Sybil Hughey, 68, was not entirely surprised when she began experiencing
chest pain in September, 2014. She was aware her family history put her
at higher risk for heart conditions, so she had been proactively engaged
in prevention efforts by keeping regular primary care appointments and
taking medications prescribed for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.
She was also a regular at CVMC Fitness Plus, working out an average of
five times per week.
Upon arriving at CVMC by ambulance, doctors discovered a 99% blockage in
her right ventricle and Sybil was moved to the heart catheter lab where
she swiftly received a single drug-alluding stent, followed by a two-day
stay in the hospital. Before going home, she was referred to the CVMC
Cardiac Rehabilitation program, where a team reviewed input from her primary
care physician and thecardiologist who treated her in the hospital as
they customized her recovery plan.
Sybil was asked to walk up and down the hallway while wearing a heart monitor
in the hospital. A week later, her first appointment at Cardiac Rehab
involved several stress tests administered to assess her fitness level
with heart monitors tracking her heart muscle’s response as she
exercised on certain machines. From there, she gained confidence about
her recovery and Sybil felt empowered to push her endurance levels slowly
increasing the intensity of her workouts. She also learned about what
dietary changes she needed to make and started eating less salt, avoiding
sweets, and being more mindful of portion control.
“I try to work harder now, where I was more of a casual exerciser
before the heart attack,” said Sybil. “Now I try harder to
get my heart rate into the recommended target zone and, although I have
a bike and treadmill at home, I find comfort knowing I am right next door
to the hospital as I push myself to new levels at Fitness Plus.”
A big fan of Pat Benfield and Dan Bowman, both with the CVMC Cardiac Rehab
program, Sybil credits their “high fives” and personal encouragement
for achieving a thirty-one pound weight loss and was thrilled at the results
of a recent follow-up appointment where she was told that her heart shows
no signs of damage or evidence of the previous blockage. Today her heart
has strong blood flow and the active grandmother of six has now encouraged
her siblings and kids proactively make appointments for initial heart
assessments.