HEALTH FEBRUARY 2017
YOUR
A story of SURVIVAL Stanley Wieczorek beats the odds by surviving a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm PAGE 6
February 2017 AROUND ST. ANTHONY’S
4 Hyland turns 40
St. Anthony’s at Hyland Behavioral Health celebrates a milestone.
COVER STORY
6 Home free
Vascular team saves man from abdominal aortic aneurysm.
FEATURE STORIES
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8 Helping hands
Surgery gets church volunteer back to serving the needs of the homeless.
10 Back in step
TAVR heart procedure has Arnold man singing a happy tune.
HEALTHY HABITS
12 Keen on quinoa
Quick and easy dish is rich in whole grain and high in protein.
10
MOVE IT!
14 One step at a time
Walking is a simple, low-tech way to achieve better health.
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Complex care, with heart David Sindelar, CEO
South Country grandpa Stanley Wieczorek survived a potentially deadly rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at his home. University professor Jane Dycus of Arnold learned of life-threatening heart conditions only after she underwent a routine test. Both underwent emergency surgery with St. Anthony’s expert teams of vascular and heart surgeons and are back to their busy lives. You can read their remarkable stories in this issue. These surgeries are all in a day’s work for the doctors of St. Anthony’s vascular surgery program and St. Anthony’s Heart and Vascular Institute’s cardiothoracic surgery program. Brian Peterson, MD, who performed an emergency endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair on Stanley, teaches courses in abdominal aneurysm repair to doctors across the country. He was the first surgeon in the world to implant a branched aortic iliac device to treat abdominal aneurysms when they have accompanying iliac aneurysms. His father, Gary Peterson, MD, has been a vascular surgeon for more than 36 years. Umraan Ahmad, MD, who performed a complex series of heart surgeries on Jane, was part of the original U.S. trials to develop the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technology in 2008. His partner, Seiichi Noda, MD, has performed complex heart surgeries for more than 24 years. Since launching the cardiothoracic surgery program at St. Anthony’s just a year and a half ago, they have performed more than 500 surgeries with their colleagues. Here’s hoping you’ll never need a heart or vascular surgeon. But if you do, please consider the amazing surgeons at St. Anthony’s. Yours in good health,
Articles with this icon have more information on our website. stanthonysmedcenter.com/connect Click on Your Health Today
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David Sindelar Chief Executive Officer Chairman of the Board St. Anthony’s Medical Center
in good health
Cut belly fat with canola oil Canola oil is good for you, and consuming it can help reduce abdominal fat, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have found. Recently, researchers tested the effects of five different vegetable oil blends in the diets of 101 participants with abdominal obesity. After one month of adhering to the canola oil diet, the participants had a quarter pound less belly fat than they did before the diet, researchers found. They also found that the lost weight did not redistribute in other parts of the body. Canola oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which seem to target abdominal fat. Researchers recommend using it when sautéing foods, in baking, adding it to smoothies and in salad dressings.
Need a doctor? Call 314-ANTHONY (268-4669)
Dry skin savvy By late winter and early spring, harsh winds and dry conditions can really take their toll on your skin. The staff at the Mayo Clinic offer these tips to help prevent and lessen damage: •
Apply moisturizer several times a day and after bathing.
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Limit bath time to five to 10 minutes and use warm, not hot, water.
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Avoid harsh, drying soaps: use gentle skin cleansers or shower gels with added moisturizers.
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Try a portable home humidifier to add moisture to the air.
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Limit water exposure.
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Cover as much skin as possible in cold weather.
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Choose fabrics that allow the skin to breathe, such as cotton; avoid wool, which can be irritating.
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Use rubber gloves when cleaning.
Ditch your smartphone at bedtime Taking a break from your smartphone is never a bad idea. New research indicates that turning off your smartphone an hour before bedtime can help you sleep better. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine found, not surprisingly, that people spend a lot of time with their phones. The researchers found that increased time spent with smartphones in the hour of and after bedtime, but not the hour before, delayed the user’s journey from full wakefulness to sleep. Screen use just before attempting to fall asleep can be particularly problematic, they said. | 3
around st. anthony’s
Hyland Behavioral Health celebrates 40 years Mary Sidlo, RN, remembers the cold winter 40 years ago as if it was yesterday. She was part of a team working on the edge of St. Anthony’s Medical Center to forge an exciting new tradition in mental health care. Private facilities for the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse were practically nonexistent in the region when Hyland Center for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Alcoholic Patient opened its doors on Feb. 1, 1977. “When we started, a month before the opening, the building was not quite finished,” Mary recalled. “It was winter and at times we worked with our coats on. We carried in bed frames and mattresses, getting the building and units ready. It was very exciting.” Hyland Center was the dream of the late Robert Hyland, longtime president of the board 4 | YOUR HEALTH TODAY | FEBRUARY 2017
at St. Anthony’s Medical Center and senior vice president of CBS Radio and general manager of KMOX. Dr. Joseph B. Kendis, a pioneer in the field of alcoholism treatment, was appointed chief of the medical center’s Section of Chemical Dependencies, and the center drew patients from all over the country. The services of Hyland – now St. Anthony’s at Hyland Behavioral Health – have evolved over the years with changes in health care delivery, but the mission of caring and healing remains unchanged. Today, inpatient and outpatient adolescent and adult psychiatric services are offered, along with an intensive outpatient behavioral health program and assessment clinic and an outpatient chemical dependency program. Your support of the Hyland fundraising initiative, “One peace at a time,” will allow us to ensure safety and preserve dignity while enhancing the well-being of those who entrust us with their care. The need is great. For more information, visit sacf-giving.org or call (314) 525-7330.
One of a kind:
St. Anthony’s Heart Failure Clinic H
eart failure is the number one reason for hospitalization among patients who receive Medicare benefits. St. Anthony’s new Heart Failure Clinic, the only heart failure program in the region, tackles this complex problem with evidence-based medical therapy and protocols. The clinic is located in suite 255 of medical office building A at the medical center, 10010 Kennerly Road. Its staff members are dedicated to improving the quality of life and life expectancy of heart failure patients through evidence-based medical therapy, education and meticulous follow-up. Services include comprehensive education on heart failure self-management, outpatient follow-up visits and a 24-hour phone hotline for patients and families. The complexity of heart failure requires a comprehensive and caring approach. For more information on St. Anthony’s Heart Failure Clinic, call (314) 525-1538 or visit stanthonysmedcenter.com/heart.
Jennifer Seib, Family Nurse Practitioner, meets with a patient about her heart failure.
St. Anthony’s honored with Donate Life Award St. Anthony’s Medical Center has been honored for its exceptional leadership in raising awareness of organ and tissue donation and transplantation with the Donate Life Award from Mid-America Transplant. Mid-America Transplant chose to honor St. Anthony’s for a variety of reasons. These include its use of a single point of contact for all referral and donation activity, process compliance and data review; for the donation lead being available 24 hours a day; and for working with a physician champion to ensure all processes are followed and necessary interventions take place. In 2015, St. Anthony’s had a 100 percent timely referral rate and 91 percent conversion rate. Awareness is needed to increase organ and tissue donation. To support the awareness of staff, Mid-America Transplant conducts a monthly orientation for new nurses and ongoing education for intensive care nurses, and supports National Donate Life Month activities. For more information about organ donation, including how to sign up as an organ donor, visit www.midamericatransplant.org.
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Stanley is back to enjoying quality time with his wife, Dawn, and granddaughter, Jaiden.
Home free Stanley Wieczorek beats the odds by surviving a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
O
n Good Friday, 2016, Stanley Wieczorek dropped his wife off at her job and returned to his home in South County. He had the day off from his job in the shipping department of Nestle Purina, but his time would be anything but carefree. “When I got home, I was in pain. I had never felt this way before,” recalled Stanley, 54. “I went into a sweat, but it was different from a cold sweat: this was something else. The pain was just intense around my lower back, and I felt like if I didn’t get some help right away, I wasn’t going to be around anymore.” It was a good thing he called 911, because he had a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a condition survived by less than 10 percent of people who have them. He was brought to St. Anthony’s Medical Center, where vascular surgeon Brian Peterson, MD, performed an emergency endovascular AAA repair. “You don’t have the luxury of time with a ruptured aneurysm,” Dr. Peterson said. “Stanley is a pretty fortunate guy: it was fast acting on his part. We urge people with any abdominal pain, especially sudden-onset abdominal pain that is unlike any abdominal pain that you’ve experienced before in your life, to seek immediate medical attention.”
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You don’t have the luxury of time with a ruptured aneurysm. Brian Peterson, MD
Using a state-of-the-art endovascular operating room, Dr. Peterson advanced wires and catheters through the femoral arteries in the groin and into the aorta. He injected dye through a catheter to get a better idea of Stanley’s anatomy, then relined the aorta from the inside with a covered stent graft. The graft seals off the aneurysm from the rest of the circulation. Over time, the aneurysm slowly disappears. Endovascular repair (versus open repair) is less invasive and allows patients to get back to their normal routines more quickly, Dr. Peterson said. About 85 percent of aneurysm patients qualify for the endovascular repair.
All the nurses at St. Anthony’s were very friendly and easy to work with. — Stanley Wieczorek —
In hindsight, Stanley recalled he had trouble sleeping the night before, tossing and turning and experiencing some discomfort. Dr. Peterson said it was likely at that time that the aneurysm was expanding rapidly, soon to rupture. A former smoker, Stanley hasn’t had a cigarette since. He should have no more aneurysm problems, Dr. Peterson said. He now exercises regularly and enjoys cooking for his family, playing guitar for his grandkids, and singing. “I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunity I’ve been given,” he said. “Dr. Peterson’s office is the most awesome medical office I’ve ever had to deal with: they really took care of me. All the nurses at St. Anthony’s were very friendly and easy to work with: I didn’t have any issues at all.”
Gary Peterson, MD, left, and his son, Brian Peterson, MD
Aneurysm advice from the Petersons An expert in treating abdominal aortic aneurysms, Brian Peterson, MD, teaches courses in abdominal aneurysm repair to doctors throughout the country. He also was the first surgeon in the world to implant a branched aortic iliac device to treat abdominal aneurysms when they have accompanying iliac aneurysms. His father, Gary Peterson, MD, has been a vascular surgeon for more than 36 years. Their practice specializes in treating all major arteries and veins, outside of the heart. “Aneurysms are scary because they don’t cause symptoms before they expand and burst,” said Dr. Brian Peterson. “Often, patients learn they have an aneurysm when they have imaging tests done for gallbladder, spine or back pain. “We advocate a good screening test, an abdominal aortic ultrasound. Any man age 65 to 75 who has ever smoked more than 100 cigarettes in his lifetime – it could be 40 or 50 years ago – qualifies for an abdominal aortic ultrasound.” The test is painless and easy, and the Petersons recommend that you check with your physician. “If there is an aneurysm, you should be referred to a vascular surgeon for further recommendation,” he said. “Not everyone needs surgery; some just need follow-up visits and monitoring of their aneurysm.”
For an appointment with one of these physicians,
Call 314-ANTHONY
(268-4669) | 7
Healing hearts and helping hands
Surgeon gets church volunteer back to helping the homeless Jane Dycus’ passion is the homeless. Every Friday night, with fellow members from Harbor Community Church of Barnhart, Jane takes to the streets with hot meals, blankets, coats and personal essentials. That quest was put on hold temporarily after Jane visited cardiologist Farhaan Ahmad, MD, of St. Anthony’s Heart Specialty Associates for a checkup in August. An echocardiogram revealed Jane had an aneurysm – and that wasn’t all. The aneurysm had a tearing called an aortic dissection, Jane had blockage to one of her main coronary arteries, and her heart valve was worn out and narrowed. She was taken to St. Anthony’s Emergency Department immediately, and Dr. Farhaan Ahmad’s brother, cardiothoracic surgeon Umraan Ahmad, MD, was on his way. Jane tried to downplay the concerns. Amazingly, she had felt no symptoms. She told caregivers that she had to feed the homeless on Friday nights.
I had the best care. Everybody was so super. JANE DYCUS “Honey, you’re not going to feed anybody if you don’t stay,” responded a nurse. Dr. Ahmad arrived and spent two hours explaining the procedure to Jane. To say she was frightened would be an understatement. “I remember when I woke up after the surgery, my first thought was, ‘Yay! I’m going to be 70,’” she recalled. “Not only does Dr. Ahmad have healing hands, he has a healing heart. I don’t think I would have got through it without him.” Rarely has Dr. Ahmad done so many repairs in one surgery.
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Jane Dycus, with her husband, Jerry, and fellow volunteers, Ada Tiepelman and Sherrie Crane, sort clothing for distribution to the homeless.
“She not only had the aneurysm right where the artery connected to the heart, but the aneurysm was torn and becoming so thin that it was what we call an aortic dissection – that’s what the actor John Ritter died from,” he recalled. “A lot of people don’t even make it to the hospital. She also had evidence that she also didn’t have good blood supply to her heart, and had a valve that had been worn out and narrowed.” In the complex surgery, Dr. Ahmad repaired the dissection in the artery, replaced the aneurysm part of her artery, reconstructed the artery above and below where it was torn, replaced her aortic valve and performed a bypass procedure. In order to repair the tear in the artery, Jane’s body was cooled to 64°F for 30 minutes to preserve her organ and brain function while blood flow to her body was arrested. It required a skilled team to make the operation a success, including Floyd Daniel, Certified Cardiovascular Perfusionist, who used the heart and lung machine to cool, warm and support Jane’s body during the procedure. Her head was packed in ice while Dr. Ahmad performed the tricky surgery. As Jane’s body was rewarmed slowly under constant monitoring, Dr. Ahmad repaired the heart valve and performed the bypass. “I had the best care. Everybody was so super,” Jane recalled. Jane bounced back in record time and completed 12 cardiac rehab visits; she returned in January to her teaching position at Jefferson College. And she’s back to her work rounding up donations and volunteers for her Friday night visits to her homeless friends, who also were praying for her. “They become part of your family,” she said. “It’s really rewarding: I tell my husband I never feel so blessed as on Friday nights. One man calls me his angel.”
Cardiothoracic surgeons perform 500th procedure Columbia, Ill., resident Jim Gummersheimer was working out at his local YMCA recently when he collapsed. He awakened at St. Anthony’s Medical Center where he underwent a quadruple off-pump bypass procedure Dec. 16 with cardiothoracic surgeon Seiichi Noda, MD. Jim’s left anterior descending artery, or “widowmaker,” was 100 percent blocked, and three other arteries were 90 percent blocked. Fast action by nurses and a paramedic working out at the YMCA that day restored Jim’s heartbeat by using an automated external defibrillator and chest compressions. “This is an example of how important every step of a patient’s care is, from what happens before they get to the hospital until they get to the hospital, until they get to the operating room,” Dr. Noda said. “This particular scenario has a 75-percent chance of the patient dying before they ever get to the hospital.” Jim is now doing well. His heart bypass procedure marked the 500th heart Seiichi Noda, MD surgery of the cardiothoracic surgery program of St. Anthony’s Heart and Vascular Institute. Its first patient, Michael Albers, underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting procedure a year and a half ago. “I knew my life was in good hands,” Michael said. Since it was established, St. Anthony’s cardiothoracic surgery practice has implemented the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. Dr. Noda’s partner, Umraan Ahmad, MD, was part of the original U.S. trials to develop the technology in 2008 and has performed hundreds of the procedures. The practice also started the off-pump heart bypass program and the practice of rapid extubation, or awakening the patient and removing the breathing tube while still in the operating room. “We’re just really excited to bring this level of cardiac surgery to St. Anthony’s and to be able to bring these new technologies into the hospital,” Dr. Noda said. “We’ve developed a practice that enables us to give people the care that they require while offering the highest technology that medicine has to offer.”
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Tom Moran, with his wife, Barbara, and granddaughter, Sophie, enjoy a family music session.
After TAVR heart procedure:
Arnold grandfather back in step Tom Moran put it off when his cardiologist, Christopher Allen, MD, of St. Anthony’s Heart Specialty Associates, began expressing concerns about Tom’s aortic valve. Semi-retired, Tom stays busy completing items on the honey-do list of his wife, Barbara, and spending time with their granddaughter, Sophie. “The diagnosis was aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve), which evolved into severe aortic stenosis,” recalled Tom, 82. “My body was having more difficulty pumping the blood and building up blood pressure, but I didn’t notice any symptoms.” Tom was introduced to St. Anthony’s cardiothoracic surgeons Seiichi Noda, MD, and Umraan Ahmad, MD, who performed the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure along with Christopher Allen and the interventional cardiology team. During this minimally invasive procedure, a team of doctors inserts a new aortic valve inside the patient’s diseased valve. The valve is guided to its location via a catheter, through a small incision in the leg.
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Dr. Ahmad recalled their visits. “Tom was a guy who was very active and very functional, but had one of the worst valves I’d seen in a long time,” he said. “And he kept telling me that he had no symptoms at all and he felt fine, and I spent six months trying to convince him not to wait until it was too late. When I saw him a month after the surgery, he felt so much better – he told me, ‘I didn’t realize how sick I was.’” The valve team performed the surgery in the endovascular operating room, a combination of an OR and catheterization lab. On hand were nurses, the OR staff, a perfusionist, cardiac anesthesiologist, imaging cardiologist, an echocardiology technician, one to two surgeons, and one to two interventional cardiologists. “Typically, with these procedures, people go home within one to three days,” Dr. Ahmad said. “With no incision to heal, especially for our more senior patients, they bounce back quicker without losing as much of their strength and vitality.”
HELP YOUR HEART See your doctor regularly Sandra Meyer assumed she was just out of shape when she experienced upper chest and jaw pain while trying to keep up with her husband on walks. But a simple stress test ordered by Sandra Meyer’s primary care physician, Neera Sharda, MD, led her to openheart surgery with St. Anthony’s cardiothoracic surgeon Seiichi Noda, MD. After she underwent the stress test at St. Anthony’s Heart Specialty Associates in September, cardiologist Michael Goldmeier, MD, referred Sandra for a cardiac catheterization. The procedure revealed Sandra had too many blocked vessels for a simple angioplasty and stent procedure. Her primarycare physician recommended Dr. Noda, who performed an off-pump heart bypass procedure. “I had wonderful care,” she said. “I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Noda and his staff.” With Sandra’s surgery, Dr. Noda performed a “beating heart bypass,” which doesn’t use a heart-lung machine and doesn’t stop the heart. “Typically, when we do an operation like that, the operation goes much quicker and we’re usually successful at getting the breathing tube out of the patient after the surgery while they’re still in the operating room,” Dr. Noda said. Even people who are aware of heart problems may not suspect they have them, said Dr. Noda, who himself had a blockage in one of his blood vessels recently, and ended up having a stent placed after having a CT scan. “I think the most important thing is to see your doctor on a regular basis, especially if you have a family history of a problem, or you’re having symptoms that don’t quite feel normal to you,” Dr. Noda said. “Say you exercise on a regular basis and you never experience discomfort in your chest when you exercise, and now you start feeling it. And if you’re diabetic, it’s important to make sure you keep in touch with your doctor, because diabetics have much higher incidence of heart disease.”
THERE’S MORE ON THE WEB: Learn more about St. Anthony’s cardiac services at stanthonysmedcenter.com/heart
TAVR:
Life-changing technology Umraan Ahmad, MD, was a participant in the original trials in the U.S. that helped study and approve the TAVR technology. He performed hundreds of the procedures before coming to St. Anthony’s and developing the heart valve program with his St. Anthony’s colleagues. The surgery appears simple, but requires close collaboration between the surgeons and interventional cardiologists, imaging cardiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists. “It’s hours of work before we put the valve in,” Dr. Ahmad explained. “We have to measure the size of the valve and artery without ever opening the chest. This requires a special CT scan on a beating heart that takes stop-motion images. With the cardiologists, we then look at those images and reconstruct them in 3-D. We sit down in the Umraan Ahmad, MD valve committee and discuss what we think is right for the patient. When we perform the procedure itself, we work as a team to implant the valve. From the first time we see the patient to when we actually expand the valve and get the patient safely home, we make all of those decisions as a team.” “TAVR is a great new technology,” said Seiichi Noda, MD. “There are some fine nuances there, because we haven’t been doing this TAVR procedure for 20 years. But so far, in the time period that we’ve been observing these patients, they seem to be doing just as well as patients who underwent an open-heart procedure.”
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healthy habits
e
Whole grains: Stacking the deck for good health at the best to feel your best. Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient in our diet, yet not all grains can be considered equal, notes Sarah Godbold, a registered, licensed dietitian at St. Anthony’s. The bread aisle alone holds a vast number of grain choices, and marketing can create great confusion for consumers trying to choose the best for their family. “Let’s simplify the decision a bit: Choose nutrient-rich whole grains to receive the most gain to your health,” Sarah advises. “Whole grain” foods contain the entire grain (the bran, the germ, and the endosperm), while products labeled “multi-grain” use multiple types of grains. These “multi-grain” foods, however, may not include any whole grains at all. And what about white breads? While lighter, white breads or crackers are processed to remove both the bran and the germ from the grains, and
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thus, nearly all the nutrients. Whole grains are the superior choice, Sarah advises. Full of naturally found nutrients in the germ and fiber from the bran, whole grains support heart health, digestion, balanced blood sugars and weight maintenance. As recommended in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, aim for at least three daily servings of whole grains to reap these health benefits. Whole grains are easy to incorporate into recipes and menus, pleasing a variety of taste buds. Some commonly stocked whole-grain options in your kitchen may include brown or wild rice, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole-wheat breads, whole-wheat pastas, and whole-wheat crackers. When shopping for breads, pastas, and crackers, look for “whole wheat” or “whole grains” listed first on the ingredient list.
QUINOA
Omelette Bites
These yummy little bites combine all the goodness of whole grain with the ease of snacking. They’re also a great source of protein.
INGREDIENTS 1 cup cooked quinoa, warmed 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese 2 egg whites 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix the warm quinoa with the cheese to melt the cheese. Add the egg whites, garlic, salt, and spinach leaves. Stir to combine. Spoon mixture into mini muffin tins, filling to the top. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges to loosen and pop out of the muffin tin. NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving of four bites) Calories: 152; Carbohydrates: 12 grams; Fat: 8 grams; Protein: 8 grams; Sodium: 886 mg
THERE’S MORE ON THE WEB: Find more healthy, delicious recipes at stanthonysmedcenter.com and click on “Connect With Us.”
Recipe from Sarah Godbold, RD, LDN, CPT
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move it!
WALKING:
It’s a stroll in the park For those looking to achieve physical fitness this spring, it’s tough to beat the simplest, cheapest and most versatile exercise of all: walking.
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EASY STEPS TO
W
alking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active and has a multitude of benefits, notes Krysti Eckert, Physical Therapist at St. Anthony’s Sports and Physical Therapy. For instance, regular walking can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent or manage various medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Because it is a weight-bearing activity, walking also can help strengthen bones and muscles and improve balance and coordination. And the benefits of walking extend to the mind: it also can help to improve your mood and lighten your spirits. “Beginning a walking program is easy if you start out on the right foot,” Krysti advises. “If you have not been physically active recently, visit your doctor for a checkup to make sure that you are healthy. Invest in a pair of comfortable walking shoes and clothing. Schedule your walking times as you would any other important appointment. This will help you develop a regular habit of walking.” A good walking program includes regular workouts that consist of a warm-up, vigorous walking and a cooldown. Try to walk at least five days per week for a total of 150 minutes per week (approximately 30 minutes per day).
BETTER HEALTH
• Start slowly and build up to your desired level over time, increasing your walking time or intensity by approximately 10 percent per week. This will help you avoid overworking too quickly, which is one of the main reasons that people don’t stick with a new exercise program. • Stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (especially water) before, during and after your workout. If the weather is warm, bring water with you and continue drinking during your workout. • Stop walking immediately and consult your doctor if you notice tightness or pain in the chest, shortness of breath or dizziness. As the days turn warm and sunny, regular strolls to boost the mind and body are an excellent way to reach your fitness goals, and they can be the start of a lifelong, healthy habit.
• Start out walking at a comfortable pace for the first five minutes to warm up. • Then, walk briskly with your head up, eyes forward and arms swinging naturally at your sides, keeping a consistent pace that doesn’t leave you out of breath. • End each session with a cool-down, slowing your pace for the last five minutes to allow your heart rate and breathing to return to normal.
WE’LL HELP YOU GO THE DISTANCE Do you have an injury that’s preventing you from being active? Call St. Anthony’s Sports & Physical Therapy at 314-849-2366 to learn whether therapy may help you.
Need a post-walking rubdown? Hot stone massages and body exfoliation scrubs are among the massage therapies available at St. Anthony’s Sports and Physical Therapy, 9964-D Kennerly Road. Call 314-849-2366 for an appointment. | 15
MISSION St. Anthony’s, a Catholic medical center, has the duty and the privilege to provide the best care to every patient, every day.
St. Anthony’s Medical Center 10010 Kennerly Road St. Louis, Mo. 63128 stanthonysmedcenter.com
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Caring for generations. That’s what we do every day. For more than 140 years, families have trusted their health to us: a network of providers over 800 strong. We’re committed to delivering highly skilled primary care; specialty care; and above all; compassionate, patient-focused care for you and your family. We’re the physicians of St. Anthony’s Medical Center.
To find a doctor today, call 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or visit stanthonysmedcenter.com/doctors