27-05-2025
How having a heart attack taught Jan Hudson 'a lot about self-discovery'
ONE year ago, Jan Hudson had a heart attack.
"I'd had some medical intervention a couple of years prior to the incident, with some stents, but then I just started feeling a little bit tired, and it all just went downhill from there," she said.
After her heart attack, she was transferred to a hospital in Sydney, where she underwent surgery to insert a pacemaker.
She then spent several weeks recovering in Sydney before being sent back to Bathurst.
According to Ms Hudson, it was through the Bathurst Health Service Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program that she really began to find herself post-heart attack.
"Somewhere along the line, somebody told me about the rehab program," Ms Hudson said.
Admittedly, she was cynical at first.
But with a passion for regional health resources, she decided to give the program a go.
"Off I went, tongue in cheek, and I just found that it was the perfect pathway at a local level to access a level of recuperation," she said.
Now, she is so glad that she did.
"It was probably the most significant turning point in my recovery," she said.
"It was virtually on a one-to-one basis, with a group of people that give you that attention, and who support you, who encourage you, and provide you with the tools to recuperate more fully."
It was through this physical recuperation that Ms Hudson was able to really find herself again.
"When you're going through an intense period of medical intervention, you do lose yourself," she said.
"The more you recuperate, the more you start to realise that somewhere in this mess is me, and I need to look at something now, for myself as an individual, as a recovering individual, to get healthy."
Ms Hudson said that the program not only drastically improved her physical health, but also her mental wellbeing.
She said it allowed her to find the time and space to learn more about her body, and to be able to recognise the need for rest, and to really pay attention to any physical changes.
"It teaches a lot about self-awareness," Ms Hudson said.
"Nobody knows you and your body better than you; sometimes you just need to listen. It's finding you again. Once you do that, you start to do all those things like self-recognition if there is a problem."
That's why, during Heart Week, on May 8, Ms Hudson was at the Bathurst Hospital for their 'Never Miss a Beat' event.
The event doubled as a way to raise awareness of the importance of heart health, and to highlight the rehabilitation program, which is run in conjunction with the Bathurst Health Service and Ochre Health.
The success of the program has recently been published in the Australian Journal in Rural Health.
"I think it's one of the most invaluable resources that we have in Bathurst," she said.
"It strengthens, it encourages, and encompasses many aspects of your whole body; from your breathing to your core strength, to your mental health."
Ms Hudson said that she hopes the success of the program will help to develop other similar initiatives in the community.
"These are the initiatives that we need to develop and build on a regional level," she said.
"There may be other areas of health care, where something like this can also be developed, because of this foundation, and the tangible proof that it's working.
"This is why I'm talking, because it's an opportunity for people to become aware of what we have, to retain it, to support it, and to recognise the skills that we have on a local level and to acknowledge it as a critical resource in healthcare for regional health."
ONE year ago, Jan Hudson had a heart attack.
"I'd had some medical intervention a couple of years prior to the incident, with some stents, but then I just started feeling a little bit tired, and it all just went downhill from there," she said.
After her heart attack, she was transferred to a hospital in Sydney, where she underwent surgery to insert a pacemaker.
She then spent several weeks recovering in Sydney before being sent back to Bathurst.
According to Ms Hudson, it was through the Bathurst Health Service Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program that she really began to find herself post-heart attack.
"Somewhere along the line, somebody told me about the rehab program," Ms Hudson said.
Admittedly, she was cynical at first.
But with a passion for regional health resources, she decided to give the program a go.
"Off I went, tongue in cheek, and I just found that it was the perfect pathway at a local level to access a level of recuperation," she said.
Now, she is so glad that she did.
"It was probably the most significant turning point in my recovery," she said.
"It was virtually on a one-to-one basis, with a group of people that give you that attention, and who support you, who encourage you, and provide you with the tools to recuperate more fully."
It was through this physical recuperation that Ms Hudson was able to really find herself again.
"When you're going through an intense period of medical intervention, you do lose yourself," she said.
"The more you recuperate, the more you start to realise that somewhere in this mess is me, and I need to look at something now, for myself as an individual, as a recovering individual, to get healthy."
Ms Hudson said that the program not only drastically improved her physical health, but also her mental wellbeing.
She said it allowed her to find the time and space to learn more about her body, and to be able to recognise the need for rest, and to really pay attention to any physical changes.
"It teaches a lot about self-awareness," Ms Hudson said.
"Nobody knows you and your body better than you; sometimes you just need to listen. It's finding you again. Once you do that, you start to do all those things like self-recognition if there is a problem."
That's why, during Heart Week, on May 8, Ms Hudson was at the Bathurst Hospital for their 'Never Miss a Beat' event.
The event doubled as a way to raise awareness of the importance of heart health, and to highlight the rehabilitation program, which is run in conjunction with the Bathurst Health Service and Ochre Health.
The success of the program has recently been published in the Australian Journal in Rural Health.
"I think it's one of the most invaluable resources that we have in Bathurst," she said.
"It strengthens, it encourages, and encompasses many aspects of your whole body; from your breathing to your core strength, to your mental health."
Ms Hudson said that she hopes the success of the program will help to develop other similar initiatives in the community.
"These are the initiatives that we need to develop and build on a regional level," she said.
"There may be other areas of health care, where something like this can also be developed, because of this foundation, and the tangible proof that it's working.
"This is why I'm talking, because it's an opportunity for people to become aware of what we have, to retain it, to support it, and to recognise the skills that we have on a local level and to acknowledge it as a critical resource in healthcare for regional health."
ONE year ago, Jan Hudson had a heart attack.
"I'd had some medical intervention a couple of years prior to the incident, with some stents, but then I just started feeling a little bit tired, and it all just went downhill from there," she said.
After her heart attack, she was transferred to a hospital in Sydney, where she underwent surgery to insert a pacemaker.
She then spent several weeks recovering in Sydney before being sent back to Bathurst.
According to Ms Hudson, it was through the Bathurst Health Service Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program that she really began to find herself post-heart attack.
"Somewhere along the line, somebody told me about the rehab program," Ms Hudson said.
Admittedly, she was cynical at first.
But with a passion for regional health resources, she decided to give the program a go.
"Off I went, tongue in cheek, and I just found that it was the perfect pathway at a local level to access a level of recuperation," she said.
Now, she is so glad that she did.
"It was probably the most significant turning point in my recovery," she said.
"It was virtually on a one-to-one basis, with a group of people that give you that attention, and who support you, who encourage you, and provide you with the tools to recuperate more fully."
It was through this physical recuperation that Ms Hudson was able to really find herself again.
"When you're going through an intense period of medical intervention, you do lose yourself," she said.
"The more you recuperate, the more you start to realise that somewhere in this mess is me, and I need to look at something now, for myself as an individual, as a recovering individual, to get healthy."
Ms Hudson said that the program not only drastically improved her physical health, but also her mental wellbeing.
She said it allowed her to find the time and space to learn more about her body, and to be able to recognise the need for rest, and to really pay attention to any physical changes.
"It teaches a lot about self-awareness," Ms Hudson said.
"Nobody knows you and your body better than you; sometimes you just need to listen. It's finding you again. Once you do that, you start to do all those things like self-recognition if there is a problem."
That's why, during Heart Week, on May 8, Ms Hudson was at the Bathurst Hospital for their 'Never Miss a Beat' event.
The event doubled as a way to raise awareness of the importance of heart health, and to highlight the rehabilitation program, which is run in conjunction with the Bathurst Health Service and Ochre Health.
The success of the program has recently been published in the Australian Journal in Rural Health.
"I think it's one of the most invaluable resources that we have in Bathurst," she said.
"It strengthens, it encourages, and encompasses many aspects of your whole body; from your breathing to your core strength, to your mental health."
Ms Hudson said that she hopes the success of the program will help to develop other similar initiatives in the community.
"These are the initiatives that we need to develop and build on a regional level," she said.
"There may be other areas of health care, where something like this can also be developed, because of this foundation, and the tangible proof that it's working.
"This is why I'm talking, because it's an opportunity for people to become aware of what we have, to retain it, to support it, and to recognise the skills that we have on a local level and to acknowledge it as a critical resource in healthcare for regional health."
ONE year ago, Jan Hudson had a heart attack.
"I'd had some medical intervention a couple of years prior to the incident, with some stents, but then I just started feeling a little bit tired, and it all just went downhill from there," she said.
After her heart attack, she was transferred to a hospital in Sydney, where she underwent surgery to insert a pacemaker.
She then spent several weeks recovering in Sydney before being sent back to Bathurst.
According to Ms Hudson, it was through the Bathurst Health Service Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program that she really began to find herself post-heart attack.
"Somewhere along the line, somebody told me about the rehab program," Ms Hudson said.
Admittedly, she was cynical at first.
But with a passion for regional health resources, she decided to give the program a go.
"Off I went, tongue in cheek, and I just found that it was the perfect pathway at a local level to access a level of recuperation," she said.
Now, she is so glad that she did.
"It was probably the most significant turning point in my recovery," she said.
"It was virtually on a one-to-one basis, with a group of people that give you that attention, and who support you, who encourage you, and provide you with the tools to recuperate more fully."
It was through this physical recuperation that Ms Hudson was able to really find herself again.
"When you're going through an intense period of medical intervention, you do lose yourself," she said.
"The more you recuperate, the more you start to realise that somewhere in this mess is me, and I need to look at something now, for myself as an individual, as a recovering individual, to get healthy."
Ms Hudson said that the program not only drastically improved her physical health, but also her mental wellbeing.
She said it allowed her to find the time and space to learn more about her body, and to be able to recognise the need for rest, and to really pay attention to any physical changes.
"It teaches a lot about self-awareness," Ms Hudson said.
"Nobody knows you and your body better than you; sometimes you just need to listen. It's finding you again. Once you do that, you start to do all those things like self-recognition if there is a problem."
That's why, during Heart Week, on May 8, Ms Hudson was at the Bathurst Hospital for their 'Never Miss a Beat' event.
The event doubled as a way to raise awareness of the importance of heart health, and to highlight the rehabilitation program, which is run in conjunction with the Bathurst Health Service and Ochre Health.
The success of the program has recently been published in the Australian Journal in Rural Health.
"I think it's one of the most invaluable resources that we have in Bathurst," she said.
"It strengthens, it encourages, and encompasses many aspects of your whole body; from your breathing to your core strength, to your mental health."
Ms Hudson said that she hopes the success of the program will help to develop other similar initiatives in the community.
"These are the initiatives that we need to develop and build on a regional level," she said.
"There may be other areas of health care, where something like this can also be developed, because of this foundation, and the tangible proof that it's working.
"This is why I'm talking, because it's an opportunity for people to become aware of what we have, to retain it, to support it, and to recognise the skills that we have on a local level and to acknowledge it as a critical resource in healthcare for regional health."
