16 years after a heart attack, Branson Alderman continues 3-day a… (2025)

February is American Heart Month

For the past 16 years, Branson Alderman and business owner Bob Simmons has been making cardiac rehab part of his weekly routine. Simmons had a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 58 and in 2015, he underwent open heart surgery.

“My doctors recommended I attend cardiac rehab and I was glad they did because over my first 58 years, I had nothing wrong with me,” explained Simmons. “I might have been to the doctor three or four times in my life and I’d taken practically no medicine in that time and then all of a sudden, I had a heart attack.”

Following the heart attack, Simmons was placed on four strong medications and he continued to not feel well.

“I was still going to work every day and at 58 years old, trying to keep up with my routine. When I started rehab, that helped me a great deal,” Simmons said. “At rehab, they were able to explain to me what had happened to me, what my medications were doing to me and they started me on an exercise routine where I felt safe. If your heart just stops, and even though it’s started again and going, you always have it in the back of your mind that it could stop again at any second. When they gave me a routine and told me how much I could do and they started me out slowly, it gave me the confidence that while yes, my heart could stop at any time, it’s probably not.”

Simmons said his workouts slowly increased and so did his confidence. Cardiac rehab is a 12-week program with patients attending rehab three times a week. Once completed, Simmons enrolled in the cardiac rehab maintenance program where he continues to work out at the rehab center under the supervision of the rehab nurses.

Simmons credits the structured schedule of the sessions as to why he’s continued to attend and flourishing 16 years later.

“I started rehab because by making it a scheduled appointment on my calendar, it made sure I was exercising,” Simmons said. “Then I got into the habit of going and I got very dependent on it. A lot of people says it invigorates them and they feel wonderful when they leave. It doesn’t do that for me. It makes me feel tired and I want to rest when I leave but I feel that is all the more reason to do it because it does keep me active and it does build my confidence.”

In 2015 when Simmons had open heart surgery, he was anxious to get back to rehab.

“I knew cardiac rehab would get me back up and get me functional again,” he explained.

And it did. At 74, Simmons remains active.

“I’ve been doing cardiac rehab so long, I think it’s played a major role in my cardiac health,” he said.

His wife, Mary Lee, attends rehab sessions alongside her husband. He describes her as his helper and coach.

“She’s made it her life work since 2001 to keep me alive and so she makes sure that I walk two miles a day or I come to rehab,” he said.

Simmons describes the staff at CoxHealth Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Center in Branson as unusual.

“I’ve been coming for 16 years and some of these ladies have been here pretty much all that time,” he said. “We’ve been together so long, they are pretty much part of my family. There’s an extra passion that rehab nurses have. We all come in here with something different and it’s really easy after a heart attack to feel that you are nonfunctional, that you’ve had something happen to you that could end your life at any time and so they pick up on that quickly, they deal with those fears and they don’t give you more than you can do.”

Each year, an estimated 935,000 Americans will have a coronary event and more than 30% will have a second and potentially fatal one, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac rehab reduces the risk of a future cardiac event by stabilizing, slowing or even reversing the progression of cardiovascular disease. While cardiac rehab has clear and tangible benefits, it’s estimated that less than 20% of all eligible patients ever participate.

Skaggs Foundation is working to eliminate one of the biggest barriers for many people – the cost. The average insurance co-pay per session is around $25. At three sessions a week for 12 weeks, it is more than many patients can afford. Through the foundation’s Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Patient Scholarship Fund, the foundation is providing scholarships to patients who otherwise could not afford to go.

If you would like to learn more about the scholarship program or how you can help sponsor a patient’s rehab, click here or call 417-348-8998.

16 years after a heart attack, Branson Alderman continues 3-day a… (2025)

FAQs

What is the average life expectancy after a heart attack? ›

Overall, life expectancy may decrease by about 8-10% of your expected life. For example, a person with no heart disease will be expected to die around age 85, but in the presence of a heart attack, the life expectancy will be reduced by 10% or 8.5 years.

How long does it take an elderly person to recover from a heart attack? ›

Heart attack recovery takes anywhere from two weeks to three months. During this time, it's important to begin adopting lifestyle changes that can lower your risk of a future heart attack. These include adding more exercise to your day, following a heart-healthy diet and quitting smoking.

What are the survival rates after a heart attack? ›

If treated quickly (with CPR or a defibrillator) you can survive a cardiac arrest, although currently only approximately 5–10 % of people survive. The survival rate for a heart attack is much higher, over 60%. However, if untreated, a heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.

How long does it take to recover from a massive heart attack? ›

A return to all of your normal activities, including work, may take a few weeks to 2 or 3 months, depending on your condition. A full recovery is defined as a return to normal activities. This will depend on how active you were before your heart attack, the severity of the attack, and your body's response to it.

What is the longest survival after a heart attack? ›

About 68.4 per cent males and 89.8 per cent females still living have already lived 10 to 14 years or longer after their first infarction attack; 27.3 per cent males, 15 to 19 years; and 4.3 per cent, 20 years or longer; of the females, one is alive 15 years, one 23 years and one 25 years or longer.

Can you live 50 years after a heart attack? ›

At age 50, both men and women who have had a heart attack can expect to live 18 more years. By age 70, both sexes can expect to live 8 more years–a pattern produced by the similar age-specific male/female death rates after heart attack noted earlier.

Is the heart permanently damaged after a heart attack? ›

Without blood flow, the affected heart muscle will begin to die. If you don't get blood flow back quickly, a heart attack can cause permanent heart damage and/or death. A heart attack is a life-threatening emergency.

How likely is a second heart attack? ›

About 1 in 5 people who have had a heart attack will be readmitted to the hospital for a second one within five years, according to the American Heart Association. The organization also says that there are about 335,000 recurrent heart attacks each year in the United States.

Can you live a long healthy life after a heart attack? ›

Every year, many of the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who have a heart attack survive and go back to work and enjoy a normal life. After a heart attack, you'll have to make important lifestyle changes and take medication to prevent a future heart attack and lead a full, productive life.

What is considered a massive heart attack? ›

A STEMI heart attack is known as a “classic” or massive heart attack. But what is a STEMI heart attack exactly? STEMI stands for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This type of heart attack is caused by a complete blockage in one of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle.

What is life expectancy after having stents put in? ›

It depends primarily on the underlying heart disease, age, and medical condition of the patient. A younger patient, for example, who has a strong heart and has never experienced a heart attack, will be expected to live a full and active lifespan.

Can you live 20 years heart failure? ›

In the past, heart failure used to limit a patient's lifespan to only five more years. However, this lifespan has improved over the past 20 years, mainly due to advances in treatment. It is now not uncommon to see patients living for more than 20 years after a heart failure diagnosis.

What should you never do during a heart attack? ›

What not to do during a heart attack
  • Do not rely on just taking nitroglycerin. Taking a prescribed medication such as nitroglycerin that temporarily widens blood vessels to improve blood supply to the heart is unlikely to stop a heart attack. ...
  • Do not cough repeatedly. ...
  • Do not apply pressure on the chest.

What is the life expectancy after a widowmaker heart attack? ›

According to the American Heart Association, the survival rate following a widowmaker heart attack is only 12% when it occurs outside of a hospital or advanced care center. Despite its name, a widowmaker can occur in both men and women.

How long does your body warn you before a heart attack? ›

Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign.

At what age are heart attacks fatal? ›

About 82% of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are more likely than men to die from them within a few weeks.

Can a heart repair itself after a heart attack? ›

But the heart does have some ability to make new muscle and possibly repair itself. The rate of regeneration is so slow, though, that it can't fix the kind of damage caused by a heart attack. That's why the rapid healing that follows a heart attack creates scar tissue in place of working muscle tissue.

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