By Dennis Morgan
Publisher, The Elgin Review
For Elgin’s Angie Selting, physical fitness has always been a top priority.
It was not uncommon for her, at 44 years of age, to run three to four miles a day either on a treadmill or, weather permitting, outside.
By all accounts, she enjoys an active, healthy lifestyle.
“I would have a feeling of heartburn once in a while, but I thought it was nothing. It didn’t worry me at all,” she said Tuesday morning. “I’ve never had problems during a workout. I’ve always been an exerciser and enjoyed being active.”
During the Christmas holidays, she, husband Gene and their family members headed to South Dakota to enjoy a family ski trip. The skiing was great, but she began to notice something wasn’t quite right.
“It was 1:30 p.m. (on the last day of the trip) and I felt like I had severe heartburn and became light-headed,” she said.
Over the next couple of days, she came to learn that her stamina was no longer the same. She could barely do two minutes on the treadmill. Her health, something she had taken great pride in, was suddenly letting her down.
Four days after the ski trip, while working as a dental technician at Dr. John Williams’ office in Albion, she began to fill ill. Co-workers took matters into their own hands and got her to Boone County Health Center where, after being examined, she was placed on a gurney and transported by ambulance to Faith Regional in Norfolk to be treated for a heart attack.
Once there, doctors found blockage and placed three stints in one artery.
Since then, Mrs. Selting has been on the mend.
Credit the expert medical care received in Albion and Norfolk, she is on the road to recovery. She said she receives therapy at Boone County Health Center three days a week, exercising on a stationary bike, treadmill and lifting weights.
Her eating habits have not changed much. After monitoring her food intake for a week, doctors made no major changes. She remains on a diet of high fiber, whole grains and vegetables as part of her recovery.
She cautions others to look at family history and don’t dismiss any “little” symptoms. In the case of her family, her father Mel Pelster died from a heart attack when he was 69 years old. Her father’s brother also had heart problems.
Angie is the youngest of nine children. She said she and her brothers and sisters are dealing with different degrees of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and thyroid issues.
She encourages all to pay close attention to their health and, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t hesitate to get it checked out.
Cardiac Rehab at Albion
The Boone County Health Center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation is certified with the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and offers an in depth array of healthcare and services to the area.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation program is offered in a state of the art facility, the Rudman Rehabilitation Center in Albion. The Rudman Center offers a large, open area with many treadmills, NuSteps, a full range of weight machines, rowers and several pieces of equipment geared specifically for cardiac patients.
Their services, lead by trained and skilled staff, offers supervised exercise programs for patients recovering from heart procedures and the general public. The supervised program included blood pressure and heart rate monitoring as well as exercise programs for all levels.
Other services offered include Lipid management, Diabetes education, foot care and a Coumadin Clinic. The Health Center partners with Creighton Cardiology and Bryan Heart Institute to offer monthly outpatient clinics.
Patients working with staff will receive comprehensive, tailored services to meet their own needs when it comes to heart health.
In conjunction with the Cardiac Rehabilitation program, the Health Center offers the services of a Community Health Department. Nicole Levander of Elgin oversees this program, which offers on-site flu shot clinics to local businesses, schools and organizations, free colorectal screenings, participation in Health Fairs and Career Nights, Car Seat Education and Intervent, a weight management program.
