Two weeks of Cardiac Rehab is in the books! This is the longest I have ever been able to go in Cardiac Rehab, because we usually had to stop due to chest pain, further testing, not getting clearance again. But thats okay, because I so just broke my own record by getting two weeks in.

Its been great to be going and not have chest pain. Praise the Lord for the Doctors at Hopkins during my last stay who refused to give up and found a beta blocker that works for my heart. Beta Blockers control heart rate and keep the demand on the heart lower, because its not pumping as hard/fast. I was always sitting in tachycardia and for the past 17 months we have fought to find a drug that worked. Some made my chest pains worse, some interacting with other meds, some just didn’t do squat. But hello Atenolol. You are my friend.

Atenolol works in cardiac rehab by not allowing my heart rate to get to high, but also exercise and condition the heart while completing cardiac rehab….enough about meds more about Cardiac Rehab.

I go every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 6:30 a.m., which means I leave the house between 6:05-6:10 a.m. I arrive at the hospital and go to the 5th floor of the physicians office, only to be greeted upon my exit from the elevator by a whole crew of gentlemen. Thats right I am the only girl at that time. I also am the only one below the age of 40. Something I was prepared for.

This morning a few of us were a few minutes early and were sharing our stories, all heart attacks, but I was the only open heart surgery. There is no judgment at Cardiac Rehab. You can only bike 5 minutes  your first day..thats okay. Because we all start somewhere and it is 5 minutes more than  you did yesterday. There is no comparing workouts or trying to outdo each other, there is a good camaraderie amongst each  other, chatting about how that session went and lots of “see you next time”.

We gradually increase the type and intensity of our workouts, overseen by nurses and exercise physiologists. As of the end of week 2, I am biking 3 miles in 18 minutes. We are only going up from here.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Cardiac Rehab and the fits and false starts I’ve had with it in the past. It wasn’t God’s time for me to start before, he knew my heart needed further healing. God’s timing is always perfect. Maybe God is telling you yes to your prayers, or maybe its a no, or maybe its a not right now. Its disappointing and it hurts when its a no/not right now.  because we are human, but if we trust God more than ourselves, great things will happen. Not there yet, in  your trust, take it a day at a time, or an hour at a time or even 10 minutes at a time. That’s how I’ve gotten through 2 weeks of Cardiac Rehab. I was anxious to begin, but I know each hour belongs to him and so I trust that hour to him, that He will continue to strengthen and heal my heart as He wills.

…Well I am off and running to another hospital to do a sleep study to follow up to my diagnosis of mild sleep Apnea.

Youngest patient in cardiac rehab? Do a ring check, maybe your prince charming will be on the treadmill next to you. 😉 Embrace it.