When Liz Gard's doctor found an 80 per cent blockage in her heart just before Christmas last year, the 80-year-old remembers feeling a sense of shock.
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"I thought I was pretty healthy," she said.
But several months on, after surgery to put in a stent, the Thirroul woman is feeling fit and proud of the improvements in her health, which she says has been driven in large part by her time the Illawarra Heart Health Centre.
On Wednesday, the centre celebrated 10 years of helping people who have had a cardiac event.
It provides dedicated exercise and education programs, empowering patients to understand and manage their own heart health, symptoms or risk factors they may have.
Ms Gard said the lecture program and gym sessions she undertook after her surgery had been invaluable.
"At the end of the program they assess how far you've come, and I've lost five kilos, which was amazing, and several centimetres from around my waist, which is important for heart health and my blood sugar levels were lower lower than me been for years," she said.
"The staff are so competent and you feel you feel encouraged and more confident in yourself and in your ability."
'I ate my words pretty quick'
Another patient, 38-year-old Matt Phillips said he was skeptical at first about how the centre could help him.
Recovering from surgery after his doctor found a blockage during a routine check based on his family history, the Corrimal man said he'd "come in leaps and bounds".
"Part of my recovery once I came out was to come to cardiac rehab and I reckon that's probably one of the biggest things that got me up and going," he said.
"When I started, I thought to myself, 'I don't really need this, it's not going to be helpful' - but I was proven completely wrong. I ate my words pretty quick."
"The team here are amazing, and they care about what they do - without their help and support my recovery would have been a whole lot harder."
The health district's Head of Cardiology Associate Professor Astin Lee said the impact of the centre had been wide-reaching over the past decade, and hoped the service would continue to expand in the coming years.
The Illawarra Heart Health Centre brings together key cardiac services, Cardiac Rehabilitation and the Heart Failure Service, as well as the Cardiology Clinical Trials Unit.
Prof Lee said the Illawarra Heart Health Centre also included the district's Cardiology Clinical Trials Unit, which researches the prevention, detection, treatment, and management of cardiovascular disease.
"Our Clinical Trials team works to expand the knowledge and understanding of cardiovascular disease to help develop new interventions and best-practice patient care," Prof Lee said.
"We are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone at the Illawarra Heart Health Centre and look forward to the next 10 years as we continue to provide these important services to our local community."
Health Minister and Keira MP Ryan Park said it was fitting that the celebration was held during Heart Week, which goes from May 6-12.
"The staff at the centre are passionate about working with patients to help explain what their diagnosis means, what they can do to help improve their heart health and live an active and rewarding life," he said.
"Every four minutes, one Australian has a heart attack or stroke but as the Illawarra Heart Health Centre shows, people can improve their heart health."
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
