There are those for whom a program like the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific’s Cardiac REHAB offers the right combination of structure, incentive and encouragement to ensure that the slow, difficult work of recovering from a serious heart condition doesn’t become overwhelming.
Then there’s retired Hawaiian Electric Co. engineer George Ednie, for whom the program served as a necessary bridle against his impetuous desire to get back to normal as quickly as possible.
"Some people need the encouragement to keep going," Ednie says, laughing. "For me, they needed to pull the reins a little bit to keep me from going too far too fast."
Ednie, 72, was referred to the newly relaunched cardiac rehabilitation program after undergoing bypass surgery last April.
In the first days after the surgery, the normally active Ednie found himself having to check his natural impulses so he could allow his body to heal and slowly regain its capabilities. Suddenly, the guy who spent his leisure hours sailing catamarans and repairing cars had to learn how to safely roll out of bed. While he once spent holidays on Hawaii island clearing brush and riding horses, he now had to ask his wife, Pam, for help lifting a carton of milk.
Ednie credits the REHAB program with providing all the guidance he needed to regain his strength and improve his overall health. Regular exercise helped him shed nearly 20 pounds of unnecessary weight. Special classes taught him how to better manage his diet.
The program also proved beneficial to Pam, who suffered her own heart-related scare while her husband was recuperating. Staffers checked on her condition and directed her to the proper care.
To be sure, the Ednies have every reason to stay healthy together. The couple, who met while attending the University of Denver, will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary this year. They have three sons and eight grandchildren.
They also share the kind of joyously busy lifestyle that doesn’t accommodate illness and infirmity very well.
George, who was born and raised on Oahu, still enjoys sailing and has recently begun working with a personal trainer at a local gym.
Pam, who worked as a special-education teacher for nearly 40 years before retiring from Maunawili Elementary in 2004, continues to work as a substitute teacher. She also performs with Na Leo Lani, the Hawaii chapter of Sweet Adelines International.
"The thing to remember when something traumatic happens is it’s not the end of the world," Pam says. "Think of it as a new beginning. For George and I, life has a lot more meaning now because of what we’ve been through."
