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Locals Share Personal Experiences to Bring Awareness to Heart Disease

By Julie Perine on February 08, 2019 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

United Hospital Center volunteer Lyda Lister, who suffered a heart attack in December 2017, had stints put in in January 2018 and thereafter completed cardiac rehab, is using her own personal experience to make others aware of symptoms and important lifestyle elements. She said her symptoms included nausea and a tightness in her heart which mimicked a panic attack.
 
Eighty-four years old, she is adamant about taking care of herself, limiting intake of salt, sugar and caffeine and being as active as possible.
 
“We concentrate a lot on cancer – which is also very important – but sometimes we forget how important it is to take care of our heart,” Lister said. “I think with February being a time we think a lot about Valentines and hearts is a good time for that awareness.”
 
Lister will celebrate 67 years of marriage with her husband in March. She has six grown children, 17 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
 
“It’s important to keep this heart moving and help others be aware to do the same,” she said.
 
Sara Aman, 71, is healthy and leads an active lifestyle. In June of 2018, she noticed she was unusually fatigued on a regular basis.
 
“I’m usually pretty energetic, but I would come home from golfing and be exhausted,” she said.  “I was tired. That was the only symptom I had.”
 
But she knew her body and knew something was not right. She saw her family doctor, who performed a complete blood panel which was all came back good. Her physician recommended an echocardiogram.
“My dad had had a valve replacement and my sister a valve repair, but I had never really thought about that,” Aman said.
 
The echo did, in fact, indicate heart valve disease, already in severe range. A heart catheterization indicated that her heart was healthy. She had no blockages and was a candidate for heart valve replacement, which she had done in September.
 
“This was something I could have easily ignored, but I listened to my symptoms and paid attention,” Aman said.
 
She is grateful that she was able to get doctor appointments and tests in such a timely manner.
 
“I’m also very fortunate that I didn’t have any other complications. I wasn’t on any medicine and wasn’t diabetic, things that could have complicated it,” she said.
 
Aman began cardiac rehab in October and just Wednesday, she graduated from the program. For the past four months, she has worked regularly with Farley and the rehab staff.
 
“I started very slowly, doing five minutes on the treadmill at a very low pace, then moved on to the bicycle and built up pretty quickly,” she said.
 
Throughout each exercise series, Aman’s heartrate and blood pressure were monitored, providing peace of mind and reassurance to progress. Also providing reassurance was the camaraderie developed between patients, the stories and successes they shared.
 
“Two people at rehab were just 51 years old and had valve replacements. It can happen at any age,” she said. “Everyone there had been through some type of experience with their hearts and we got to know each other on a personal level.”
 
Aman and her husband typically visit Florida in November, but this year they waited until January after she was cleared to be in the sun and presume activity.
 
“My husband and I went out to hit golf balls one day to see what I could do and ended up playing golf,” she said.
 
Aman said she feels she has recovered 100 percent and looks forward to playing this spring and summer on a regular basis. She encourages everyone – especially those with genetic indication of problems – to pay close attention to their bodies and report anything out of the ordinary to their physicians.
 
These stories have been shared in connection with February being American Heart Month.  
 
“We want people to be aware of the symptoms of heart disease, so they will recognize those symptoms and seek treatment before they have a fatal event,” said Cheryl Farley, RN, BSN, manager of UHC Cardiac Rehab. “We also want to provide resources for reducing women’s risk for women’s heart disease.”
 
UHC kicked off American Heart Month with a “Go Red for Women” display. (Read about it HERE.) From Feb. 10-16, UHC will hold a display for Cardiac Rehabilitation Week.
 
Editor's Note: Lyda Lister is shown top (middle) with other UHC volunteers. Aman and her husband Ed are also pictured above (and on cover.) The couple has three grown sons and several grandchildren. 
 
 



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