Hobart resident Deb Shurr, 66, suffered a heart attack during her brother’s funeral in the spring of 2017. She entered Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation at St. Mary Medical Center’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
“I went three days a week,” Shurr says. “We all would warm up together and then we would exercise on the machines together. The staff was very supportive. When I started out I could only walk 15 minutes a day. In a month, I was able to walk for 30 minutes.”
“They have it down to a science. They got me through it,” she says. “I dropped 25 pounds. I am better now than I was before I had the heart attack.”
“Cardiac rehab provides many benefits to patients beyond risk factor modification,” says Lori Turco, supervisor, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, St. Mary Medical Center. “Other benefits include improved functional capacity and quality of life. Patients receive support from other participants which provides another layer of psychosocial support for making lifestyle changes.”
For more information about cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at St. Mary Medical Center, visit COMHS.org.
