This is regarding the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Emerson Hospital. I am a little critical, in part because it didn't work out for me. It started when I was, apparently, recommended for the program by my cardiologist. I had had a coronary artery blockage, and has a stent placed in that artery to prevent a heart attack. Serious, but not the most serious heart problem I could have.
Well, it started out with what I thought was a fairly high-pressure pitch to take the program. Apparently, people who take the program enjoy about a 30% reduction in subsequent problems, including heart attacks and mortality. That sounds very positive, but I found it difficult to get answers to questions like "compared with what? People who don't take the program, including people who do not take good care of themselves? How about compared to people who DO take good care of themselves, independently?"
Anyway, after a good deal of haggling, I decided to give the program a chance. I did explain to the director that my back was very fragile, and that for that reason I always ran (I am a runner, somewhat lapsed in the last couple of years) late in the day, after my muscles loosened up, and that I had recently given up stretching, because that usually caused me to injure my back. So I went to the first class, and I did all the exercises they recommended, as a group with the others. I had reservations about doing them, but went ahead on the assumption that they knew what they were doing...
And the next day I was in agony! I had the worst backache I'd had in months, and a severely stiff neck. My back hurt so badly that it made me sick, to the point that I wondered if I had the flu. It took me fully until the next class, 5 days later, before I was almost back to normal. I was not able to run as I had planned (I usually run 2-4 miles 2-4 days a week), and think I may not be able to run for at least several more days.
But I went to the next class, and explained the problem. The director inquired whether I could take a later-in-the-day alternative, but I anticipated that I would have the same problem with the 11:00 classes, and that in the PM I had the duty of taking my children to and from their after-school activities, etc.
I guess that none of the available options really worked for me, but at that point she became, it seemed to me, rather dismissive. I said that I would still be interested in the informational parts of the program, and she said (now in a more snippy tone, as if I was, apparently, more trouble than I was worth) that I would be welcome to attend those parts, but, and I quote (paraphrase) what she said, "she could not charge me just for that, and that they could therefore not be able to answer any of my questions or provide me with any other services." She specifically noted that they could not charge me for the part I wanted (which could have been useful to me), and she asked for me to return my parking pass!
Which was fine, but it confirmed for me what I had felt from the beginning, that this program, although no doubt doing some or many patients some good, is a commercial product. If they couldn't charge me for the part I could use, and wanted, they weren't interested in me...
So therefore, I don't think I will be back. I wouldn't feel welcome...