providing comfort and support to resume everyday activities and maintain a lifestyle of good health

FEBRUARY 2019 CIRCULATION OVER 2000

Bravehearts Newsletter

Happy February! I hope you are all warm and safe. I’m writing this as we await the first major snowstorm of the winter. I’m thinking about

Rose Malvino, our former newsletter co-editor, who is helping us with this issue from her new home in Flordia. She is no doubt sunning herself in her new surroundings (and likely laughing at us here ‘up north’). February begins our dues collection process. Our newsletter generally goes out to 2,000 plus BraveHearts; those who paid dues for 2018 and those having undergone recent cardiac procedures. This month we will send out over 6,000 newsletters to those listed above and to anyone who’s had a procedure in the prior four years who is not a BraveHeart. A renewal envelope in enclosed in this issue. Please remit your $20 annual dues as soon as possible.

A note from the President

As the Christmas holiday was waning, my annual holiday sinusitis attack /

sinus infection began to take hold. After a couple of days of feeling

generally lousy I developed copious amounts of post nasal drip with the

attendant cough and headache.

On Thursday, December 27th, as soon as I saw my grandchildren and their

parents off to the airport, I headed over to my friendly neighborhood

urgent care clinic to obtain a much needed regimen of antibiotic. My usual

MO for this kind of thing is that I begin feeling a bit more human after a

day or two. Not this time. By Saturday mid-morning I was rather

lightheaded and had pretty low blood pressure. Fran came home from a

meeting and said, “You look like crap, do you want to go back to the

clinic?” I replied that I was considering just taking a trip to the ER.

At about 11:30am, we hopped in the car and headed over to St. Francis.

There was no parking available anywhere near the ER, so we opted to park

in the garage on level 4. Upon entering the Emergency area I noted that

the place was packed. Apparently, the last influx of patients was over and

very quickly Rina Manno, RN checked me in, told me to put on a mask, and

take a seat she said that I would be called for triage in a little while. When

she found out that both Fran and I were SFH volunteers she made a point

to thank us for our time. After the next influx of sick people, nurse Dan

called me to his desk and triaged me there, since they were backed up

inside. He also thanked us for our volunteer service. A bit later a bed

opened up, so I moved into an emergency bay, put on my gown and

stretched out. Rina Manno wandered over and said, “Hey volunteer, I’m

your nurse. Let’s get your vitals and see where we go from here.”

My BP edged a bit closer to normal and Rina said she would send me for a

chest x-ray. Unfortunately I did not get the x-ray tech’s name. She thanked

me for my volunteer service and had me laughing all the way to Radiology

and back. She was another absolute sweetheart. Rina reappeared and said

that I would need two “sticks” — one to set an IV and one to draw blood.

She set the IV and introduced me to her partner nurse Nicole who would

draw blood and draw blood and draw blood. She thanked us for our time

‘A Saturday in the ER’ by Dan Siefert

(continued on page 6)

(continued on page 2)

Inside this Issue

Heartline……....….....

Survivor Story…........

Where in the World…

P2

P3

P7

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 2

Brooklyn &

Queens

Arthur R. Louise Quintuple Bypass 718-217-1297

Ken Luft Quintuple Bypass 917-627-6768

Vincent Parlato Double Bypass 718-833-8535

Nassau County

Donna Datre Mother of child with Atrial Septal Defect 516-396-0947

Charles Dombroff Triple Bypass 516-766-2636

Geoffrey Fenwick Double Bypass 516-293-2269

Howard Fisher Quadruple Bypass 917-880-8861

Earl Johnson Quadruple Bypass (off pump) 516-742-3263

Alan Karp Quintuple Bypass 516-681-2845

Donna Killough Mother of Child with Double Outlet Right Ventricle 516-674-0661

Carmen Santosus Double Bypass 516-676-8474

Suffolk County

Susan Eckers Triple Bypass & Angioplasty 631-368-0836

Alfred A. Hulse Quadruple Bypass 631-271-5323

John-Paul LaMothe Aortic Valve Replacement 631-897-2915

Gregory Ogeka Quadruple Bypass 631-878-0897

Kate Weibelt Mother of boy with Narrowed Aortic Valve PDA 631-246-5708

Eleanore L Christie Quadruple Bypass & Aortic Valve Replaced 631-226-1921

Gary Shafonda Quadruple Bypass 631-728-6682

HEARTLINE

Life in the Cardiac Rehab A note from the President

***Feel free to call any of these members to talk to someone who has traveled the same road as you***

(continued from page 1)

We need the continued support of every member for the organization to function effectively. We certainly had some fun and very well attended activities in 2018 and are looking forward to more in the com-ing year. So please, remit any suggestions for trips or outings to BraveHeartsSFH@gmail.com. In February we celebrate a few things. First and foremost February 14th is Valentine’s Day. This is the unofficial holiday of the BraveHearts as it celebrates the heart. Who among us is not involved in celebrating our own re-paired hearts? Of course, it as also the holiday celebrating love and is usually characterized by giving gifts of flow-ers and chocolate. Celebrate yourself this Valentine’s Day. Get a box of good chocolate. It must be dark chocolate because that is high in anti-oxidants and is sort of heart friendly. Enjoy the chocolate and celebrate your continued recovery. We celebrate the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two of our greatest presidents. Of course, the nation lumps both together for the Monday holiday President’s Day. This allows furniture stores to advertise President’s Day sales. Happy shopping! The President’s Day holiday also marks a time bringing joy to every school boy and girl, winter break. This is a time to take your kids or grandkids to Disneyworld and spend a week waiting in line. I suspect that it also means our elder statesman, Dick Heinl will be off somewhere skiing. Whatever your President’s Day plans involve, may you enjoy! This month’s newsletter includes a survivor story, a spotlight article, and a story about Dan Siefert’s Saturday ex-perience in the SFH Emergency Room. Happy reading!

Mark

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 3

My story didn’t begin with a jolt but rather a

flutter on a nice Friday morning in September

2014. I was 47 and feeling great overall except I

had been experiencing some minor heart

palpitations for a few days that “just didn’t go

away,” so I made my way to my GP. What

started innocently, quickly ramped up that

morning with a trip to the hospital for an

emergency echocardiogram that revealed a

sizable aneurysm and an

emergency CT scan to ensure it

was not tearing. Reality sunk in

by the end of the day, I would

require open heart surgery to

remove and repair the

aneurysm in addition to

replacing my aortic valve that

had been damaged by it.

Wow, didn’t see that one

coming. All of this took place at

another hospital, but I knew

from friends and family that I

needed to quickly get to St. Francis. I was given

Dr. Shlofmitz’s contact information, but I was

hesitant to reach out over the weekend. What

happened next defines the great care and

integrity of the superb doctors and nurses at

St. Francis.

I put together a short email about my situation

with a request to be treated by his team and

sent it off to him around 9:15am Sunday. I was

re-reading my email for the inevitable typo when

my cell phone rang just 5 minutes later at

9:20. It was Dr. Schlofmitz, who asked a few

questions and instructed me to get my medical

info together on CDs and see him the next

day. I was blown away by the responsiveness

from the Chairman of Cardiology on a Sunday

morning. Things progressed quickly with him

and days later I was with Dr. Robinson who

would lead the surgical team. I kissed my wife

before surgery on an early Thursday morning

only to awaken with loved ones in the ICU

room with an NFL football game on

television. As the sedation wore off, I thought

“who plays football on Thursday afternoon?”,

only to be told it was actually Sunday afternoon,

three days after my initial surgery. I had no idea

just how serious things had gotten.

On Day 2, they had to open me

back up to address bleeding in

the surgical area. While

mending up in ICU, I developed

pneumonia and ended up with a

third surgery on Day 9 to

address clotting around the

heart. The decision was made

to keep me in the cardiac ICU

until I would be discharged,

which would unfortunately not

come for another two weeks.

The skillsets, professionalism, calm demeanor,

and hands-on care of all the many doctors and

nurses I saw moved me greatly over those

tumultuous weeks in the ICU. I got to know

them personally and it was a very emotional and

tear filled goodbye for me and my wife once I

was cleared to head home. Lucky enough I began

to heal quickly and get back to normal right after

the Christmas holidays.

Living nearby, it was a need, not a want, to visit

with them in the coming months. I was told by

the head nurse that they would love to see me

again, but never again as a patient. I took them

up on that and periodically stop by with some

goodies. It remains cathartic for me but I want

them to know that it was their tremendous and

attentive care that guided me through some dark

weeks. But I came out the other side to a clean

bill of health that remains to this day.

Jim Calpin —Survivor Story

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 4

I have been a member of the St. Francis

Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation staff for over 22

years. But my journey to this profession was

not a direct one. I started off my professional

career as an Economist, having earned a

Master of Arts degree in Economics from

Osmania University in India. When I moved to

the United States, it seemed

only natural that I continue in

the world of finance and

banking. However, I have

always had a passion for

healthcare and for working

with people. So, after a few

years, I hit the restart button

and changed paths.

I earned a Master of Science

degree in Exercise Science,

specializing in Cardiac

Rehabilitation, from Queens

College in New York City. Going

back to school so many years after my previous

education, and in an entirely different country,

was certainly a challenge but I relish every

moment of it. They say it’s never too late to do

what you love and that is exactly what I was

doing.

After I finished my MS degree, I was able to

quickly start working in this field. I had

opportunities to work in different corporate

environments and healthcare facilities. One of

the more memorable was at John Jay College

of Criminal Justice, where I was hired to do

fitness testing for NYC police officers. It was an

amazing experience to hear their personal

stories and help them on their journey to a

better quality of life. I also worked at the

NYNEX Telephone Company and American

Express conducting fitness evaluations,

providing information on cholesterol, nutrition,

and blood pressure guidelines.

I enjoyed working with people

and, in my own small way,

helping then to stay healthy in

their highly stressful jobs.

One day, I had an opportunity

to visit SFH Cardiac Fitness

Center. As I walked around, I

was very impressed by the size

and the number of participants

exercising. The facility was well

organized, large in scale, and

specialized. I remember

thinking how wonderful it

would be to be part of this elite environment.

In January 1996, my wish came true and I was

offered a part-time position at SFH Cardiac

Fitness Center. My start here entailed

organizing an exercise program for the Heart

Study Research project which was headed by

Dr. Yadon Arad. The project focused on

cholesterol and the effects of Vitamin C & E.

Later, I was to take part in the Employee

Fitness Program for SFH employees. This gave

me the opportunity to meet many of the

healthcare providers

Spotlight on Sulochana Bandoji, MA, MS Senior Exercise Physiologist

(continued on page 5)

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 5

and employees that make up the heart and soul

of SFH. In June 1996, I was offered a full-time

position and later promoted to Senior Exercise

Physiologist. Working with the experienced

staff of RN’s, Physiologists, Managers, and the

Director; I have been fortunate to learn and

grow in my job.

One of my favorite aspects of being a member

of the staff here is that we are encouraged to

create, organize, and manage many community

programs. For instance, I was able to receive

certification as a PACE Instructor from the

Arthritis Foundation and co-manage the PACE

program for SFH Cardiac Rehab. I was also

certified as a Balance Trainer Instructor, after

which I ran a “Balance Training Workshop,”

introduced balance exercises to warn-up’s, and

received a Safety Award for reducing falls for

cardiac participants. I was certified as a Senior

fitness instructor and started the “Seniors on

the Move” community exercise program. I have

coordinated the “Increase Your Steps”

workshop for Cardiac rehab staff, Employee

fitness members and cardiac rehab participants.

Working at SFH Cardiac Fitness Center has

allowed me to go beyond the scope of the

traditional Exercise Physiologist role and work in

partnership with senior researchers and

administrators. As an example, I had the

opportunity to start a study on “sleep disorders

and obstructive sleep apnea” for Cardiac Rehab

patients. This study started in April 2005 as a

performance improvement project for fitness

participants, continued for two years, and was

published in AACVPR in 2008. I have also been

able to help bring yoga, a cherished practice in

my own fitness life, to patients at the center by

assisting the program director with the “Heart

Healing Yoga” series.

In my 22 years here, the highlights of my day is

working with interesting and talented people

and patients. Beyond the professional growth,

it is the patients and the lifelong friendships

with colleagues throughout SFH that have been

the greatest part of my experience.

Spotlight on Sulochana Bandoji, MA, MS

“The best and most beautiful things

in the world cannot be seen

or even touched.

They must be felt with the heart.”

~ Helen Keller

(continued from page 4)

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 6

prior to starting her vampire act. I’m not sure how

much blood she drew but I knew that it was far more

than I wanted to give.

During the course of our conversation she mentioned

that the patients seemed to come in waves of about 20

at a time. She told me that because of the extra load

almost everyone was working additional hours. She

introduced me to Stefan Muehlbauer MD, Chairman of

the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr.

Muehlbauer came in on a Saturday afternoon to help

out in the ER. The first thing he said after saying “just

call me Stef” was thank you for your volunteer service.

He examined me and explained in detail what he saw,

how he would treat it, what medications he would

prescribe and how my recovery should progress. He

advised me which members of my medical team I

should contact and at what time frame.

Despite the overcrowding and the general frenzy going

on, every medical professional I dealt with, and some

who just said hello as they passed by were remarkably

friendly and upbeat. I can promise you that in their

shoes I’m not sure I could have been as nice a person.

After five days all of the meds had taken hold and I felt

sort of like myself. I got a phone call from Rina asking

how I was and what doctor’s appointments I had

scheduled.

As most BraveHearts know, St. Francis is really one big

family and this experience sure reinforced that.

A Saturday in the ER by Dan Siefert (continued from page 1)

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. ~ Abraham Lincoln

GROUNDHOG DAY What is the meaning of Groundhog Day and why do we celebrate weather predictions from a plump marmot?

When is Groundhog Day 2019? Groundhog Day always falls on February 2. This traditionally marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Connection to the Weather Around this time, farmers needed to determine when to plant their crops, so they tried to forecast whether there would be an early spring or a lingering winter. It was not held as a good omen if the day itself was bright and sunny, for that betokened snow and frost to continue to the hiring of the laborers six weeks later on Lady Day. If it was cloudy and dark, warmth and rain would thaw out the fields and have them ready for planting. Our Groundhog Day is a remote survivor of that belief. According to legend, if a groundhog sees its shadow on this day, there will be six more weeks of winter; if it doesn’t, then spring is right around the corner. For centuries, farmers in France and England looked to a bear; in Germany, they kept their eye on the badger. In the 1800s, German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought the tradition with them. Finding no badgers there, they

adopted the groundhog to fit the lore. Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil has announced springs arrival since 1887. Other groundhogs also have carried on the tradition, including Ontario’s Wiarton Willie. Though we recognize that animal behavior isn’t the only way to judge planting dates, the tradition continues, often with a wink and a smile.

SO, WILL THE GROUNDHOG SEE HIS SHADOW? It depends on whether February 2 is sunny or cloudy!

Bravehearts Newsletter Page 7

Remember the children’s program that use to be on public television called “Where in the world is

Carmen San Diego?” They would follow world explorer Carmen and her side-kick Diego to various

parts of the world, leaving hints for the viewers. The object was to guess “where in the world” they

were.

The correct answers for January: 1. Caldera of Mt Etna, Sicily 2. Dubrovnik Croatia 3. Leaning Toer

of Pisa 4. Petroglyph National Monument , New Mexico

Here are four new ones. A couple of these may not be so easy. Guess the location and/or attraction.

Email us with your answer: BraveheartsSFH@gmail.com Those with the correct answers will be

named in our next issue along with the answers.

Where in the World...

2

4

1

3

Bravehearts Newsletter

Contact us at: (516) 562 - 6785 or Email: BraveHeartsSFH@gmail.com

Join us and become a member of the

BraveHearts!

Please return the enclosed envelope

with your $20 dues.

New members always welcome!

Refreshments served after meeting!

Location: St. Francis Hospital, lower level waiting room in the DeMatteis Pavilion – use the main hospital entrance and ask for directions at the volunteer desk.

BraveHearts Officers

President - Mark Trantel

Vice President - Jim Jaffe

Vice President - Fred Strobel

Treasurer - Emile Letendre

Secretary - Dan Siefert

BraveHearts Board Members

Karin Caprariello

Michael Carillo

Aurora Collins

Dino Guiducci

Rich Heinl

Doris Letendre

Joe Romuno

Mae Romuno

Georgiana Silva

Sr. Pauline Gilmore, FMM - Spiritual Advisor

Newsletter Contributors

Editor - Dan Siefert

Photographer - Jim Jaffe

Doris Letendre - Travel Coordinator

Date: Sunday, February 24th

Time: 1:00pm

Speaker: Deanna Levy, AuD

Topic: Aging and Hearing Impairment