Katherine,
|
Katherine's StoryKatherine has had angina for a year and a half. She is a very active person and the angina made her tired and kept her from her active lifestyle. She had a catherization but was not a good candidate for a stent to keep her arteries open. The spray medication she was using 2 or 3 times each week had become less effective at reducing the pain. She was unhappy that angina was limiting her activities so much but it seemed as if there were few options available to her until her cardiologist suggested that she try Granite Medical's EECP program. Katherine lives north of Boston so she had to travel through Boston traffic to get to our center. She says it was well worth the effort. Interviewer: How severe was your angina? Katherine: I have always been what you would call an active person. I am not happy sitting still. I first noticed the angina when I was carrying groceries up the stairs and felt out of breath. I thought it was asthma but a visit to my doctor revealed that it was angina. I was taking medicine as needed for pain maybe three times a week, but it wasn't working. The angina was limiting me and I was very unhappy about that. Interviewer: What was the EECP treatment like? Katherine: I used to kid about how my EECP treatments were the only time I got to relax. Interviewer: Have you been more active since you completed EECP? Katherine: If you had talked to me a few months ago, you would think I was a different person. I was tired quite a bit and I was a bit depressed about how I felt. Now, I am back to my old self, although I am careful about not overdoing it. I can hold my grandson again, and nothing beats that. My daughter is getting married in May and we are both very busy making all the arrangements. There is so much to do, but it is fun. I went shopping at the Prudential Center stores in Boston with my daughter last week and I managed to keep up with her. I did feel a little tired at the end, but nothing like before. Interviewer: What would you say to someone who was considering EECP? Katherine: Make up your mind to do it and then just go and do it. It is well worth the time and effort. |
