Ray Costello, 89, of Corvallis was prescribed a three month cardiac rehabilitation exercise program following his quadruple bypass surgery in 1975. He’s been at it ever since.
A 14-year veteran of the cardiac rehabilitation program at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Costello hates to see fellow survivors quit the program after the prescribed three months.
“Usually after about eight or so months they’re back in here anyway,” he said. “Either because they realize they need to or because they have to.”
The cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Good Sam offer individualized exercise regimens for patients who have experienced health events such as heart attacks, bypass surgery, valve repair, stent placement and chronic pulmonary conditions. Patients in the program are monitored closely as they improve not only their heart and lung conditions, but their overall health as well.
“I made a commitment to pursue this for the rest of my life,” Costello said. “It’s been an amazing program.”
The average age of patients in the cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Good Sam is 71, and it is not uncommon to meet people in the program who are in their active 80s and who have been at it for a decade or more.
“They’re doing something right,” said Lead Exercise Specialist Quinn Griffis. “They’ll tell you this is a big part of it.”
Indeed, Costello, a retired Air Force Colonel and a veteran of three wars, credits his overall health to the program. But there is something more he gets out of it.
“The most important aspect is the synergy and togetherness of the people in here,” he explains. “The reason many people keep coming is this is their family. The motivation to continue with the program is their friendships with the people in here.”
Whatever their motivation, Griffis really enjoys helping patients meet their heart health and fitness goals.
“The biggest thing that I enjoy is to see someone come in that’s pretty frail to begin with and two or three months later see how much strength they have gained,” she said. “It makes me happy to help them put some ‘oomph’ in their step!”
For more information about the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, call: (541) 768-5323.