My notes as I begin Rehab

The Ornish Rehabiitation Program

As a heart attack survivor, a.k.a one with heart disease, I'm eligible to have a special rehab program, one that we would call Wholistic back in the 80s. Somehow that term hasn't come up yet in my reading, or my orientation the other day. But it certainly does describe the program started by Dr. Ornish. At Mission Hospital in Asheville, I am part of the 35th cohort or class of patients to move through this program.

I must admit I am skeptical as to my ability to just participate. They look at me and want me to exercise quite a bit more than I currently am able. I won't bore you with the details of my struggles...much.

I hope I can look back at some point and read this and say that I've been able to do this, and more. That's because I trust they will push me and let me stop when I need to, but be able to know what I can eventually do. Trusting them as professionals who deal with heart patients every day!

The first program scientifically proven to “undo” (reverse) heart disease by optimizing four important areas of your life:

The Wholistic aspect is looking at the body, mind, emotions, and nutrition related aspects of a lifestyle. I'm all for that.

I will eat up the nutrition information, literally. We're going vegetarian, low fat. I may continue to do low sodium. I'm looking forward to learning how to do that. I've been eating pescatarian (vegetarian who eats fish) for the last 6 months. Yes, before the heart attack. But my heart gradaully had been blocking that artery for many more months, as I ate chocolate things, bacon burgers and fries!

The support group will be a good aspect, as others in similar shoes to mine can reflect back to me the places I may not want to look at, and cheer me on to healing. It's not therapy, which I fail to see any real difference. I'll be learning that too.  This is a 9 weeks program, twice a week for 4 hours. So just 72 intense hours.

Stress reduction....ah. I've known lots of those techniques from my graduate school training as a counselor 34 years ago. But does that keep my mind from whirling through things at 4 am? Last night I went through the alphabet naming a flower for each letter, and got to zinnia without being anything but just tired, and giving up on the letters Q and U. It was 5:30 the last time I tossed back and forth and saw the clock. I woke again around 6:30 and told myself I could take off the C-PAP and just rest for a minute. It was 8:30 when I pulled myself out of bed. It was not one of my good nights.

And we'l have a teacher for yoga and meditation. I've been able to do a few stretching exercises that I learned in Physical Therapy, as well as some basic yoga on my bed, but not real yoga. It will be great  to have a teacher and support for my limitations. And I've only been doing sporadic meditation in the last couple of months. I like to meditate, but it somehow gets pushed off my priorities list most days. Hey, I have to push to make sure I bathe. It usually takes me 30 to 45 minutes to do my morning and evening nebulizer breathing treatments, during which I can read blogs or emails but can't eat or write, 'cause my mouth and one hand are busy with the little device holding the solutions that are aerated to help my lungs.

BUT, the real goal of Ornish Rehab isn't just a life-style change. Lots of folks are doing a Heart-healthy diet, and increasing exercises. It's to reverse heart disease.

That's what won me over. And whenever I think I can't do this, which will come in lots of ways...I'll remind myself of that. Do it or die. And if I do it, I'll benefit in many ways.

Today's quote:
"Reverse & Prevent Heart Disease

We examined the ability of patients enrolled in the Lifestyle Heart Trial to sustain intensive lifestyle changes for a total of five years and the effects of these lifestyle changes on coronary heart disease. We measured adherence to lifestyle changes, changes in coronary artery percent diameter stenosis, and cardiac events. Outcomes in the experimental group showed significant improvement relative to controls. Additionally, compared to 1 year follow up, 5 year follow ups showed greater improvement relative to controls."  

https://www.ornish.com/proven-program/the-research/