Cardiopulmonary Rehab Keeps Patients Accountable [Judy Kroll]

My name is Judy Kroll. I live in Volga, South Dakota. I have been a heart rehab patient for 12 years and I've taught in Brookings High School for 32 years, and now I'm retired and enjoying life.

Why was cardiopulmonary rehab recommended after your heart attack?

At the Heart Hospital, they told me, they said, what you need to make sure that you do is we ask that you spend at least 150 minutes a week exercising and doing rehab and that kind of thing.

What is cardiopulmonary rehab?

Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, we get together and do this at quarter after 5 in the morning, most of us. And we do exercise for about an hour and different things. And we ride the bikes, we do the treadmills, we walk around the track. So we get...We can choose what we do, and most of us choose the last half hour to do the combination for muscle strength and those kinds of things in a set series or set environment, where we're all doing it at the same time.

How long have you been in cardiopulmonary rehab?

Once you do the work at the hospital, and you have to go through that first, or if you have another recurrence of anything that happens, you have to start over with the program in phase 1. And what we've been doing is...or what I've been doing has been going on for 11 years. Because I had my heart attack about 11 years ago in October of 2012, the year that I retired.

How had cardiopulmonary rehab improved your health?

Probably saved my life. I mean, if I wouldn't be doing this for 11 years, I'm pretty sure if I had just gone back to the same lifestyle, I would've had another heart attack probably. I mean, that's just stands to reason. They say that quite often when you put stints in, it's up to 5 to 10 years before you might need more. But if you take care of yourself, that might not happen. So that was my biggest incentive. And I just thought it was a requirement. I didn't think I really had a choice because I'm not good at doing those kinds of things on my own. It's always easier when somebody's watching you to make sure that you work out, and it's more fun to do it with other people. We have a great group and a great time when we do it. And we all wait for that, when that hour's up so we can go have coffee, and we do some more socializing.

What health issue was discovered during cardiopulmonary rehab?

It seemed like when I stopped doing exercise, that's when I was having a difficult time. I mean, I was breathing fast, my heart was beating fast, and it was like I was coughing a little bit. But not while I was doing it, but afterwards. And that's when she said, "We need to have you be checked." And that's when the staff at the hospital said, "We think we need to keep you overnight and do some observing." And found out that there were little micro-clots around the outside of my lungs. And so the recommendation was made, I did it. And hopefully, on Monday I'll find out that it was successful.

How would your life be different without cardiopulmonary rehab?

I seriously think I wouldn't be here. That's what I think would be the difference. I think it's really important. I mean, I know that I'm doing things now that if I had returned to my lifestyle, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been around to do the things I'm doing now.

What are the social and emotional benefits?

Well, first of all, I met people I didn't know before. But over the course of 11 years, the group that we have there is pretty much the same as it was when I went. I mean, we've taken on different people, but the people that are really committed to it, I mean, they come as much, as often...you know, sometimes there's times you can't be there, but great relationships. I mean, honestly, when people say, "Why do you do it?" I say, "I go for the coffee, for the socialization." And it's not that that group of people do everything there is to do together, but we have that common interest in improving ourselves and making sure we maintain and become committed to it. And then after we're done with it, we have coffee for an hour. And it's a great support group. If there's other people that know what happened and it happened to them and, you know, you have those same kinds of things going on, it's pretty easy to support other people if something else happens, or I should say mentally and emotionally and whatever, physically, we're all there together, and it is a marvelous group of people. And I would say it's very much like a family, staff and participants. It's really good.

How do the participants help each other?

We're not shy about asking why you weren't there, you know, two days ago and that kind of thing. We're pretty good at keeping track of when others are there, when they aren't there, or if something has come up in the family. And then quite often we will, you know, we'll make sure that we send cards and it's just important to have those relationships. It doesn't matter what kind of family you have outside, but I think we all need support in that area emotionally. And, you know, just making sure that you have a friend. I think that's really important. And we have lots of 'em out there.

What do you appreciate most about the rehab team?

Oh, their care, they're always concerned. If any one of us is concerned about somebody else, they will approach it in just exactly the right manner, you know, so that they don't offend. So, they truly care, you know, like for example, they might say, "I hear that you've been having some trouble with certain things." And, you know, it's just so nice to have people that are so well educated and knowledgeable about what kinds of things work with the heart and what kinds of things cause problems with the heart. And it just...I don't know, I don't think that we could find people that are better than the ones that we have. Just the experience they have is amazing. They know who to send you to. They know how to make suggestions for you, and then they watch out for you after you've followed those suggestions.

Why do you recommend Brookings Health System?

Well, I believe that the people in the emergency room saved my life. I think that's a good enough reason that if you want to continue to live and do things as you've done, I mean, probably 99% of the symptoms that you have can be taken care of if you go and see somebody who is an expert.

Are you one of Brookings Health System's grateful patients who would like to give back to us? Learn more about how you can give back at brookingshealth.org/MyThanks.