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RALEIGH State Rep. Becky Carney's push to get people to think more carefully about their health has already won over a few converts: her grandchildren.
They've picked up on her routine of reading nutrition labels more carefully. Recently at a restaurant, a young granddaughter pushed away an order of cheese fries after finding out the amount of calories.
It's a small step, Carney admits. But she thinks it could be a steppingstone toward encouraging more people to make healthy choices.
And she hopes sharing her own story can be a guide.
It's been more than three months since Carney, 64, a Democrat, collapsed in her legislative office and went into cardiac arrest. The former Mecklenburg County commissioner said she is gradually rebuilding her stamina, including three-day-a-week rehab sessions.
Her new routine also includes being more careful about what she eats; she's reducing sodium. It's something she's done since being diagnosed with heart failure more than two years ago, but she's even more diligent now.
Meanwhile, Carney also said she's become a “sponge” – learning all she can about health care, including the need to balance your physical, mental and nutritional parts of life.
“I'm so blessed that so many people have reached out to me across the state and I feel like I have a responsibility to be an example of healthy living and the holistic approach to healthy living,” she said.
Recovery takes months
Carney said often she feels she's been given a new gift of life.
It is unknown how many cardiac arrests occur each year. But the condition is usually fatal, with more than 95 percent of people dying before reaching the hospital, according to the American Heart Association.
However, the association said the survival rate increases to as much as 30 to 45 percent in areas where a person is administered a shock from a defibrillator within 5 to 7 minutes.
A portable defibrillator was installed at the legislative building several years ago and a fellow lawmaker and physician used it on Carney before she was taken to the hospital.
Doctors say Carney lost her pulse because of heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. They installed a combination pacemaker and defibrillator on her left ventricle.
Initially, Carney hoped to return to the legislature just a few days after she was hospitalized. But it would take two months before she was able to go back.
In the meantime, Carney started rehab sessions that include a short aerobic workout. At first, she did two two-minute intervals, now, she can go for 10 minutes and will finish the sessions in August. She's also walking more.
And she's working to rebuild herself in other areas. Carney had been getting ready to go home for the weekend when she collapsed, and her son told the Observer that if it happened 20 minutes later, she would have been in her car. She might have hurt others and, without help, she would have died.
She said she's been gradually building up her confidence to drive on her own again, but hasn't yet taken a solo drive on the interstate. One step forward: She drove on the Raleigh beltline on Friday.
Carney returned to the legislature in early June, initially attending just the daily full House sessions. Then on July 1, she met a goal to attend committee meetings, which occur throughout the day.
Walking through the legislature, Carney frequently gets hugs from colleagues happy to have her back.
She's also received counsel from others, including Democratic Rep. Winkie Wilkins of Person County. He also has a heart condition, and the pair joke that they're members of the “pacemaker caucus.”
“My advice has always been don't rush back here, getting you well is the important thing,” Wilkins said. “And I just think she just looks so good and she's obviously regaining the confidence that I saw in her.”
Focus turns to health care
Carney's return to work came in the middle of a busy summer for the legislature.
Members are still trying to forge a compromise on the 2009-10 budget that should have gone into effect July 1. In the future, she expects health care to be a bigger focus in her work.
Carney said she's glad to be back serving her constituents, and is eager to share her experiences of the past few months with others.
But she said she is being careful not to stretch herself too thin. She's listening to her body more and isn't afraid to rest if needed. Some colleagues have told her they see more of a calmness in her.
“Now I realize you can still accomplish your goals, but do it at a pace that is helpful to you as an individual,” Carney said.
“I'm still doing everything I was doing before. I'm just not taking on the whole world. I'm sharing the load.”
