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Darren Lehmann
“I was one of the lucky ones who survived a major heart attack – although there should have been red flags for me, for a while leading up to it,” says Darren.
“Because I smoked for 30 years, being a cricketer you tend also to drink a bit and I wasn’t the fittest player going around. But like most guys, we think we’re unbreakable. We’re macho – but we shouldn’t think we’re bulletproof because we’re not and sometimes you find that out the hard way.”
Darren’s cardiologist strongly recommended he follow up his surgery by doing the cardiac recovery and rehabilitation program at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside – a tailored program of support designed to help patients after a cardiac event, diagnosis or procedure. It combines education, exercise-based physiotherapy, and emotional guidance within an individualised framework, so that patients can make the quickest and healthiest recovery and have the confidence to return to their normal activity.
“St Vincent’s has renowned cardiologists and cardio-thoracic surgeons and a vastly experienced nursing and allied health teams with many of our staff having 20 years’ experience in cardiac care,” says Deepa.
“We’re the busiest private hospital for cardiac care in Queensland and the third busiest private hospital for cardiac services in Australia as well as being one of the largest private providers of cardiac surgical and medical services in Queensland. And our cardiac rehab program is staffed and managed by a high quality and experienced team who are passionate about the importance of every aspect of cardiac care from the moment patients come under our watch.
“Our rehab program is vital to the rehabilitation pathway for our patients, who can be recovering from anything from open heart surgery where they can be with us for days or sometimes weeks, to less invasive surgery where they only need to spend one night in hospital.”
Dr Dale Murdoch
Leading St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside interventional cardiologist Dr Dale Murdoch says he strongly recommends to all of his patients that they follow through with the cardiac rehab program after he has treated their medical condition.
“I feel as if it should be mandatory for all patients. I tell them you can’t have complete care for your heart and expect to have a good quality of life post the trauma of a cardiac episode or a cardiac procedure without enrolling in and completing the rehab program and we’re lucky that at St Vincent’s Northside we have a world class program,” says Dr Murdoch.
“Many people are completely shell-shocked after a cardiac episode, so they’re still trying to adjust to a new normal with their cardiac health. Sometimes people aren’t ready for an educational program so soon after one of their biggest ever health challenges.
Another St Vincent’s Northside cardiac patient, Dani Axford was completely shocked last year when she experienced mild symptoms such as fatigue and lower-than-usual energy levels – and found herself in hospital.
Aged 51 at the time, she had been “feeling off” over a period of time and put it down to a busy life as a teacher and mother, being unfit and being a bit overweight!”
But when she and her GP agreed she should become proactive about getting a diagnosis and undergoing testing, she booked in for an ECG treadmill test. Just minutes into the customary test, the cardiologist told her to stop walking. A “peculiar reading” on the sensors indicated that the left side of her heart “wasn’t working very well.”
“They quickly established that I had a 90% blockage in a major artery and elsewhere in that artery that I had a 50% blockage – and told me that I was a ticking time bomb,” says Dani, a primary school teacher.
Dani Axford
Dani Axford
“I was very shaken and shocked by the diagnosis but relieved that I had answers and that it was detected when it was. I had an angiogram and a stent inserted in one artery and I was awake for the whole thing!
“But I knew it was important to then go through the cardiac rehab program which was fantastic and the staff became like family. I started it just two weeks after my surgery as I felt very fragile and vulnerable and it was a way for me to take back control and feel empowered about my health issues.
“There was wonderful emotional support, great educational information about diet and medication from the cardiac rehab team and they guided me on a way to safely build my exercise and activity program which has become part of my daily life.
“For me, that’s mainly involved walking but I have been pretty disciplined about walking regularly and increasing my regular walks and setting goals. And I’m about to embark on a 50km walk in Tasmania over four days with a friend – which I wouldn’t have thought possible right after I had my procedure.”
“Our rehabilitation services aim to help patients to regain independence and restore physical strength, mobility and function and our Rehabilitation Team is an experienced and highly qualified group of health care professionals,” says Amanda.
“St Vincent’s cares for a broad mix of patients in our rehab program which could include people who have had a hip or knee replacement who could be with us for less than a week or we could be caring for patients who have had a lengthy stay in intensive care due to a significant illness who are deconditioned and have lost the ability walk or move functionally,” says Amanda.
“By providing a multi-disciplinary team, we can tailor the program to their individual needs all with the objective of ensuring they get the support and guidance they need so that they can leave and be independent and safe at home.”
Amanda Bromley
