Valentine’s Day is known for hearts and love. But for Earl and Maria Robinson, Valentine’s Day will always mark Earl’s triple bypass surgery and the couple’s journey to recovery. They are now enjoying a new life together with the help of the Cardiac Rehabilitation program of Community Healthcare System.
“My close call ended in a healthier, better quality of life for both of us,” Robinson says. “I couldn’t have done it without the excellent care from the medical staff every step of the way.”
Following surgery, his surgeons and hospital staff offered words of encouragement and helped Earl begin the first phase of his cardiac rehabilitation.
Robinson made extraordinary progress. At the close of Phase 2, he enrolled in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase 3 program, but this time accompanied by his wife, Maria.
“I joined because I knew it was important for his recovery,” explains Maria. “I wanted to be able to help him and in order to do that I had to learn how to make those changes, too.”
Since they first enrolled, the Robinsons have become well-known and their successes have earned them the titles of “Rehab Ambassadors” for the Phase 3 program.
“We go in every other month and tell our story and experiences to Phase 2 patients who are going through the same situation,” says Earl. “We try to motivate them to enroll in Phase 3 so they don’t just go home and not exercise.”
“Cardiac Rehab is a complete lifestyle change,” explains Fran Clark, RN, supervisor, Cardiac Rehabilitation, St. Catherine Hospital. “It’s an ongoing commitment. You can’t just do it for 12 weeks and then say, ‘I’m done.’ It is the camaraderie that keeps them motivated. They are their own cheerleaders for each other as well as the staff who keep them coming back.”
The hospitals of Community Healthcare System provide Cardiac Rehabilitation in the hospital and on an outpatient basis.
