Local cardiac rehabilitation patients receive award

Feb. 20—HAZLETON — Everybody is eligible for the Patient of the Year Award, but Beryl Saccketti, Freeland, and Cameron Pappacena, McAdoo, overcame the most obstacles in 2022, according to cardiac rehabilitation staff at the Health and Wellness Center at Hazleton.

They selected Saccketti and Pappacena as cardiac rehabilitation patients of the year for making lifestyle changes, complying with medication recommendations, continuing to exercise and overall standing out the most.

"I feel better and stronger than I did before the surgery, before my heart attack," said Pappacena after receiving his award Monday afternoon at the center.

Saccketti said, "The more I went the more I enjoyed it. I could just feel myself getting better and better."

Both completed LVHN's cardiac rehabilitation program, which includes 36 sessions over 12 weeks. It's aimed at benefiting people who have had a heart attack, heart transplant, valve replacement, open-heart surgery, angioplasty, a stent implanted, congestive heart failure or chest discomfort associated with exertion or stress.

According to Barbara Hunsinger, RN, director of non-invasive cardiology at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton, the program is individualized. Patients are evaluated then a plan of care is determined for each individual patient.

Both award recipients mentioned exercise as a key component of their recovery.

"I realized in the past I didn't exercise as much as I should and how important exercising is," said Pappacena.

Pappacena said he was in really bad shape when he entered the cardiac program, which he described as "awesome." He was still wearing a Heart Hugger when he began and struggled to take a few footsteps, according to his first-hand account.

A Heart Hugger provides patients with full-time wound stability, sternal support, pain management and fewer wound complications after a sternotomy. When the handles are squeezed together, Heart Hugger circles the rib cage with uniform pressure and support. It is applied immediately after extubation and continues to work at home after discharge, according to hear

thugger.com.

Sacketti said, "I'm just starting back up exercising because I was afraid. Once they told me I needed the defibrillator I was afraid."

According to LVHN, most insurances cover its cardiac program, and enrollment is limited. Program goals include stress reduction, a healthier diet and lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. According to LVHN, the program offers extensive education and health assessments while being continuously monitored by rehabilitation specialists using state of the art cardiac telemetry units.

"I did it (the cardiac program) because it was suggested I do it. That's the only reason I did it. The more I did the more I felt better and better," said Sacketti about the cardiac program.

contact the writer: jesposi

to@standardspeaker.com;

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