Cardiac Rehab Gave Her a New Life

Page: 1 2 (of 2)	Next

By Leslie Pepper
Photos by Kathryn Gamble

Taking small steps in cardiac rehabilitation following a heart attack produced big rewards for this Iowa grandmother.

RELATED STORIES What to Expect During Cardiac Rehab Cardiac Rehab Diet Makeover Symptom Checker

Joyce Schneider, 65, thought she had heartburn. She couldn’t walk more than a few blocks from her home in Urbandale, Iowa, without feeling a burning sensation in her neck. She reported her symptoms to her doctor, who prescribed Nexium, which relieves the symptoms of heartburn. When that didn’t help, Joyce decided she needed to take off some weight. She joined a fitness center, which required a doctor’s approval to get started. Since her persistent heartburn hadn’t subsided, her doctor sent her for a stress test. After only three minutes on the treadmill, a cardiologist stopped her because he was concerned about her heart. Two days later she was in the hospital, having a stent put into an artery that was 95 percent blocked.
           
As soon as she was able, Joyce began a cardiac rehabilitation program. Cardiac rehab—a medically supervised program designed to help heart patients recover quickly, improve heart function, and prevent future heart events—often is divided into three phases. For Joyce, phase 1—recovery from surgery—went quickly. She was able to get out of bed almost immediately after surgery and went home after only one night in the hospital. About 10 days later she returned to the hospital to start phase 2—exercise and education.
           
During her first phase 2 session, Joyce talked at length with a registered nurse. They went over her medical history and previewed what Joyce could expect in the weeks to come. Staffers assessed her fitness level, and Joyce started a cardiovascular workout. She began by walking on a treadmill, but soon developed a pain in her shoulder and stopped. After resting for a while, Joyce and the doctors determined the pain was most likely muscular, not heart-related, and she could continue. At the end of that first cardio rehab session, Joyce says, she felt overwhelmed.
           
“I remember thinking, I have to change my diet, my lifestyle, and get all the stress out of my life. How am I going to do that?” she says. She felt weak and out of shape. But above all, she felt grateful. “I knew I had another chance at life,” she says. She was going to grab it.

After a few classes, Joyce could feel herself getting stronger. “At the end of the second week, a man who was on his last session told me he was glad to see I finally had some bounce in my step,” she says. “I hadn’t realized how much I’d been dragging.”