Cardiac Rehab
The cardiac rehab is a very well organized and thorough procedure. From education, to physical exercise, and a positive atmosphere, the entire process is a great service for cardiac patients. The educational piece covers topics such as:
- Coronary Disease–discussing open heart surgery, valve surgery, angioplasty, stents, rotoblation, emergency guidelines and emotional aspects of heart disease
- Risk Factors–focusing on coronary artery disease and ways to reduce your risk
- Healthy Eating–emphasizing low-fat, low-cholesterol and no added salt diets
- Exercise–understanding aerobic exercise, its importance, benefits and components
- Other classes offered are:
- Healthy eating classes taught by a registered dietitian
- Stress awareness workshop
- Spouse/significant other support classes
The best part of rehab is the people. The nurses & physical trainers are very positive & knowledgeable people! Each day you feel they care about your progress & maintain a dialouge to be aware of your progress. We are very fortunate to have this program & the people in the program that make other peoples health a top priority!
Of course the frustrating part has not been the fault of the cardiac rehab people, but my issues with PVC's. Again, here is a definition of PVC's:
A Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), also known as a premature ventricular complex, ventricular premature contraction (or complex or complexes) (VPC), ventricular premature beat (VPB), or extrasystole, is a relatively common event where the heartbeat is initiated by the heart ventricles rather than by the sinoatrial node, the normal heartbeat initiator. The electrical events of the heart detected by the electrocardiogram allow a PVC to be easily distinguished from a normal heart beat.A PVC may be perceived as a "skipped beat" or felt as palpitations in the chest. In a normal heartbeat, the ventricles contract after the atria have helped to fill them by contracting; in this way the ventricles can pump a maximized amount of blood both to the lungs and to the rest of the body . In a PVC, the ventricles contract first, which means that circulation is inefficient. However, single beat PVC arrhythmias do not usually pose a danger and can be asymptomatic in healthy individuals.
Back on January 11th, my 3rd rehab the nurses noticed a "run" of PVC's. This is the bad part of PVC's one or two here and there are OK, but 3-4 in a row can be bad news! So they stpped my rehab & I needed to visit the cardiologists at the Heart Group. After a consultation, the cardiologist did another Heart Cath & Stress Test. Finding no dangerous issues, I was back at rehab on February 1st. On February 11th, I was "kicked out" again for a run of PVC's. Back to the cardiologist, he increased my meds (100 mg of Metoprolol) and back to rehab on March 9th. This is why my cardiac rehab has lasted 4 months!
I am still getting the PVC's, but I have kept my heart rate at 95 or below, so I could finish my rehab. My next doctors visits are in June. At that time I will be tested again & try to tackle the PVC issues.
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