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Patients Rejuvenate Heart, Mind, and Soul at SCRMC's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center
Time and again, Kattie Tatum has seen the dejected faces of patients recovering from heart or lung conditions. It is a normal response from people who are used to being totally independent. A heart attack or an asthma condition brings the realization that they are vulnerable—many people feel confusion, fear, and mistrust.
The good news is that Tatum, the other nurses, and exercise physiologists at the South Central Regional Medical Center Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center located in the Wellness Center on Beacon Street in Laurel, meet the
challenges of the patient on both the physical and mental level.
PATIENTS OVERCOME OBSTACLES
“Almost 85% of those who go through our program continue their own exercise activities and the healing process of living with their condition,” says Tatum, an 18-year veteran of cardiopulmonary care. “Often, the men and women who participate in our rehabilitation program stay with us in the Wellness Center on the main exercise floor.”
Each person who continues to improve on his or her own after going through the 12-week cardio or 10-week pulmonary program is a testimonial for the SCRMC Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program. But, as with everything else worthwhile, successes don’t come without challenges. Tatum states it has a lot to do with the individual. “There are obvious physical barriers, but mental barriers must be overcome,” she says. “Most of our patients are older adults and have never worked out on a treadmill. The room itself, with all the machines designed to help patients become self-sufficient, looks intimidating. They wonder: how in the world am I going to do this? But we take them by the hand and show them.”
The programs associated with the cardio and pulmonary areas of the center are as different as the conditions themselves. Each person is different. Each condition is unique. For that reason, Tatum says each routine is custom made for each individual.
“Our mission is to get all of our patients as close to the way they were before the condition set them back in life,” Tatum stated.
CARDIO REHAB HELPS
PEOPLE TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES
The cardio programs are designed for patients with heart ailments and conditions. In the majority of cases, the heart, which is a muscle, has deteriorated in some way, either from long-term heart disease or from a heart attack. In either instance, Tatum and her crew do everything they can to strengthen that muscle—by creating a diet that will help in that process and by designing an exercise regimen best suited for the individual and his or her heart. If all goes according to plan, the patient will begin to feel better, have more energy, and start to understand just how vital it is to have a healthy plan to follow for the rest of his or her life.
“It is amazing to see the transformations right before your eyes,” says Tatum. “Many people feel they are in their situation by themselves, but then they come to the rehabilitation center and see others who are in the same boat. After awhile, you see them coming back to life. That is one of the rewards of working here.”
In addition to revitalizing their physical selves, many patients make new friends. Tatum says it is not unusual for people to meet workout buddies. She sees them every day when she comes to work. “Feeling well is addictive,” she says. “Deep down, we all want to feel well and to be able to do what we want, when we want.”
PULMONARY PATIENTS BECOME INDEPENDENT
The pulmonary side of the rehabilitation center is entirely different. “The program is a little shorter. We still meet three times a week, but it is only for six to 10 weeks, depending on the patient. We also start out the pulmonary patients at a slower pace, since they are dealing with conditions linked to breathing. You certainly don’t want to overload their programs. Our objective is the same as in the cardio programs, to help them become more independent,” she commented.
For many with lung conditions, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, the condition has affected their lives for some time. Patients have gotten used to being less active. They may not like it, but they’ve accepted their condition which, in turn, can create a depression that is hard to overcome, according to Tatum.
“It is my experience that all pulmonary patients want to be free of the oxygen bottle,” Tatum says. “It breaks your heart to see them become winded just on the walk through the Wellness Center to the rehabilitation center. But most people are very successful with the program.”
Tatum also says pulmonary patients are thoroughly screened so that an individual program can be designed. As with any lifealtering program, diet, exercise, and the mindset to improve one’s health are all vital ingredients to overall success.
Pulmonary patients can expect much less strenuous exercises on the machines at the rehabilitation center. It is a slower healing process, but one in which huge strides can be made.
LIFELONG CHANGE, LIFELONG CARE
The care doesn’t end with the last exercise class. Periodic educational classes are held to help keep patients up to speed on their progress and the advances in medicine. Seminars pertaining to heart disease and pulmonary conditions are held on a monthly basis. By coupling individualized care and human interaction, the SCRMC Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center has changed countless lives, helping patients to live life at its fullest.
“People are affected by the interaction of others,” says Tatum. “I’ve seen attitude changes that pull people out of their depression—and into the program. Our program reminds people that they aren’t alone. We are in it together. In the end it takes all of us working toward the same goal.”
Find out how South Central Regional Medical Center’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program can rejuvenate the heart, mind, and soul of you or a loved one; visit www.scrmc.com.
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