It's
been a whole year since Megan Jessman has been here, and here you are again.
Back.
Back again.
And again, we're talking about the health walk.
This is for the American Heart Association.
And where exactly is this going to be?
Give me the date and where it's going to be, then we'll talk about
what it is.
Sure.
Ascension All Saints will be hosting a Walk Where You're At event.
So part of the big event in Milwaukee but located on the All Saints campus.
It will be this coming Saturday, so September 26th at 9 a.m.
and we're going to meet in the main entrance lobby.
And we have a one mile
walk that is mapped out around the campus.
A whole mile.
Oh, no.
I was going to suggest you could make a couple laps if you wanted.
Now, you know, I hear these people, well, my daughter used to do marathons.
Yeah.
And they were the 13.1 or six or was it 26.2?
She did full marathons running for 26.2 miles.
She gets it.
And she's not even huffing and puffing at the end.
I said, wow, I
was talking
like 26 feet, I maybe could pull up.
So anyway, so this is for everybody.
This is for everybody.
It's open to the public.
All ages are welcome to come and join us.
We will have some of our cardiac rehab staff members out on the walk to walk along with you and make sure you don't get lost.
And then before and after, we'll have a small health fair in the lobby where you can learn more about
the services we offer in heart care at Ascension All Saints to learn more about your risk for heart disease and maybe even try a little heart healthy snack.
Now there's only one thing you must have before you're allowed to do this heart walk.
You gotta have a heart.
If you don't have a heart, do not walk into this thing.
And that kind of means everybody's in there.
Whether you have a fake one, you know, it's hard to believe people can have artificial hearts.
Because I have a friend who's got, he had a heart transplant, not artificial.
And he's still going strong after like 20 some odd years.
He's, I mean, it's him now.
I mean, I had heart surgery, you know that I had a valve replacement.
And then I went to your place to get cardio rehab and everything.
And I lived through it.
That was 15 years ago.
April was 15 years.
So
it worked.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death.
And so it affects a lot of Americans.
And when we talk about it being the leading cause of death, I think
what everybody forgets is that there's a lot of survivors out there, right?
And every day we have the opportunity to help people recover from their heart disease, to make healthy changes through cardiac rehab.
And we're grateful for that opportunity to help educate the community and prevent heart disease if we can.
Now, my surgeon
sat across from me after doing a million tests and so forth.
He just sat on a little round stool, leaned in and said, well, you got six months to a year to live.
What do you want to do?
Could we do the surgery like tomorrow?
He said, we'll do it Tuesday.
But that's when he said, I didn't see that coming.
You have six months to a year to live.
Now, I always knew I had heart murmur most of my life.
I just I knew it.
I just lived with it.
He said, now it's not good anymore.
He said, you're at number eight on the scale.
I said, well,
What if I get to a nine?
Well, I said, what if I get to a 10?
He said, well, 10, it's no, you've gone.
Nine is what we're looking at here.
And you're at an eight.
What do you want to do?
Have the surgery on Tuesday?
Right.
It can be overwhelming.
It comes on quickly.
Sometimes you have a little bit of a warning.
And other times you really don't.
And so it's important to know the warning signs for heart disease.
And if you've got some of those warning signs to not hesitate and to go ahead
and get them checked out.
Well, my wife saved my life, and I'll tell you how.
She worked at the hospital.
Yeah.
And she said, a heart test went on sale.
That went on Christmas time.
She bought it for me.
I said, what do you mean it went on sale?
It went on sale.
They were like $129.
She bought one for me.
That's when I discovered all my problems.
Yeah.
And if she hadn't done that, you would have been talking to somebody else here, right?
Right.
It wouldn't have been me.
So I really, I mean, she saved, she saved my life two or three times.
Yeah,
I'll
keep her as long as she keeps saving my life.
I mean, she stays.
Okay, so this hard walk again is Saturday for people just tuning in.
It's Saturday.
It's on the campus of all Saints right there on Ascension on Spring Street.
Correct, 3801 Spring Street.
Now, you changed the name Main Entrance twice.
So where is the Main Entrance now?
The Main Entrance was formerly the Cardiovascular Institute, but it is labeled as Main Entrance under the overhang.
As you come in, we will meet in the lobby.
The walk will start about nine o'clock, so if you want to arrive a little bit early, you may.
And our only ask is that you register for the event through the American Heart Association homepage.
If you would like to join us at All Saints, you can register under my team.
And again, my last name is Justin.
And so it's easier to search by my last name.
J-U-S-T-M-A-N.
Or walking at All Saints, I believe, is the team name.
Now, how do you raise funds for this?
People get sponsors?
It is a donation-based event.
So anybody who wants to make a donation, you know, those funds really help to
look at research and best practice guidelines, and then we are able to bring that care right back here into our community.
Just a moment, we're gonna talk about signs of a heart attack coming on.
You know, people say, ah, my heart's fine.
I got no problem.
I just went, you know, got a brat, went to the TV, I was fine.
You may not be fine.
I mean, those are always hurt right away.
All of a sudden it's like, and then you have it.
I didn't have any of that.
I just had a heart murmur.
which I knew I had.
It sounds like if you put a stethoscope to your chest, it sounds like a freak.
Because the blood's not going, it's coming back into the chamber.
It's not all getting
pushed
out.
And so I knew I was getting tired more, but it didn't hurt or anything until my wife got me that art exam.
And they put me on a treadmill.
I said, treadmill, you think I'm having a heart problem?
You stuck me on a treadmill?
And that's when they found out that...
It's six months to a year to live.
What do you want to do?
Oh, nothing.
You know, it's just the way he said it.
All right.
So we're talking to Megan Jussman and Megan is the regional supervisor for the cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation at Sentinel Saints in Racine and St.
Francis.
Correct.
You got a schlep back and forth, huh?
I do.
Oh,
wow.
It is a schlep going back and forth, especially in the winter.
It's
Just fine.
Okay.
All right, good.
We're talking to Megan.
We're going to talk about heart attacks, all that kind of information.
We're talking about the heart walk and the fall wellness fest.
What kind of snacks are you giving out?
Like chips and salsa, brats.
Hot dogs, burgers, that kind of healthy food.
Maybe some popcorn and some energy
bites.
That's probably better for everybody.
We are chatting this morning with Megan Jessman, regional supervisor for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation at Ascension All Saints in Racine and in St.
Francis.
We're talking about the heart walk coming up from the American Heart Association.
And also you have a full wellness fast going on inside the actual hospital itself in Racine, right?
It will be indoors and outdoors.
Yeah, okay.
So okay
coming up.
Yeah, all right So let's talk about the warning signs of a heart attack is you know, sometimes they just they're there Before you know it and it hurts you fall to the ground and before you know it you're in a hospital with tubes going in and out of you So what's what are some of the warning signs?
Yeah, I think that it's important for everybody to know that everybody's symptoms may be a little bit different on TV
You might see somebody clutch their chest and fall over, but most of our patients don't describe it that way.
So pain or pressure or indigestion type feeling in the chest, but it may radiate down the left arm.
It may radiate around to the back.
And honestly, some of our patients don't even have any pain.
They might have more nausea.
They might be sweating profusely, a very unusual fatigue, and so, you know, it's important that if you're starting to have those symptoms, just stop what you're doing, you rest, and if they don't go away within five minutes that you're making that call to 911.
So it's not always like it is on TV where I was like, they grab their chest and they drop.
Correct.
Wow, that's what I thought
it was.
It's not.
And for women, the number one symptom is fatigue.
And so as we talk to many of our female patients, you know, who isn't tired right now, you know, we lead very busy lives and maybe we're, you know, running between home and work and caring for a family member.
And so it's important that we take that time and really listen to our bodies.
I
know I always hear about men having heart attacks.
You rarely hear about a woman having a heart attack though.
The incidence of heart disease in men is higher than women.
Unfortunately, women are more likely to die from heart disease than men, so maybe...
Really?
Because you never hear women... Oh, she died of a heart attack.
You never hear that.
Guys, they're always dropping dead of heart attacks.
Right.
You don't think the women are giving the guys the heart attacks?
Is that one of the stresses?
Is that one of... But really, I never hear that a lot.
You have heard it, but not a lot.
Yeah, it definitely happens.
Men are more likely to have heart disease than women, but women are more likely to die from it.
And we think that is because our symptoms are a little bit more vague and women are less likely to prioritize their own health.
And so they put off coming in when they do finally come in.
They've got a long list of symptoms.
And so it takes us a little bit longer to figure out what's going on.
What about this grabbing of the arm?
You always see that too.
Even when I was watching the movie.
That was Sally, uh, Sally Field.
She was playing the union leader, um, Norma.
Well, I forget what the name of the picture was.
Anyway, her father grabs his arm and that's how he knows where he's having a heart attack and he dies.
What's for
the
grabbing of the arms?
Is that true?
Sometimes the pain will radiate down the arm.
Um,
but again, not every time.
Wow.
So you never know.
You don't.
That's why we should have a checkup.
Listen to your body.
Yep.
and know your numbers.
So we know that about 80% of heart disease is preventable, and so we really encourage you to make those healthy choices.
Eat healthy, move more, don't smoke, and then get in to see your provider regularly to know your numbers, to know what you're at risk for.
Wow.
I never picked up a cigarette in my life, so I guess I'm kind of lucky.
I just never did.
I don't know why, maybe because I didn't like the smell of them, whatever.
But you ever go to a casino, and you go to the nickel slots, and you see all these old ladies there, chained smoking while they're on the nickel slots, and they turn around and
say, can I have another roll of nickels here?
I read out of nickels.
I had a drink too while you were at it.
I mean, you can feel for the smoking.
That's what they sound like at those nickel slots.
All right, let's talk about research.
And that's what you're raising money for.
Correct.
Because, I mean, you think about 100 years ago, they didn't know any of this stuff.
And
now they can replace your heart, your vali of the valve replacement.
I
mean, they could do all that stuff now.
Right.
And even very basic things, if we think about our CPR guidelines, that is done through research through American Heart Association.
And so helping bring awareness to hands-only CPR, getting people educated, it can make a real difference in saving lives in our community.
Okay.
Why walking?
What does walking do?
Everybody says, well, you gotta eat healthy and walk.
Exercise.
Why?
Yeah.
Well, exercise is sort of like our magic pill.
So we know that it can improve our cholesterol levels.
It can lower our blood pressure.
It helps maintain our blood sugars at a healthy level.
It helps reduce the inflammation inside of our blood vessels.
And it helps us.
maintain a healthy weight.
So really, you know, when we look at all of the different benefits of walking, you can really tap into several of your risk factors with one simple step,
literally.
Wow.
Eat healthy.
That's my biggest problem, eating healthy.
So I did what they just cut the junk food out, but whichever left is what I eat.
I mean, I'm not a big vegetable or fruit eater.
Now, I do eat at least I make one salad a day, no matter what.
I give you one salad a day.
and I cut a little plain chicken on it just to give it a little flavor.
But one salad a day and the rest is, I know eggs aren't great, but I use a small little omelette for breakfast at night.
I don't know, nothing much, but I cut all the junk out of it and it does work.
Now, on weekends, we have people over and it's about a key lime pie this weekend, but I don't do it often and I don't eat a lot of it.
The old Dom would have polished off the whole pie.
The new dawn takes a slice.
Good for you.
Okay, so what do I miss so far?
What do you want to talk about that I didn't get to?
Just the reminder that it's again this coming Saturday 9 a.m.
We're looking for walkers to come join us on campus at Ascension All Scenes.
And the walk is outside around the place, right?
Correct.
How many laps for a mile?
It'll be a one-mile loop, and then if you want to walk more than one mile, you can make a loop or two.
One mile is good enough.
Actually, once you get into the swing of it and you have someone you're talking to, you probably do two miles without even blinking an eye at.
You're not running.
You're walking.
Right.
I mean, we're not taking a jog here.
We're not doing the Olympic run.
Also, this, you and your construction out in front on Spring Street.
My goodness, gracious.
When's that going to come to an end?
I don't know.
That's not up to
us.
Wow.
Okay, so you go to Spring Street.
That's the campus, the
All
Saints Hospital.
Go to the main entrance.
Do you have to register in advance?
It will speed things up if you register in advance.
Otherwise, we will be there to help you register at the door.
So
if you wake up next Saturday morning and say, I didn't register, I can't go, you can go.
Correct.
And we do have a plan with all the rain that we've had lately.
We have an indoor route in the case of rain.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Running through the emergency room, running through.
No, our track.
We have a track.
I know.
I know you do.
I know you do.
Running through intensive care,
running through.
I saw a wedding once in intensive care.
My mom was in the hospital and the groom had a heart problem.
So they brought the whole wedding there.
And they played the music at the wedding dress.
They dressed him in a tuxedo in his hospital bed, and they had a wedding right there.
Wonderful.
I said, need a best man?
No,
I didn't say that.
Anyway, so again, quick review.
The Health Walk, this is from the American Heart Association.
It's a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.
It takes place every year at this time.
And it's this Saturday.
Again, the time is?
9
a.m.
9 a.m.
Until whenever you finish.
Tell you're done.
9 a.m.
That's not too early.
So you have time to, you know, get there.
And afterwards, there's a fall wellness fest going inside the hospital.
They have some snacks.
They have some information.
I'm telling you, I wouldn't be here talking today if I didn't get information on this.
I wouldn't be here today.
You'd be talking to somebody else who's a lot meaner and nastier than me.
Yeah.
I know.
It's hard
to believe.
Can I add about the Fall Wellness Fest?
So the Fall Wellness Fest is actually going to be a separate date.
It is going to be... Oh, it's
not this Saturday.
No, it's not this Saturday.
Oh, I screwed up, okay.
It's okay.
We will have a health fair with the Heart Walk, but we will have a large Fall Wellness Fest that will be Wednesday, October 7th from 4 until 7 p.m.
Right now, we are planning on Flight for Life landings so that attendees can get a close-up look inside the helicopter.
Yeah,
get that heliport right there on
the
ground, yeah.
We will also have local EMS so kids can get up close and touch a truck, look inside an ambulance, meet with local police officers.
And then inside the hospital, we will have several booths that...
community members can come and learn about the services that we offer at all scenes along with some of our community partners.
And one of the things I'm very excited for this year is that we're partnering with Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast.
So families who have Girl Scouts should come on down.
We're actually going to have a fun patch for the girls provided by
the Girl Scouts and we are going to have the opportunity for them to earn their first aid badge or award.
That's October 7th.
That is on October 7th.
Okay.
That's October 7th.
And so the girls can go from booth to booth and they will meet the requirements for one of their badges.
No Girl Scout cookies?
No cookies right now.
No.
You know the new Girl Scout cookies for dogs this year?
I did see that.
Yeah.
Don't make a mistake and buy it and say, this is kind of tasty.
And then
you buy it at the dog cookie.
Yeah.
I'm
sure you could eat it if you wanted to, but still.
Right now they're selling cookies or, I'm sorry, nuts and candy and magazines.
So different fall product time of the year for
the Girl Scout.
All right.
One more time.
So the walk is coming up this Saturday, 9 a.m.
Right, this Saturday, and that's at All Saints, the Ascension Campus right here on Spring Street and Racine.
Work your way around the Orange Barrels.
Once you're in, you're in, you're away from the barrels.
And then you've got the Fall Wellness Fest, which is coming up October 7th.
Correct, from 4 until 7 p.m.
Okay.
And both are really just a great way for us to reach out to the community.
because community outreach is one of our main priorities at Ascension All Saints, and we want to make sure that the community knows that we're here for them, should they ever need our care, and that we also want to prevent any kind of illness, if possible.
Yeah, thanks for coming in.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Megan Jessman, who is the regional supervisor for the Cardio Vascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Ascension All Saints, also St.
Francis.
So quickly, I don't want to screw this up.
So it's 9 a.m.
the walk this Saturday at the Ascension Campus in Racine, and then the Fall Wellness Fest is coming up, same place, October 7th.
Correct.
All right.
I'll tell you, I get it.
It took me a half hour, but I told you, I don't understand it.
All right.
Thank you, Megan.
Megan Justman, everybody.