SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – We know eating right and exercising help keep our heart health in check, but what about after you find yourself with a heart problem?
When you find yourself with a heart problem, you may require open-heart surgery, like Sarasota seasonal resident, Howard Nelson. He had three bypasses and needed an aorta valve replaced less than two weeks ago.
“It was tough to begin with, not much you can do about yourself, everybody’s got to help you do one thing or another,” Nelson said. “Even getting out of bed, I couldn’t get out of bed by myself.”
Bradenton cardiologist, Dr. David Buck says open heart surgery affects your whole body.
“Just being on a bypass pump, you’re going to have cerebral issues, brain issues,” Dr. Buck said.
It’s a long recovery; when you’re on a pump, it’s going to affect your kidneys; it’s going to affect your lungs cause you’re on a breathing machine, your heart of course, cause we’re operating on it. Everything’s involved, your body is a whole unit.”
So, Howard Nelson went to Encompass Health Rehab Hospital of Sarasota to help him move again. Medical Director, Dr. Alexander DeJesus helped Nelson in his recovery.
“Sitting around in a bed or in a chair all day long does nothing for the heart; it just weakens everything in the heart and the muscles,” Dr. DeJesus said. “Staying active with the right exercises is critical.”
Rehab includes multiple hours of therapy each day from physical to occupational to respiratory.
“They really helped him a lot, I never could have done any of this at home,” Howard Nelson’s wife, Shirley Nelson said.
“Patients flourish in the right setting, the right stimulation of physical therapies helps them,” Dr. DeJesus said. “And the outcome is usually most often very good.”
Fast forward about a week and a half, and Nelson is back on his feet.
“Everything has improved; I’ve improved in getting out of bed, I’ve improved with my walking,” Howard said. “And now, I’m free of any restrictions as far as my body is concerned.
The future is looking brighter for Howard.
“I’m 85-years-old right now. March 3rd, I’ll be 86,” Howard said. “I feel like I have another 15 years to go now.”
“I’m just so happy you’re coming home,” Shirley said.
You only have one heart, so let’s take care of it. Doctors say rehab doesn’t stop after you get out of the hospital or rehab center, you have to continue to eat right and stay active at home.
