Susan's Grateful, Healthy Heart
Twelve years ago, a week before Thanksgiving, my mother brought me to Durham, North Carolina. I was very depressed and very pessimistic about my future. I didn't want to leave home and go someplace far away after barely surviving after a heart attack in August. Instead of traveling 1,000 miles, I wanted to feel better doing what was supposed to work - eating the medically prescribed American Heart Association diet - but that simply was not working.
My life prior to the heart attack was a daily dosage of marbled prime beef. Who knew that all the marbling equaled fat, fat that was going in to my arteries and clogging them up? My doctors in Chicago were relentless to help me get better. They tried an angioplasty and stents. But six months after those procedures, my chest pain continued to persevere. In February 1997, an angiogram revealed that the blockage in my arteries had returned, which the doctors assured me was not uncommon. How common was it I wondered when a 50-year old woman is rushed to surgery 10 minutes later for double heart bypass?
What followed was seven long months of medically supervised low-fat meals, a battery of tests and weekly lab work, all intended to make me better. But all that happened was I felt drained and weak. The doctors told me that changes were minimal and I had to face the reality that nothing seemed to be working. My cardiologist informed me that he had done all he could do and that basically I had two choices - one was to go to a place called The Rice Diet Program in Durham, N.C., which he heard had a great reputation and amazing results in actually reversing heart disease. The other option was to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, known for its excellent cardiac care.
My first thought was that if I had to leave home at all, I wanted to go someplace that would feel familiar and comfortable to me. For the past 15 years, my children have spent every summer attending camp in the Carolinas and I had always loved visiting that area, so the choice was easy for me.
I grew up going on family trips to places like the Ritz, The Four Seasons and various five-star resorts around the world. I imagined that going to the Rice Diet Program would be just like that only now, in addition, I would have doctors supervising my care there too. When I arrived with my mother and my husband, Bruce, we were all surprised to find an unobtrusive building with a sign reading "Rice House" over the main doors, spartan surroundings and very plain furniture inside. I mentioned my surprise to the doctor during my initial physical. One of the first things Dr. Rosati, the Program's Director, said to me was, "Susan, this is NOT a spa, this is a place where we take your health VERY seriously."
I then dumped the large bag of medicine I was taking every morning and every evening on the exam table, making up my mind right then to fully turn my trust over to the staff at the Rice Diet Program. I stayed at the program for two full months, feeling better, stronger and healthier every day. I made a point not to miss any of the classes, I methodically listened to what the medical staff told me, I ate what I was supposed to eat, and when I got the go-ahead from the doctors, I began to walk, and then every day walk a little more than the day before.
That was 12 years ago. I truly believe that the Rice Diet is responsible for where I am today - alive!
What I learned there so long ago has stayed with me. Every Monday of every week, no matter where I am and who I am with, no exceptions, I eat what they call "Phase One - the basic Rice Diet" and on that day I eat all three meals consisting of grains and fruit. (NOTE: The Rice Diet staff recommends Phase One for one day a week ONLY). The rest of the week, I eat mostly fruits, grains, vegetables and fish for lunch and dinner. Every once in a while I add some low-sodium pita bread. And every morning for the past 12 years, there are no choices and no complicated decisions for me there, I eat the same thing for breakfast that I ate when I was in Durham - puffed wheat and fruit. I eat the cereal with some pineapple juice on top. Occasionally I add half a banana or some melon or canned mandarin oranges. Breakfast is very simple and makes me feel very disciplined about my health. I continue to walk, and now I am up to eight miles every single weekday. I give myself a rest over the weekend.
That's not to say there haven't been times where other foods have called out to me. A few years ago, I was on vacation at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Everywhere I turned I smelled pastrami. I took a deep breath and called Dr. Rosati in Durham and said, "Help! What do I do?" He said, "Did you call for absolution? Have the sandwich and enjoy but get back on track by tomorrow!" I ate it, I loved it and I haven't had it again since. The very next day, my eyes felt puffy and my feet were so swollen I had to wear house slippers all day. I knew for sure that I had worked too hard to regress back to my old habits.
Attending the program has helped me so much physically. My medications have been reduced or eliminated and I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. The Rice Diet Program and the knowledgeable, caring and dedicated staff gave me something I could not give myself - empowerment and support! In addition to the staff, I was lucky to build a very strong support team with three amazing people I met while at the Program. Since returning home, we all keep in close contact on the phone and help each other often. I believe that the people that are the most successful with any lifestyle change are the ones that have strong support and those that continue to refocus themselves often by returning to the program at least once a year for a refresher. I return several times a year to bask in the supportive atmosphere of the Rice House, and the staff tells me that this is great for me and helpful to them as well, as my dedication and strength inspires others.
Last year when I suffered the loss of both my mother and my husband, the emotional support I had received from the staff at the Rice Diet Program helped me get through an extremely difficult time in my life. I thank them with all my (healthy) heart!
Note from the Rice Diet staff:
Susan's total weight loss is almost 70 lbs, she has maintained an athlete's BMI of 17.5 and her medications have been reduced. When interviewing Susan for this article, she urged us to stress that her weight was not the issue for her, even though her excess weight was once a significant problem to her. While a starting BMI of 28.9 is not enormous, it is unhealthy, especially if you are a 50-year-old, premenopausal woman who has had a heart attack and a cardiac bypass.
Susan told us that reducing her medications, her quality of life, the energy she feels daily and the huge grin she gets when she visits her cardiologist for a check-up is plenty of incentive to keep her on the lifelong journey of good health.
More about Susan:
In recent years Prevention magazine and the book Winning the Cholesterol War have written about Susan and her journey. Here are the links for additional reading: Prevention Magazine | Winning the Cholesterol War
