"My cardiac rehabilitation programme"

After having a cardiac event in March I went on to attend a cardiac rehabilitation programme at Hairmyres hospital. The class took place twice a week and lasted 8 weeks. When I first went to the class I thought..I cant do this...I just didn't feel I had the energy the strength and the confidence to do it...I kind of felt out of place as it was mostly men and at that point I thought...this isn't for me.

The rehabilitation team introduced themselves to me and made me feel very welcome. They talked me through what we would be doing in the class and if I had any questions or concerns I could speak to them at anytime or if I felt unwell I should let them know...it was reassuring for me to hear that and at that point I felt more comfortable and safe in a sense as I knew I had good support by my side. I continued to attend the classes and over the weeks got to know people I had never met before and we shared our stories of what had happened to us...I started feeling more comfortable in the class and really started to enjoy it.

On Thursday morning class we always had someone come in to have a talk with us about different things such as learning how to do CPR..eating healthily....exercising...learning how to manage stress etc. The information received was brilliant and very interesting. I learned quite a few new things that I didn't know before and it really made me think of how I wanted to change my lifestyle for the best. There were times when I was attending the classes that I didn't feel well. Before starting the class I would speak to the nurse about how I was feeling and she was very empathetic and supportive and helped me get better on many occasions by consulting with other health professionals regarding my care. With the support of the team over the weeks and months I grew stronger. My confidence had returned and I was on the road to full recovery.

I wouldn't have been able to do it without the amazing support of the cardiac rehabilitation team and for that I cant thank them enough. Such amazing people and they sure do a fantastic job. I'm really going to miss them as I move on to the next chapter in my life but one things for sure..I will never forget them and I know they are only a phone call away if I ever needed a chat. From the bottom of my heart I thank you all so much.