February is National Heart Month. The Cardiac Rehab Program at Memorial Hospital in Towanda is all about helping people recover from a cardiac event and to help them return to a safe and productive life-style.

    The Cardiac Rehab Program is an individually designed, medically supervised program for any patient who is recovering from a heart attack, heart surgery, heart valve replacement, angioplasty, angina, coronary bypass surgery or cardiovascular disease. Generally, any patient who has experienced a cardiac event can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation.

    "Heart disease is very frightening and dangerous. We want to help people regain their strength and confidence following a cardiac event," says Diane Broschart, RN, BC, CCRN, Certified Cardiac Rehab Specialist.

    "Our Cardiac Rehab Program offers controlled exercise, diet counseling and individualized treatment plans to help participants achieve their personal health goals," she said.

    Memorial Hospital's Cardiac Rehab Program has been Nationally Certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) since 1999 and is staffed by certified, registered nurses. These nurses have had extensive education and background in critical care and cardiac rehabilitation.

    The program is designed to address the physiological and psychological effects of cardiac illness, reduce the risk of sudden death or relapse, control cardiac symptoms, stabilize and/or improve the patient's condition and enhance the patient's quality of life.

    The following are personal stories of people who have experienced heart disease and have overcome many obstacles to get back to full health and strength. "We invite others to learn from these experiences," says Broschart. "It's all about returning to an active, fulfilling life-style."

Teri Bishop

    Teri Bishop, 56, of Ulster is a registered nurse. She works per diem for Memorial Hospital's Home Health Agency. Teri and her husband, Steve, own and operate Bishops True Value, Bishops Mini Mart and a full time portables business in Ulster. They have two grown children, Stephanie and Jeffrey, and three grandsons: six-year-old Garret, five-year-old Mason and three-year-old Duncan.

    At the conclusion of a routine medical checkup with her doctor, Tim Hoffman, DO, he asked her a simple question: "What else is going on." Teri mentioned that she had vague heartburn all the time. "I really didn't think too much of it," Teri says. She gently placed her hand on the center of her chest to illustrate where the heartburn was located. "There were no additional symptoms so I did not pay too much attention to it," Teri said.

    Dr. Hoffman, however, was concerned. He immediately asked Teri to have a simple EKG test in his office. His suspicions were validated by the results. Something was not right. He scheduled Teri to have further testing including a Nuclear Stress Test at Memorial Hospital which confirmed a problem with Teri's heart.

    Dr. Hoffman referred Teri to Dr. Paul Hicks, Cardiologist, at Arnot-Ogden Medical Center. A heart catherization procedure revealed serious blockages in Teri's coronary arteries. Heart Surgeon Edward Nast, MD, performed open heart surgery to correct two coronary arteries that were 90% blocked.

    During surgery, Teri arrested. "But they brought me back," Teri said thankfully. When I woke up from surgery, I remember saying: "My heartburn is gone!"

    Doctors advised Teri to enroll in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Memorial Hospital. She began her recovery program in May 2011. "I was ready to get moving again," Teri says.

    "When I entered the Cardiac Rehab program, I was a bit apprehensive. I was concerned about my health," she says. "The nurses were very helpful and encouraging. I started slowly on the treadmill," Teri remembered.

    "The fact that I was always hooked up to a heart monitor gave me the confidence to push my limits a little bit each week," Teri said. "I gradually built up my strength and by the end of the program I felt really good," she says.

    "I am so grateful to my husband, Steve. He never left my side during the whole ordeal, she said. "Now it's good to be back in excellent health and enjoying our busy lifestyle with our business and family," Teri said.

    "I always tell women to talk to their doctor!" Teri said. "Tell your doctor how you are feeling. Even if you think it might be silly or not important. See your doctor at least once a year for a general check-up. Talking to my doctor saved my life!" Teri said.

John Demangone

    John Demangone, 77, lives in Towanda with Mary Alice, his bride of 51 years. He is retired from Sylvania after 35 years of service. Together, they raised five children and now enjoy eight grandchildren.

    Like many people who suffer from heart disease, John did not have any noticeable symptoms.

    During a routine annual physical check-up with Korie Lambert, PA-C, Certified Physician Assistant with Memorial Hospital's Community Health Associates LLC, John learned for the first time that he had an irregular heartbeat. "I was surprised," John says. "I've enjoyed good health for many years. I am thankful that Korie was very thorough," he said.

    John followed up with his general surgeon, James Ferenzi, MD. "Dr. Ferenzi scheduled me to see a cardiologist," he said. Further testing indicated the need for heart surgery. John had a heart catherization procedure where the surgeon, Dr. Kishore Harjai, Guthrie Catherization Labs, placed a stent in his artery to clear a blockage that had developed.

    "When my doctor suggested I enroll in the Cardiac Rehab program at Memorial Hospital, I was not sure what to expect," John said. "The nurses were very helpful and encouraging. I was always hooked up to a heart monitoring system so they could safely keep track of my progress."

    It was during this tracking that a new heart problem surfaced. Diane Broschart, RN, BC, CCRN, Certified Cardiac Rehab Specialist discovered that arterial fibrillation (a condition related to irregular heart beat) had surfaced. It was necessary to have John's medications adjusted by Guy Rogers, MSPAS also with Guthrie. It was the cardiac rehab monitoring that picked up the additional heart situation.

    John says he enjoyed learning to work out using the various exercise equipment offered at the Cardiac Rehab Center. "The program really raised my awareness of how important regular exercise is as a lifestyle," John said.

    John tries to stay active. He loves to play tennis. He and a group of friends have a tradition of hiking together every Thursday. They've enjoyed hiking locally at places like Mt. Pisgah, Sunfish Pond, Lamoka and other locations in the mountains of Pennsylvania. They have even traveled to Gettysburg to explore.

    "I guess my best advice is to have an annual physical check-up with your doctor and find something you enjoy and stay active. As my youngest child advised: 'Dad, try walking 30 minutes a day - every day'," John concluded.

Lani Wood

    Lani Wood, 65, of Rome is retired from DuPont after 34 years of service. He enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Brenda Mosier, and attending the grandchildren's basketball, soccer and track sporting events.

    Lani was relaxing while watching TV when he noticed a strange feeling in his body. "I had a very minor, annoying pain in my jaw and in my chest and into my shoulder," he explained. Lani says it alarmed him a bit, however, he chewed a couple of asprin, the symptoms went away and he went to bed.

    The next morning the symptoms returned. "I still was not terribly concerned," he said with a smile that consumes his entire face. "But, for some reason, I called my doctor, Tim Hoffman."

    Dr. Hoffman advised Lani to immediately get to the emergency room where doctors ran some tests and the next thing he knew, Lani was admitted to the hospital.

    Lani says the first few weeks following surgery were challenging. "I would get pretty exhausted even after just a short walk to the mailbox," he said. Doctors suggested he enroll in Memorial Hospital's Cardiac Rehab program. "The nurses were very encouraging and did a great job keeping me motivated. The monitored exercise really helped me to build up my stamina and confidence," he said.

    Lani agrees that the smartest thing he did was to call his physician. "Always trust your doctor," Lani says. "If I had not called him that morning, who knows what might have happened."

    Lani says Dr. Reitknect playfully scolded him. "She told me, next time, don't go to bed! I think she was telling me I should have gone to the emergency room right away when I experienced my symptoms," Lani said with that big grin enveloping his face.

For more information about the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Memorial Hospital, call 570-268-2365.

Heart Attack Warning Signs

    Following are some heart attack warning signs, according to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org):

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.