Cardiac Rehab- What To Do?

[mkoven]

So I'm having a dilemma and wanted some input. At Cleveland they recommended phase 2 cardiac rehab, which means three days a week supervised exercise- hooked up to ekg and regular bp monitoring. I started in Illinois, and had about ten sessions-- 36 is the full amount. After some bureaucratic hassling, got approved to complete the rest in DC, where I am on sabbatical.

so here's the issue. I think exercise clearly helps. And i've only ever been in sinus rhythm during exericse, just that sometimes it's too fast, or my bp is too low.

But, esp. since injuring my hip, I haven't been back. It's been two and a half weeks. The center (the only one in town!) is clear across town and a production to get to. I have to walk several blocks to the metro, walk around to find the elevators in the stations, take the train, then take a bus. Both directions. I'm actually more likely to hurt my hip and feel potsy in transit than during the session. And with transit, it takes half the day-- I leave here at 845 for a 10am session, and don't get back till 1.

while I'm actually there, the only machine I can use is the treadmill. My hip is happiest if I can go STEEP and slow. Uphill makes me engage my muscles in wuch a way that I sublux less. So basically, I spend half the day so I can be on the treadmill for half an hour. the monitoring is nice, and the people are nice. they have no experience in dysautonomia, so even though I'm monitored, I'm running the show-- except when they tell me my hr is too high.

So you can probably tell where I'm headed...There's a gold's gym 1.5 blocks from home that I've joined for cheap with treadmills a plenty. I've bought myself a hr monitor and have gone for the past five days.

Part of me wants to stop official rehab at the rehab center for now. It's such a production to get there and really wears me out way beyond the exercise. And if ever I do get there and feel too bad to exercise, I still have to get myself home, and it is not an area where even catching cabs is particularly easy. So if I feel bad, I still have to contend with buses, trains, walking. If I feel bad at Gold's, I can be home in 5 minutes.

Then there's the non-health part. I may be on sabbatical, but I'm still supposed to be working, and am doing so. I have a number of writing/research projects, and losing three half days a week is a lot. Esp. when I can do the entire Gold's enterprise in under an hour --home-gym-home. and have a lot more time and energy to work on "work." Again, I don't want to neglect rehab, I just wonder if it's reasonable to continue on my own, or if I'm stupid not to use the rehab opportunity.

Let me also add that I now go to physical therapy twice a week for my hip. that is at least closer, but there are days when I have cardiac rehab and pt, and I feel like I can't turn my attention to anything else.

So I'm torn. I I like the safety and social support of rehab, and it was work to get it all approved, but wonder if I could safely continue on my own. I don't know what more concretely going to rehab will help with, ans-wise, as opposed to continue to work on my own, gradually increasing time and intensity, with a hr monitor.

what do you guys think?

I'm guessing my local docs will leave it up to me. I don't know what Cleveland would say. I have had about 17 sessions in all.

[Ernie]

Hi,

If you feel safe enough then you could go to the private gym and monitor yourself with your equipment.

[firewatcher]

Some of those gyms have staff that have been trained in sports therapy/personal trainers, I would make that part of the staff aware of your conditions just in case something happens. I would be most concerned about the "what if" in this case, you know how far you can/should push yourself. Good luck! I hope your therapy is less painful than mine