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The Action is Hot Lungs, Harrison and Exercise – Part 3 of 3

The Heart & Vascular Center at Harrison, Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation is Ready to Go!

Good! Many of us can use help meeting our goals! How, when, where?

Mai-Lin Gonzales is Harrison Medical Center’s Interim Manager of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation – the first for Harrison. Mai-Lin is working to establish cardiopulmonary rehabilitation centers throughout Kitsap County…beginning with the established Capri Cardiopulmonary I went through over a decade ago – a great program then.

Following is what patients have to look forward to …because an exercise program can make the difference between existing and quality life living for most of us. Many studies have proved a great shining star of preventative medicine is exercise.

1. Where, when, time, type of equipment

Mai-Lin – We will be remodeling the current suite (Capri) 111 in the Bridgeview building during July. The equipment will be the same type of treadmills, bikes, nusteps, arm ergometers, etc. We will be purchasing them from CAPRI and integrating a few new pieces to make a complete set for our needs.

Me – I hope they add the recumbent elliptical stationary bike. The recumbent elliptical stationary bike is expensive but allows those of use with hip problems to exercise. I could not pedal the regular recumbent bikes but was placed on the recumbent elliptical. I could use it and over time with Anna Marx; I had magical results on it. Anna is at Silverdale’s Kitsap Physical Therapy.

2. Will a workout pool be available?

Mai-Lin – The pool at the YMCA will not be part of the maintenance program. The pool is for Y members only. It would be difficult to watch participants in the pool and on the upper cardio deck at the same time. I would be happy to pursue asking the Y to consider creating a time that the pool could be open for a rehab population but it would be separate from the Harrison programs.

3. Will maintenance rehab be available

Mai-Lin – Maintenance will be available in Poulsbo and Port Orchard (through Ultimate Fitness) and Silverdale and Bremerton (through Harrison) and Kitsap Physical Therapy has a program in place in Kingston. We are encouraging other community facilities to start maintenance classes for the cardiopulmonary population – hoping to find a fit in Belfair and Bainbridge to start with…

4. Is Harrison is interested in a DASH Diet related Support Group? Even those who have had gastric bypass surgery must be vigilant about regaining the weight lost through the operation.

Mai-Lin: I will pursue this after I get Rehab up and running.

5. Is Harrison interested in and have a use for my excellent like new condition recumbent trikes?

Maui-Lin – We are restricted on space, I will not have an answer for this until we are in the space and have the equipment laid out.

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I have had one goal for six or seven years.

http://www.cleanairadventures.org/big_ride_across_america/route_map.html

This year is the first time I set a set date, 5 June to leave on a self-tour following the same route as the Big Ride.

A long list of mishaps, bone on bone left hip, lymphedema and fat body brought ne to 1 February 2011 when Marilyn Grindrod and I began our first swim coach session. Over a two or three-month period of remarkable physical improvement, I KNEW I could pedal and ride again.

The day Marilyn and I went out to ride the trikes for the first time – my absolute confidence in being able to pedal due to the increasing physical shape, muscling and range of motion I was getting thanks to the swim sessions was knocked to the ground and stomped flat. I could not do it.

That was then, now is now and we have begun again – twice a week – and I have a recumbent delta hand cycle that does work for me – no hip pain… more later.

A Florida Trike Shop owned and operated by physically challenged recumbent trike riders told me about the pedal pendulum. I bought two – one from them and one set from Dave. They work great on my trikes, but it does not work for me. I cannot do more than a lower half pedal – too much pain to bring my leg up and over in a full pedal. I can hear and feel the left hipbones rub when my leg is crested to move up and over. We will keep working at it.

The hard lessons here sometimes- let go and move on.

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Sitting and early death.

“Too much sitting leads to early death. In a recent study from the Cooper’s Institute. The cardiovascular mortality outcomes related to sedentary behaviors of men after 21 years of follow-up showed an 82% greater risk of dying among men who reported spending more than 10 hours per week sitting in automobiles compared with men sitting in automobiles less than 4 hours per week (7).”

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2011/01000/The_Problem_With_Too_Much_Sitting__A_Workplace.14.aspx?WT.mc_id=EMxj00x20110627xL3

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara

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Lungs Win the Fight Against Fat

Sharon O'Hara

If we are in a boxing match, Fat in one corner, and Lungs in another, Fat wins every time.
Why?
Fat takes up the chest room Lungs need to expand and for lung patients, fat compromises our ability to breathe.

The fat v lungs slammed home to me a couple weeks ago when a granddaughter, taking a new class on her way to becoming an RN, told me she just learned that each pound of excess fat is fed by SEVEN MILES of blood vessels.

I went online that night and found an airport-scanned photo (Digg) of a 250-pound woman next to a 120-pound woman. Fat filled her stomach and chest crowding her lungs and heart. Heaven knows what all that fat is doing as it surrounds and crowds the kidneys, bladder and other organs….it cannot be good!

Look, fellow Tubby’ettes and join me. To date, I have lost 133 miles of excess blood vessels supporting nineteen pounds of excess fat.
Regular Tubby’ettes is lucky if their health is not yet compromised.

Lung patients, easing the fat surrounding our lungs will not change the PFT numbers, but we are bound to feel a sigh of relief from our lungs as the fat around them retreats and they can finally expand to capacity and add to our quality of life.

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Obesity and the lung: 5 • Obesity and COPD
Thorax 20 08;63:1110-1117 doi:10.1136/thx.2007.086827
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity are common and disabling chronic health conditions with increasing prevalence worldwide. A relationship between COPD and obesity is increasingly recognized, although the nature of this association remains unknown. This review focuses on the epidemiology of obesity in COPD and the impact of excessive fat mass on lung function, exercise capacity and prognosis. The evidence for altered adipose tissue functions in obesity—including reduced lipid storage capacity, altered expression and secretion of inflammatory factors, adipose tissue hypoxia and macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue—is also reviewed. The interrelationship between these factors and their contribution to the development of insulin resistance in obesity is considered. It is proposed that, in patients with COPD, reduced oxidative capacity and systemic hypoxia may amplify these disturbances, not only in obese patients but also in subjects with hidden loss of fat-free mass. The potential interaction between abnormal adipose tissue function, systemic inflammation and COPD may provide more insight into the pathogenesis and reversibility of systemic pathology in this disease.”
• Review series
1. F M E Franssen1,
2. D E O’Donnell2,
3. G H Goossens3,
4. E E Blaak3,
5. A M W J Schols1
1. 1
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
2. 2
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
3. 3
Department of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
1. Dr A M W J Schols, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, P O Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; a.schols{at}pul.unimaas.nl
• Received 15 February 2008
• Accepted 30 April 2008
• **************************
• http://digg.com/health/Body_Scans_of_a_250_lbs_Woman_vs_120_lbs_Woman
More later… Sharon O’Hara

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Unhealthy Excess Fat Is Worth $1,298.

Sharon O'Hara

Oh Fat Ones!

A few comments and a challenge.
Be aware that a move is afoot to tax soda pop as a primary reason this nation is top heavy with obese folks causing increased Health Care costs. The idea is that the extra 12-cent or so tax will cut down on the fatty folks buying soda thus we would lose weight and need less medical care.

It is strange the authorities do not look elsewhere to find better high calorie items to increase tax. Perhaps they could take a hard look toward chocolate covered donuts, Prednisone, Big Macs, a Frosty, French fries, Sara Lee pastries, Colonel Sanders chicken, ChezeIts, Butterfingers, Almond Roca, Hershey bars and other high calorie waist expanders rather than look toward soda pop as the blimp builder.

Drug addicts can hide their addiction, drunks too.
The public, until caught, does not see the human predator. Most people can hide addiction or criminal ways from public view until caught.
Not so, the fatties of the world. They have no place to hide. The fat of the obese is up, down, front, back, and everywhere.

The public judgment is there, as well. A recent study according to two Mayo clinic nutritionists, Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D. showed the evidence of obesity stigma.

The “July 2008 “International Journal of Obesity” …study developed a tool that could be used to measure bias, and to also rank biases from being a strong bias relative to others that are weaker. The three targets of bias that were chosen to measure and compare were: obesity, homosexuality, and Muslims. …The authors chose these three because each are widely known minority groups — …, they are documented targets of discrimination.
…
What emerged was that that there was strongest prejudice against obesity, followed next by bias against homosexuals, and then against Muslims. (If you wish to see the statistical details and strengths of the rankings you may access the using the link below.)

Laws and other protective policies have been put into place over the years to discourage — even punish — discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It is pointed out that there is widespread documented evidence of weight bias in employment, educational, interpersonal — and yes — in medical settings. However unlike these other targets, no laws or protective policies are in place to discourage or punish bias against obesity.

The study concludes that weight bias is significantly stronger than bias against homosexuals and Muslims. It also concludes that much more research is needed in the area of prejudice and its causes and solutions.
For now, at the least, don’t you think social advocacy is needed to decrease the disproportionate attitude — and acceptance — of bias toward obese individuals? The authors — and I — applaud the efforts and progress made in protecting other minority groups against prejudice and discrimination. And, I also agree with the authors that “it is unacceptable that the obesity stigma is still so pervasive, strong and under recognized.”

It is time to prove – again – that most patients, if educated to what may well be their medical future if they do not change personal habits WILL make the changes needed to avoid future medical conditions.
After smoking forty years, I quit and discovered the true meaning of addiction and a gut-wrenching craving to smoke.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/comments/MY00586_comments#post

Losing the excess pounds will not change the lung diseases or add a lubricant between the bones of my left hip…but it will make a difference for one or more of the other medical conditions.

I am committing here publically to begin the Dash Diet http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf on Thursday, September 24, 2009.

Women100 pounds or more overweight are welcome to join in the weight loss quest to the healthiest we can be through good nutrition, fewer calories and exercise.

I will meet with anyone interested, weekly or whatever works to make the goal for better health AND for the challenge that the first of us to lose the 100 pounds and keep it off for six months will win $1,295.

We can work out the details.

The beginning is Thursday, 24 September 2009. My plan is the Dash Diet but yours can be anything your doctor approves. Let me know…and change our health lives. It is time to take those lemons and make lemonade.

Can I do it this time? I bet I can.

http://www.wiredprnews.com/2009/09/14/obesity-a-focus-of-health-care-reform_200909145726.html

More later… Sharon O’Hara

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