the elliptical because it’s the hardest,” he says. From there, he rotates through a variety
of exercise and weight training stations. He’ll log close to 60 minutes of aerobic and strength training before he is done for the day. During his cool down, the staff will recheck his vital signs. This is the typical routine for patients enrolled in the CR maintenance program. It follows a more structured, clinically supervised series that still encourages and promotes independence.
The initial 12-week CR program usually begins shortly after a heart event (whether an attack or a procedure). Patients are referred by their primary care physician or cardiologist, and supervised by a team of CR clinical exercise physiologists. Dr. Brian Kelly, MD, family medicine physician with Wabasha Clinic, part of Lake City Medical Center-Mayo Health System serves as the medical director.
After a thorough admission evaluation, the staff partners with patients to develop a tailored plan of exercise and education that challenges but doesn’t overexert the body. A set of seven educational classes are also built into the program to teach patients about nutrition, heart disease, medications, risk factors, and other lifestyle issues. The support that comes from within the family is the fuel that keeps patients coming back.
“The staff and the group I exercise with have become my second family,” smiles Carl. “I lost my partner of 23 years to brain cancer just seven months ago. Coming to Saint Elizabeth’s three times a week has been a big help to me. I’ve made friends here so I don’t feel so lonely.”
The program also has been good for his health. According to Carl, he doesn’t eat like he did in his younger farming years. “I grew up on meat, potatoes, butter, and second helpings. Now it’s all about moderation.” He won’t deprive himself of the foods he loves but he compromises by ordering a half order at his favorite restaurant. The regular exercise has done his body good. He lost some weight and has more endurance. When he first started exercising, Carl couldn’t walk to his mailbox without getting winded. Today, he can easily walk four miles in one stretch.
“I’ve always said that too much of a good thing caught up to me,” Carl laughs. “Now the best thing going for me is this program.” Yet so many with heart disease don’t take advantage of CR. Less than one-fifth of heart patients do not attend CR and less than 12 percent complete the full course. Attending CR can reduce your risk of a future cardiac event by 50 percent. According to a recent study of 600,000 people (Brandeis University), attending all 36 CR sessions reduces the risk of a repeat heart attack by an additional 12 percent verses those who attend only 24 sessions. In another study of 1,821 heart attack survivors, 95 percent of those who participated in CR were still alive three years later compared with just 46 percent of those who didn’t.
Carla Theusch, MS, director of Saint Elizabeth’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, says the risk of a repeat heart attack or incident can be dramatically reduced when patients enroll in an intensive rehab program. “We’ve been offering CR since 2001 and have helped over 500 patients live better with heart disease. This program won’t cure them but we give them the tools and resources to make the most of it. We make sure our patients work hard but we also make it fun,” she adds. “Sometimes it sounds more like a social club. We have competitions and play games. We do everything we can to encourage and motivate patients to keep it up and make it last a lifetime.”
As for Carl, there is only one thing that will keep him away. And if he has anything to say about it, that won’t happen for a very long time.
Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center is recognizing National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week, February 15-19. The theme, “A Smart Start to a Healthy Heart” highlights the role of prevention in the treatment of heart disease. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking are considered to be the three major risk factors for heart disease. If you believe you are at risk, talk to your primary care provider or call Saint Elizabeth’s Wellness Center and learn more about available disease prevention and management programs.