The Huron Expositor, 1997-02-12, Page 3News and Views
February Is Heart �k Stroke Month
Transplant saves life of Seaforth woman
BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Editor
Nancy and Michael Hak
kept their original wedding
date of .May 20, 1995.
This might pot seem like an
extraordinary. feat but consid-
ering Nancy had returned
home from hospital only two
days before their wedding, on
May 18, atter recovering
from a heart transplant in
January, it is an incredible
story.
What makes it more incred-
ible is that she just learned
how to walk again a week or
two before being..released
from hospital after losing
several toes because of her
condition.
First Heart Attack
Nancy suffered her first
heart attack in July 1992. It
was a minor attack and she
spent a few weeks in the
Strathroy hospital. Atter that
she started expcnencing chest
pains and asthma attacks
occasionally. Whenever she
had a problem like an irregu-
lar heartbeat. she would have
it checked out at the Seaforth
hospital.
Then in January 1995 -she
was admitted to Seaforth hos-
pital with bronchitis on a
Saturday. "By Monday night
she had congestive heart fail-
ure. They revived her in
Seaforth and rushed her to
Stratford." said Michael.
Memory Lost
Nancy has no recollection
of events a few months prior
to her eventual heart trans-
plant. She has no memory of
December and Christmas
1994 and January 1995.
By Thursday in.Stratford
,Nancy was stabilized and it
looked like she,, was starting
to come around. She ate
.lunch on her own,., said
Michael.
On Friday, things started
getting -worst and worse until
• Monday. January_31.•
"She took a major attack.
They kept her on life-support
and rushed her to University
Hospital in, London. They
stabilized her a tittle bit but
by that time she was on life-
support with tubes attached
and drugs going through
her." recalled Michael.
• 48 Hours to Live
By Tuesday at 2 p_m. a
meeting was held with thc
doctors after all the tests were
run. "At that point they gave
her 48 hours." said Michael.
Immediately notice was put
out on the.network estab-
lished in Canada and the U:S.
for heart donors. Normally
there is a waiting list for
heart transplants but Nancy
was in an emergency situa-
tion.
"They can't go too far (for
a donor heart)." said Michael.
"They have to get it back in
time." Given Nancy's condi
tion and the time frame to
work in, the London doctors
thought they cx►uldn't go fur-
ther than Alberta in the west
and Chicago in the south.
California would've been too
far to go.
fly Wednesday night a heart
became available from
Vancouver, a. car accident
victim.
"The removal of the organ
HAPPY AT HOME - Nancy Hak, centre, relaxes.at home with her`daughter Marissa and
husband Michael. A successful trars3pfant has helped her return to a normal life.
has to be done while the heart
is still living. The donor has
to pass away in the hospital
on life support." said
Michael.
"We don't know a lot about
the donor," said Nancy. "1t
was a car accident, a young
person. 1 don't know if it was
a male or female." •
Emergency Surgery
A team of doctors flew
from the London airport to
Vancouver. Wednesday night
and returned early Thursday
. morning with the heart. They
had to make sure the heart
was a good match - similar
size and same blood type.
"They found the right heart,
took Nancy to the operating
room and started to prep."
said Michael, who was in the
hospital through the whole
event. Nancy's parents and
sister were at the hospital as
well as quite a few of
Michael's family.
The .operation started about
8 a.m: 'Thursday and was
done about 2 p.m.
Unlike normal heart recipi-
ents, Nancy wasn't given any
kind of preparation before-
• hand. "Regular transpaant
patients must go through
physical and emotionally
therapy." she said.
Long Recovery
The normal recovery time
for a heart transplant recipi-
ent is about one week in
intensive care and -then six
weeks in the MOTs (Multiple
Organ Transplant) unit.
"Nancy was in intensive
care almost three weeks."
said Michael. "The last day
or two she was in and out of
consciousness."
"My short term memory
was gone." said Nancy.
In thc transplant unit she
underwent physiotherapy
twice a_day and occupational
therapy once a day. All of the
toes on Nancy's right foot
and a few on her left foot had
to be amputated because of
her illness and thc poor circu-
lation that resulted. As a
- result she was confined to a
wheelchair as she slowly
learned how to walk again, at
first with a walker and then a
cane.
She had around-the-clock
nursing and could only do a
PLANNING A WEDDING`'
Attend
THE
EXETER.
BRIDAL
SHOW
Monday
March 3. 1997
5:00 - 9:00 pm
South Huron
Recreation Centre
• Professional advice about the
ignecessities and accessories
for your wedding day • A 4
tip for
• Fashion Shows • Two
• Door Prizes • SW*
• Live Music •
• Cash Bar •
Calm
• Hor's D'oeuvres and Punch • vviditie
Owned and coasted
by Eason Traver
Brides must attend draws on March 3. and have a wadding date
confirmed by 1908. Additional. guests - S5.00
I`1• -I r 'I;iSii1,•tiit.till it,. ,�.�f let r,ir
( Itll ''R1::.-351111 lir" 1011-I ri.a. I.Ir;
few things herself at that
point. "I couldn't feed
myself. I didn't have the
strength. And I couldn't
walk," said Nancy.
"My mom,kept a diary of
events during the time. But I
can't read it yet. I'm not
ready," she says. "When I
was in the hospital, my dad
went out and bought us all
guardian angels with our
birthstones on them and we
had to wear them," said
Nancy. who had her's pinned
to her sweater.
When she moved up 10 the
sixth floor at University
Hospital, she was allowed to
come 'home occasionally
because she lived within an
hour of London. So Nancy
started coming home to
Seaforth on the weekends.
Release Before Wedding
"On May 18, 1 was out of
the hospital. On May 20 we
got married at Fernlurrst Glen
in Benmilter. 1 had just start-
ed walking with a cane a
week or two before i came
home."
Nancy continued with
physiotherapy in Seaforth for
the next year.
Staying Healthy
She now has to watch her
cholesterol, her weight and
what she eats. She also has to
take two 125 ml doses of
cyclosporine, an anti-rejec-
tion drug for organ trans-
plants, for the rest of her life.
A side effect of the drug is
that it lowers her immune
system and makes her very
susceptible to illnesses.
"I have to be very careful
with people who are sick."
she says. Before any trips, to
the dentist she has to take
several antibiotics in the
chance that plaque or minute
particles from her teeth might
enter her bloodstream and
cause infections or comptica-
•
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•
•
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tf7>C/�1nC s •
••
• •
. •
TO MY
GRANDMAS
One I at Tuna. Mroter1 W Coolie
Tip one WA the taxers, I al hearsay
I twa borne an pat
Thi Minister/id
Aid hey lo. •ilei• u rte.
We a lana W para• NM
Ham V l's wry Lar
•
. .
. , .
•
•
To My Children
Roses are red
Violets are blue
You're the best
Even when you're pests
Love,
Mom
.r-
•
TONY
YoU for you( moot
tan b
Ter ata do t e things Poi dons I
the past. Itit wasn't for you; t
wouldn't be where I am 1t10jj
Thank You, Love
p
Y
•
•
•
To Our Cutlonws.
Rosas ars rod,
Vblats are blue,
We wouidnt be here
114 wsrsn't for Yotll
• The
Stall kom
Hixon Expositor.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
tions when they reach her
heart. Nancy also regularly
CONTINUED on page 6.
Women &
Heart Disease
• Heart disease and stroke is
the #1 cause of death for
women in Canada...accounting
for 40 per cent of all female
deaths.
•.Eight•times as many women
die from heart disease and
stroke than all forms of cancer
combined.
• Awareness of this issue is
dangerously low among
women.
• The Heart & Stroke •
Foundation of Ontario has
developed a Woinen, Heart
Disease and Stroke initiative
to educate women and raise
funds for crucial gender -spe-
cific research.
hM WNW tiXP0SItr11, RMtrw.y 11 tttlna
From Feb. 12th to Feb. 26th
includes up to 5 litres of oil.
Pubncatron and Filter plus
a 19 point inspection.
coo toeaPP°est
1rt�
HART
° r•Y•e•rn•MO kr•wine. 1•eHaC•rwv
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And
the
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•
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It's a win, win opportunity if you convert
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PAYMENTS AVhftABt t'rYO Ine4TIAL CUSTOMERS
ON CREDIT THROUGH UNION GAS AND MEMBER UNION GAS
HEA DEALERS. ALL OTHER OFFERS NOT.APPLUCABLE. OFFER VAUD
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J
Calling all MEN!!
Looking for that perfect
P
Valentine's Gift for her... -
keep reading
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being parnpered.
This Valentine's, before
your big night on the
town, why not start your
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TOTAL IMAGE II PAMPER PACKAGE
PAMPER PACKAGE
Ma►icure & Pedicure
2 tours
ELEGANT PACKAGE
Manicure, Scalp Treatment
Shampoo & Blow t)ry
Make -Up Application
2 hours
-PAMPER PACKAGE DELUXE
Manicure & Paraffin Treauneer
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BREAKAWAY PACKAGE
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cmember lO%o of all Pamper Packages bought on Peb. 14 will go
towards our Valentine's Day Event. We will be donating Feb. 14th's
proceeds to the Seaforth Community Hospital towards the purchase of
a HEART MONITOR. Our way of thanking the community for their
past support.
IMAGE II
65 MAIN ST, SEAFORTH 527-0780