Health Compass Newsletter

For 50 years, Janet Hansen had no idea she was born with a heart problem. In September 2022, she noticed that, physically, she wasn't doing well.

At her first appointment with the Providence Advanced Heart Failure team in Portland, the doctor took her hands and said, "You need a heart transplant."

"That was kind of the beginning," Hansen says.

Hansen was referred to CMH Cardiac Rehab before and after her transplant. She took a look at the exercise machines in the Cardiac Rehab gym and was a little intimidated.

She had never been able to be a physically active person, and, looking back, she now understands why. This time, she knew she had to do the hard work for the transplant to be successful.

The caregivers she encountered in Cardiac Rehab were friendly and matter-of-fact, showing her which machines and settings to use. She previously had trouble using her arms while exercising, because her heart couldn't take the stress. In Cardiac Rehab, she worked to build up her arm and leg strength.

"They really care, and when you have to come, this isn't just a gym — if you've been referred here, there are a lot of emotions that go along with that," Hansen says. "They are so caring, and they're never judgmental about anything. The other people with you are pretty much in the same boat, and it's nice to have people that understand what you're going through.

"I just want to say a huge thank-you to the people I've worked with here. They've been awesome," she says.

Categories: Cardiac Rehab