OPEN HEART SURGERY PATIENTS GATHER FOR REUNION

Clarence Haertling, Mel Vogel, Elsie Farrow and Paul Ebaugh are members of the Cape Girardeau chapter of The Mended Hearts who share a common bond: all have undergone open heart surgery at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

They and other open heart surgery patients attended the Cape Girardeau chapter of Mended Hearts' annual reunion Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, each talked about their life-saving experience and changed lifestyle.

Haertling, 77, of Cape Girardeau, is a retired realtor who suffered a sudden heart attack in his home three months ago. He underwent triple-bypass open heart surgery shortly after his attack. Today, Haertling is slowly resuming normal activities.

His said his only complaint now is lingering soreness from the surgery but added, "I'm starting to feel good now."

Haertling and his wife plan to leave in about two weeks for their Florida home to spend the winter.

Vogel, 75, a retired accountant from Cape Girardeau, underwent four-bypass surgery in November 1986, after an annual checkup by his physician and additional tests by a cardiologist revealed a circulatory problem in the coronary arteries.

Since the surgery, Vogel has been able to resume his morning swims at the Central pool. "Had it not been for the bypass surgery, I might be here today," he said. "It helped to maintain my quality of life."

Farrow, 67, of Jackson, is the mother of seven children. She underwent a five-bypass operation in October 1987, after experiencing a "funny feeling" in her chest that was later diagnosed as angina, one of the classic symptoms of reduced arterial coronary circulation.

Since her heart surgery, Farrow said she has resumed a nearly normal lifestyle "considering I'm a very hyperactive person to begin with."

One thing Farrow and the other open heart surgery patents agree on is the surgery has meant a change in their lifestyle and eating habits.

Today, Farrow walks at least two to two-and-a-half miles each day, and follows a strict, low-cholesterol diet. "I've gotten so used to low-fat foods that high cholesterol foods do not taste good to me," she said. "Once you get used to a low-fat diet, you can't eat this greasy, rich food anymore; it just doesn't taste good."

Eabaugh, 70, a retired Cape Girardeau banker, underwent a six-bypass surgery in February after he was diagnosed as has having cholesterol-clogged arterial arteries. "My heart was like a ticking time bomb ready to go off," he said.

After the surgery, Ebaugh has been able to resume his game of tennis. He too has changed his eating habits.

"I bypass those foods with high cholesterol that I used to eat, and avoid salt. I used to love ice cream but now I eat yogurt," said Ebaugh. "I'm back to playing straight through an hour or two hours of tennis, and I can climb three flights of stairs to my apartment without getting puffed out. It's really amazing."

Dr. C.M. Talbert, one of the first cardiologists to begin practicing in Cape Girardeau, said new techniques in cardiovascular medicine are prolonging more lives than ever.

Talbert said today's emphasis is on the prevention of heart disease, early diagnosis and treatment of those who develop heart disease, and improved techniques to control heart disease problems in patients who are not able to undergo major heart surgery.

"To prevent heart disease, we want to lead a patient toward a low-fat diet, for example. This can achieve up to a 50 percent reduction in heart disease in five years in large, population groups of people that have followed low-fat diets," he said.

"We also want to diagnose those with coronary problems as early as possible before they become bad enough to require any surgery or mechanical intervention."

Talbert said if clogged arteries is diagnosed promptly it can often be treated with medication instead of surgery.

For older patients who have had previous heart surgery and cannot tolerate additional major surgery, Talbert said new and existing techniques such as localized heart procedures can be used to control the spread of the disease.

Talbert said the key to avoiding heart disease is to follow a low-fat diet, get plenty of exercise, and have annual checkups to make sure your heart and cardiovascular system is functioning properly. He said this is especially true for those who have a family history of coronary disease.