Cardiac rehab in Chicago?

[ChicagoMammy]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone did cardiac rehab in Chicago? Any recommendations. I'm sure I'll do the Northwestern associated one since I'm having my surgery there, but not tied to it.

I didn't after my last surgery (2006) but think it really would have helped. I'm planning on doing it this time. Surgery is in 10 days. When do you start rehab?

Thanks

 

[Mentu]

Hi, I don't live in Chicago so I can't help you with where although there are others who should know more about that. My suggestion is that convienience is probably more important. If your program is similar to mine, and I think that's likely, you will be going three days a week for 12 weeks. My experience is that there was no exercise at Cardiac Rehab that I could not have done by myself. That said, it was a great experience. The important thing I took away from it was that it restored my trust and confidence in being able to use my body without fear of hurting myself. In CR you are monitored usually by a cardiac nurse and a physical therapist who are going to serve as guides as you recover strength and endurance. For those in my group, they were a great source of information that none of us would have had otherwise. I also found the other people with whom I went through rehab to be very supportive, after all, everyone shared the same experience of heart surgery at about the same time.

Larry

 

[Paleowoman]

I'm doing cardiac rehab right now (in the UK) and I love it. I do it once a week with the cardiac specialist nurse - that time also includes advice and check up, it is one to one - and the other two times a week I do the exercises at home with a graded programme the nurse has given me. I got a heart rate monitor so I know what to take my heart to. It's a kind of 'interval training' for the heart. Already after two weeks I feel stronger and more confident in my body. I started cardiac rehab after my cardiologist referred me which was at around six weeks post op.

 

[ChicagoMammy]

Thanks so much to both of you. Last time I remember being so nervous the first time I walked on my own, got hte bus on my own etc. etc. I feel with rehab that might be easier this time around. Also - sharing with others. It sounds like a good fit for me. I don't know anyone who's had OHS. My sister is in the waiting room, but not there yet. She's actually in the UK herself Paleogirl - so interesting for me to hear your perspective. She's going through the NHS but has the funds to pay for rehab if necessary. She had a good echo last week though, so more time in the waiting room for her.

 

[Paleowoman]

My sister is in the waiting room, but not there yet. She's actually in the UK herself Paleogirl - so interesting for me to hear your perspective. She's going through the NHS but has the funds to pay for rehab if necessary.

I can't get my rehab on the NHS because where I am the NHS one is mainly for people who need a lot of lifestyle advice, who've usually had CABG and not got congenital heart defect like bicuspid aortic valve. Your sister may find the NHS rehab where she lives suits her though, it's often a postcode lottery here. Luckily I have enough funds to pay for it, and I think that I've come this far so it's worth investing that little bit more to get my health back I'm enjoying it too

Is your sister going to join this forum ? There isn't a UK one like this one.

 

[epstns]

I, too, had my surgery with Dr. McCarthy at NMH. Due to all sorts of complications, I was not ready to start rehab until 12 weeks post-op. (I went back to work at 6 weeks, but wasn't cleared for rehab until later.) I did not even look into rehab at NMH due to the rigors of the commute that would be necessary, and the fact that I work out in the suburbs. Also, we live out on the Northwest corner of the city.

I did my cardio rehab at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. I cannot say enough good things about the program there and the staff. In my case, it was a 1-hour session, 3 days a week. They encouraged self-managed activity on the "other" 2 week days. Since I had been a 5-days-a-week gym rat before surgery, I was right at home doing rehab on 3 and my own gym on the other 2.

The rehab center at LGH has room for 8 or 9 patients in each hourly session. The staff consisted of 3 cardio rehab technicians and one administrator. They kept a close watch on all of us, both visually and electronically. The "class" of each session bonded together, and we had a great time. It is true that the patients in your class may be in rehab for a variety of reasons (stents, bypass, valve or other heart surgery), and we compared notes quite a bit. They had weekly discussion sessions on the lifestyle management aspects of rehab, but most of the time was monitored physical activity.

For me, it was wonderful. After the valve surgery, complications, bypass and surprise pacemaker, I was a bit unsure of my body. They helped me to realize just how tough the human body is and how far I could push mine. It was such a great experience that I still go back to visit occasionally, just to thank them for their support.

 

[ChicagoMammy]

Thanks so much for that Steve. I'm on the NW side too, so Park Ridge is easier than Northwestern's which is on Division and Clark I think. I work in the loop though so I guess it depends on what schedule I have by the time I am ready. If I'm working from home Park Ridge would be great and it's nice to have a recommendation. I see Dr. McCarthy tomorrow, surgery is on Thursday week. fun times!

Anne - I don't think she'll join. She's very independent. That might change closer to the time for her. We all handle the wait differently I suppose.

 

[labmom53]

I had my surgery at Northwestern as well (yay for Dr. McCarthy and team!), and started rehab with their program at about 10 weeks out, which for me was just about right. Live in a western suburb but work in Lincoln Park, so I go after work and it is somewhat on my way home. They have a session at 4pm and one at 5:15pm (in addition to morning sessions), but most people drift in when they can during those later times and that flexibility works well for me. Yes, it's at around Clark and Division, near red-line stop and there's a parking garage right there if you drive. I agree with Steve, that it is great to be able to see how far you can push yourself - I never would have done that on my own. The first few weeks, I was always watching the nurses' faces over by the monitoring station to see if they were freaking out or not but now I feel a lot of confidence in my own heart!

 

[epstns]

I really enjoyed rehab. It meant that I could leave work early and go to "the gym." I sort of became the "class clown" of the rehab cohort - cracking jokes with other patients and staff and generally cutting up while all the time pushing my limits in exercise. Whenever the tech would ask "Do you think you can. . . ?" I would always answer "Bring it on!" I knew that they would not push me beyond my limits, so I just tried to do 110% of what they asked. At the start, I couldn't come close. By the end, I was beyond their expectations.

I still occasionally stop by the rehab center to thank my team there, and to tell the new folks that there is hope after heart trouble.