Strong and healthy hearts walk
Cardiac rehab can be your next ticket to a healthier life

People of all ages come to participate in supporting the program.

Think having heart surgery is frightening? Try going home.

One of the scariest moments of most patients with heart problems and their family is when they leave the hospital and pull up their own driveway. What's next? How to go on with life? When to go back to work, shop for groceries or even take out the trash?

Just ask 35-year-old Tony Tipton how he felt. Last year in April Tony had heart transplant at St. Josephs in Atlanta. After a few weeks of rehabilitation in Athens Georgia, Tony returned to his Hayesville home with some trepidation. "I worried if I could make it on my own," Tipton said. "I didn't know what to do next; if I was going back to work full time or not. It was somewhat scary."

Tipton found a lot of support though his family and Murphy Medical Center's Cardiac Rehabilitation program. Program Director Amy Trout emphasizes her rehab program is multifaceted; not simply patient exercising on equipment. The Cardiac Rehabilitation program offers patients and their family emotional support, nutritional assessments as well as the educational and exercise components.

Walkers gathering at last year's Murphy Medical Center's Cardiac Rehabilitation program.

Patients may be referred by a physician or by themselves. While rehabilitation generally starts one to three weeks after a heart attack, it can also benefit patients with older injuries. As in Tipton's case, he continued on with cardiac rehabilitation even after graduating from an Athens, Georgia rehab program.

"I really felt supported," Tipton said of his experience Murphy Medical Center.

Each patient newly diagnosed or not, has a preprogram assessment which includes a "walk test" and a history and physical assessment. Staff members design rehab programs around each patient's beginning ability and personal goals. Patients are shown how to use equipment safely. Heart monitoring, done by a specialized wireless transmitter, sends a tracing of his or her heart's rhythm to a monitor. The staff members monitor their exercising client's blood pressure, heart rate and rhythms. Monthly reports are sent to referring physicians.

Heart transplant recipient Tony Tipton celebrates with his parents after completing last year's Murphy Medical Center Heart Walk. Tipton received his new heart April 3, 2006 and was participating by September in the annual Heart Walk event. He credits his participation to the support of his family and the Murphy Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation staff.

After a patient completes the three month rehabilitation program, a post program assessment is done to see how they've met their individual goals. This information is then entered into a computer database and compared to other cardiac rehabilitation programs nationally for performance improvement. Tony believes Cardiac Rehab has helped him to build up his strength and endurance.

Recent studies show patient completing a full cardiac rehabilitation program can reduce their chances of having another heart attack by 50 percent. That's a pretty big motivator.

Trout is pleased about a recent gift from the Murphy Medical Center Foundation. They purchased a new computer monitored exercise bicycle, which allows patients to gradually increase their workout without overtaxing their abilities.

It surprises Trout to findmore men than women in the program since heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S. Recent studies released by Kaiser have shown women have hidden heart disease and may not be symptomatic during a heart attack.

Last year, just a few months after his heart transplant, Tony completed the Murphy Medical Center's Two Mile Heart Walk. He was joined by the Cardiac Rehabilitation team, family and well wishers. It is hard to imagine how far Tony has come in just one year; he plans to walk the Heart Walk again after having just completed the Peachtree Road Race in July.

Tony Tipton isn't worried any more. He's happy to be back to work.

"The staff helped me to build my confidenceand return to living a high quality of life," Tony says, "They also helped me change my diet to be more heart healthy."

Be on the lookout for Tony during this year's Heart Walk. He just might be the fellow who passes you on the way to the finish line.

For more information on Murphy Medical Center's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program or to sign up for the Heart Walk, call Amy Trout at (828) 835- 7656.

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