February 3, 2026 • 39 mins
February is American Heart Month, a time when we’re all reminded to pause and focus on our cardiovascular health. In this episode of Sustaining Hawai’i, presented by Bayer, Rick Hamada interviews Brandt Farias, board chair, American Heart Association
Hawai’i and Dr. Debleena Dutt, cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente. We’ll also hear from a sudden cardiac arrest survivor sharing her story.
Hawai’i and Dr. Debleena Dutt, cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente. We’ll also hear from a sudden cardiac arrest survivor sharing her story.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. During this bi
monthly program, we take a closer look at what is
being done to enhance life on the islands through healthcare,
agriculture and community service. Now here's Rick Amanta on Sustaining Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Once again. It is Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. As
you know, it is a bi monthly program where we
focus on the community and the role that Bear Hawaii plays.
And as a matter of fact, February is American Hard
month and it's a time to pause focus on cardiovascular health,
(00:50):
so very very important. And we have good friends in
studio also joining us on the phone. In just a
moment will be a doctor Dutt. But in the meantime,
it's a delight to welcome Brent Farias back in the
studio with us and Brant. I want to wish you aloha.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Good morning, Helloha, rec good morning to you too. Thank
you for having us.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's a pleasure. It's been a year.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It has been a year. It's gone by fast, but
the cause is still here and the need is still there,
so thank you for the exposure and awareness.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Amen. Amen. Also like to welcome into studio Terry on
Bhutek and Terry Ann. Good morning morning and how's your
morning so far? There it is, you know.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
It's February, it's hard month.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Here we go. Absolutely, we'll connect with doctor dutt in
just a moment. But again, you can contact Bear at
Bear Hawaii, Hawaii dot Bear dot us is a website
at Bear Hawaii on social media. And we'll kick off
with Brant if you don't mind, And Brant it is
(01:58):
Heart Heart Mind. What does it mean to you that
we have this focus with American Heart Month.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Well, you know, as the local chairman of the American
Heart Association Board, it means a lot because for us,
that awareness keeps people healthy, it keeps fundraising going, dollars
coming in to fund the research that we do. So
in general, it's a really important.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Time for us. How did you get involved?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
You know, someone asked me once if I wanted to
be to join the American Heart Association Board. I want
to say this was almost ten years ago and I'm
still here and I'm just into my second term as
board chair and it's a fabulous organization.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
What's the aor of the board chair? Area of responsibility?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, you know, overall oversight of the board meeting with
the executive director, helping to set our policy, not policy
with respect to medicine and so forth, but the way
that the association operates here and also awareness and ongoing
(03:16):
marketing if.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
You will, for the association. You talking about messaging so
very important and as a matter of fact, you are
the first responder until help arise. That one statement very powerful.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Absolutely. I mean a lot of people don't realize that.
You know, if there is an episode and someone is
having a cardiac arresk, you can do something. You don't
really call nine to one one and wait thirty minutes
for a doctor an ambulance because that's really critical time.
I mean, that's the heart of it. So you are
the first responder if you're there and should act and
(03:50):
can absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Once again, you're dialed into Sustaining Hawaii and it's presented
by Bear just getting started brand farious with this and
more of our friends. Heart Association is saying that anyone
can be the difference in cardiac emergency. Why is it
so important that people see themselves as first responders and
how do we prepare ourselves to be such? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Well, again, if there's an episode somewhere and something happens.
Calling nine to one one is fine, and that's likely
the first thing you want to do, but you really
need to act quicker because oftentimes, you know, something will
happen to the individual, and oftentimes it can be fatal.
(04:36):
So you know, we have something called hands only CPR
very quickly where you can do chess compressions to the
individual's chess and oftentimes that can save a life and
it's not all that hard to do. Kids learn it
in the schools today.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Oh yeah, right, that's the one thing I just always
have remembered CPR. When I was a kid back in
the eighteen hundreds, it was du ragueur because I was
a Cub Scout and we were exposed and went on
through the years. I'm glad to hear it's still a
presence for kids to understand, learn and perhaps even employe.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, well, interesting you mentioned Cub Scouts because I was
a boy scout probably before you were a Cub scout,
and they taught a CPR, you know, the mannequins and
they put things on the lips and you know, had
to use your mouth and breathe and turn your head
away and it was fine. It was clunky, it was important,
(05:37):
but with this hands only CPR, it's infinitely easier and
people need to understand that. I mean, they can look
it up online, watch YouTube and they don't need a
lot of formal medical training. They can get it, but
it's something that's easy to learn and to do.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
What is AED and how is it accessible?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And AED is electronic defibrillator. I'm pulling out the name
for you, Automated external defibrillator. And these are critical because
I was talking about the hands only CPR, but these
things are increasingly found in schools, in our own airports.
(06:18):
American Heart Association funds some to be put out there
in the community, which is a really critical need so
that when you have these close by, they can help
save a life.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, Brand Farius joining us and Brand appreciate all the
help and assistance. But as board chair, what's the motivation?
What inspires you? And if there's a prioritization of your role,
what would you describe it as well?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, the research we do is so important, that's
number one. So our ability to raise money in this
community is really important and people need to understand the
role that American Heart Association plays here. That's why we
spend a lot of our time promoting the good work
that the American Heart Association does, this being one example,
(07:07):
and we have some really critical key events that we
do annually, the Heartball, the Heart Walk, the Heart Walks
in August, and we track thousands of people and this
is a celebration of American Heart Association, but also a
celebration of the work that we do. So for me,
that kind of awareness and education is really a priority
because it leads to more fundraising to fund the research
(07:29):
that we do for the great doctors that we.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Have tremendous We're actually going to connect with one of
the excellent physicians. But Brant, what do you recommend for us?
How do we reach out? Where's the best place to
learn more and participate?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Well, our website, okay, is probably the best place to go.
We make it easy to contact us, to submit us
some contact, submit your content information, and we can let
you know how you can best get involved. And there's
a lot of ways to get involved.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Thank you for so very much. As a matter of fact,
we'll connect throughout the course of the program, But thank you.
As a matter of fact, as mentioned, physicians so very important.
And we turn to uh, doctor Doblina Dutt who joins
US online and doctor, I want to thank you so
very much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Aloha, Helloha, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's a pleasure. Would you mind sharing a bit about
yourself please?
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Yeah? Sure?
Speaker 6 (08:26):
So.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
My name is Deblina Dott. I am the heart failure
physician within Kaiser Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. I grew up
in New York City and I've been very very thankful
to practice here in Hawaii and really enjoyed my experience
here over the last six years.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
What would be a definition of your role and expertise?
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Sure? So, As you know, medical training is a pretty
long pathway. I am from New York City. I did
a lot of my initial training so medical school and
internal medicine in New York City. Then decided to go
into cardiology, so I did a three year specialization in cardiology,
and then within cardiology, my area is advanced heart failure
(09:09):
as well as heart transplant, so I usually take care
of the sickest of the sick within cardiology, those people
that may need additional support by way of heart transplant
or heart pumps because their hearts are literally failing to
do the right job.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
A heart or the heart is a muscle. There can
be various forms of deterioration compromise. As a cardiologist, what
is it that affects and afflicts us the most?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
So many depending, there are many different things that can
cause the heart muscle to not perform well. There's two
different types of what we call heart failure. So one
is the type where the pumping of the muscle, as
you said, is affected, and that can be related to
things like, you know, you have a family history and
you're at a you have a gene that predisposed you
(10:00):
to develop a weak heart, or potentially you have had
a heart attack which has damaged some of your muscle
and now that heart muscle cannot perform well, or lifestyle wise,
if you have excessive alcohol, cocaine, math, these can also
affect your heart function. The second type of heart failure
is where the heart muscle over time stiffened. And you know,
(10:23):
it's amazing because we actually do have treatments for this
type of heart failure, which affects about fifty percent of
all those diagnosed with heart failure. So now we actually
have treatments that are really good for both types.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
I have to say, doctor I turned sixty five this year.
At this age, what should those of us around this
age be most aware of?
Speaker 5 (10:46):
So, I think the most important thing to emphasize is
that all in ninety percent of your heart disease risk
is modifiable through a very healthy lifestyle, And the biggest
things are just being aware of your numbers, being aware
of your risk factors, and working consciously to improve those.
So specifically, you know, looking at your blood pressure, trying
(11:09):
to target and have a blood pressure less than one
twenty over eighty is really important. And I think that
one is really important because you can actually feel really
well and your blood pressure can be astronomically high. So
it's really important to like go to regular doctor checkups
and know what your blood pressure is and if it's elevated,
work with your physician to come up with a plan
(11:29):
to lower your blood pressure. Other things in terms of lads,
being aware of what your cholesterol panel looks like because
that can also be another risk factor for heart disease
and stroke, Making sure that your sugars are optimized and
that you're not overweight, and really making sure that you're
targeting a good amount of exercise every week. Typically we
(11:52):
say that's about one hundred and fifty minutes of modern
intensity exercise in any.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Given weekly depressed Now.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I think it's encouraging, right because you can actually ninety
percent of your risk can be modified by your lifestyle,
so that's kind of empowering.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I didn't hear one word about the increased consumption of
screwball peanut butter whiskey is an advantage now that one
hasn't maybe just double checking, just double checking. Would you
mind sharing briefly about your association with the American Heart
Association and what it means to you?
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Sure so? I think I joined the American Heart Association
two years ago as the Kaiser representative, and it's been
a tremendous opportunity for me to bring the medical expertise
to the front and to be involved with a board
member that's equally passionate about heart care. Together, as you've
heard from Brandt, we've been able to do a lot
of events to really raise awareness about heart disease, and
(12:58):
particularly my passion is heart disease and women. I think
it's often underrecognized how important it is to take care
of heart health and women. So it's been a good
avenue to connect with other physicians and leaders in the community,
to spread advocacy, to deal with things like food insecurity,
to get all of our patients running in the American
(13:18):
Heart Walk, to really bring this platform to life.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
You know nationale where Red Day is coming up, It's
this Friday, February sixth. What's the significance of this day?
Speaker 5 (13:30):
So this day is really an opportunity to specifically raise
awareness about women's heart health by wearing red. As I mentioned,
you know, heart disease is actually the leading cause of
death for women. And when I say heart disease, that
includes everything from heart attacks, to strokes, to my specialty
heart failure, to heart rhythm issues. And unfortunately, only about
(13:52):
forty four percent of women realize that heart disease is
a health threat. So the idea is by having a
day like National Red Rare Red Day, we can raise
awareness and more people can be attuned to women's cardiovascular
health issues.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Are there specific risk factors for women that women should
be aware of?
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Yeah, so I think in addition to the traditional ones,
So you know that this is for all of us smoking,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, having a sedentary lifestyle.
I think it's really important to note that there are
very There are additionally women's specific issues around certain periods
in their lives. So one important period is the period
(14:34):
of pregnancy. So in the course of pregnancy, women can
encounter issues like preaclamsya or eclampsia, which is a condition
of very elevated blood pressure to the pregnant mother, gestational diabetes,
and then there's another entity called peripardum cardiomyopathy where at
the tail end of pregnancy and at the early first
(14:56):
trimester of baby, the mother's heart struggles, develops heart failure,
and heart disease, unfortunately, is the number one killer of
new moms, so it's really important to recognize that as
a critical period. And the second one that's important to
recognize is menopause. So with the menopause, there's a drop
in estrogen and that can lead to unfavorable changes in
(15:19):
women's cholesterol profiles. It can lead to higher blood pressure,
it can lead to stiffening of the arteries. So it's
especially important in that period around menopause to really make
it to hone in on health and modify your risk
as much as you're able to do.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
So we're talking with doctor Develina Dutt and thoroughly and
enjoying and thank you very much for the information. A
few minutes remaining, know your numbers? What does this statement mean?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
So knowing your numbers just means really knowing all your data, right,
So knowing what your blood pressure is on a day
to day basis, knowing what your cholesterol profile is. We
want your total cholesterol to be less than two hundred,
and the most important number in that panel is the
LDL or what we call bad cholesterol, and truthfully, the
lower that you can get that number ideally less than
(16:11):
one hundred, but if you've had risk factors ideally less
than fifty five, that's going to be really important in
preventing future heart attacks and strokes. Controlling your sugars is
really important because over time, high glucose can damage the
blood vessels, the nerves, the organs. Maintaining a good weight,
(16:32):
we typically say that we want the body mass index
to be less than twenty five, and we know that
if there's especially around the waste, if there's a visceral
abdominal obesity, that can be a big risk factor for
things like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. And finally,
it's a good idea to be aware of your resting
(16:53):
heart rates. We ideally want the heart rates to be
between sixty to one hundred.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Just a quick question, and that is is to monitor
on a daily basis. There are some folks who are
probably asking how do I do that? There are over
the counter, different types of meters, etc. What would you
recommend the regular person have on hand at home?
Speaker 5 (17:16):
So I think it's always a really good idea to
have a blood pressure cough at home and you can
get that at the drug store at the local pharmacy.
And just keeping track day to day what your blood
pressure numbers look like. The other thing, particularly in my field,
with the field of heart failure, it's very important to
keep track of your weight from day to day because
(17:36):
those rapid changes in weight can be indicative of worsening
heart failure.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Well, I'm definitely going to have to go buy a
new one because I threw my other one out when
I saw the number. Anyway, Well that's a doctor. If
anyone would like to connect with you, is there a
way we could do so?
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Yeah, absolutely, I'm happy to send my email to you.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
And we'll go ahead and take that. I'll share it
on the year. Bottom line, though, we can't thank you
enough for being part of the program, and we certainly
hope that you'll join us again soon.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
It's a pleasure, Doctor Deblina Dutt, that was a remarkable information.
All right, we'll continue with Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
More of our friends coming up after.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Welcome back to Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Like to welcoming back to News Radio eight thirty kh
for eight. It is this edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented
by Bear. Just a reminder that Bear Hawaii plays an
integral role in so many different ways, not only with
its core mission, but also with lending, assistance, support, information
(19:03):
and this platform to present to the community. And I
enjoy this segment so very much. I think we're in
our six going on seven years and learning is the
number one aspect as we're doing today. We reconnect with
Terry Anne, who is in studio with us. Terry Anne,
(19:24):
once again, many thanks for.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Being here, good morning, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It's a pleasure. I understand that you are a cardiac survivor.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
I am.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Would you mind sharing a bit about yourself? First, sure
and your experience.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
I was born and raised here in Hawaii, and by trade,
my passion in life is dancing, so I'm a dancer
and I have been a professional dancer for a majority
of my life, which has been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
But since I was a senior in high.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
School, I started having episodes and no doctors could really
figure out what was causing it, which.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Should have scared me a little bit more than it did.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
To be honest, but I we always chalked it up
to I didn't hydrate enough. I wasn't I didn't eat
enough before I was dancing. I was too stressed with
schoolwork and dance, all of the things. And each time
was different. But every episode I had prior to two
years ago was when I was dancing.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
So what how could you describe an episode?
Speaker 6 (20:27):
So I would tend to just faint out of nowhere.
A few times I would hit I hit my head
once I had a grandma seizure because of the impact
that I had that I had hit the floor so hard.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
But I would pass out.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I would come to within a couple minutes, everyone would say,
and then sometimes the they would take me to the hospital.
Other times I would decline because I would wake up
where I had fainted and I would say, please don't
take me. I'm good, I'm good, I'm going to go
home and arrest to sleep. But the last time was
the biggest one.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
So yeah, what happened. I was visiting.
Speaker 6 (21:09):
I was Actually I hadn't moved home yet, so my
husband and I were living in La up until twenty
twenty four. But in twenty twenty three, we had come
home from my grandfather's funeral. He passed unexpectedly, and so
it was really hard on me because he was my
last grandparent and he was my favorite. He my career
(21:32):
in dance would not be where it is without him,
So it was just it was really hard for me
to to have to say goodbye. And my brother, my
older brother lives in Japan, and our baby cousin was
doing a study abroad in Japan at the time, so
(21:53):
we all missed it. We didn't get to have our
find and goodbye before he passed. So my mom and
my auntie wanted us to have a moment to say
what he meant to us and have a moment to
you know, really say goodbye. And in the moment it
was I was like, yes, I want to do this,
that's fantastic. And I knew my brother wouldn't want to
(22:13):
go first. I knew my cousin wouldn't want to go first.
So I had to be the one to say, Okay,
I'll do it, as long as we all go up together.
And before I even got up to say anything, I
knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my body.
I could feel that something wasn't right. And I asked
my husband. I was like, give me the biggest and
tightest bear hug you can possibly give me, because something
(22:35):
is wrong, and I don't want to have an episode
in front of all of these people. And he did,
and for the for the moment, it was good. And
then I got up there and this is where none
of this is for me. This is from hearsay from
everybody else. Everyone said. I got to the podium, messed
with my papers a little bit, and then I was
(22:58):
and then I dropped and I got into setting cardiac arrest.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
My goodness.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
First of all, I feel you the loss of someone
very close. My mother passed away fifteen years ago, that's
how long. But I recall the moment at the service
of having to take the podium and speak about someone
(23:31):
that you love so much. Yeah. I bring that up
only as a perspective that there's a certain amount of
stress and anxiety that is associated with a loss. Were
you told or informed or you believe that that was
attributable to what took place?
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, it was definitely all of those things.
And yeah, I also believe that he was watching over
me and he knew that that's where I needed to
be at that time, because otherwise I would have been
in Thailand on a dance gig, and I don't know
if I would have survived it.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Wow, Terry Anne with us and thanking her so very
quickly when the seizure took place. Was there action by
those that were in attendance.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Yes, my cousins are Actually I have a lot of
nurses in my family. I am definitely half but it
was the Japanese side turn of events. But yes, a
bunch of my cousins stepped in right away to start CPR,
and thankfully at the mortuary there was an ad device,
(24:46):
so they also put that on right away. Again, this
I'll hearsay, but it shocked me twice before paramedics arrived,
and by the time they arrived, my heart still hadn't
started back up, so they put me in the back
of the ambulance and verbatim from my husband, it was
a while until they were even moving me to the hospital.
(25:07):
So they were working on me until they could get
me stable enough to transport me.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Where was this.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
This was at Mililani Mortuary and one.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
At home.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yes, yeah, so very close by.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Very they everyone was very surprised at how quickly the
ambulance arrived. They said that they got there before the firefighters,
which was as you guys know, it's it's right down
the street, so they must have been right around the
corner to have arrived as quickly as they did. But
the doctors told us when I woke up that had
(25:43):
my cousins not started CPR, I wouldn't have made it.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
So you be here to be very healthy, Yes, leading
the idealistic lifestyle, as informed of us by doctor dot.
You mentioned episodes that were indicative. So at the at
the diagnosis of what took place with your cardiac arrest,
(26:11):
were you informed that you had a symptomatic, a chronic
a some condition that led.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Yeah, so it's I have a it's called long QT
syndrome and it's hereditary. No one in my family has
ever had any episodes, because I think I'm one of
the most active people in my family to also have
survived it. And so the doctor said that without the
cardiac arrest and not knowing that our family has a
(26:41):
history of it, they would not have been able to
diagnose me with long QT. So the cardiac arrest saved
my life instead of ending it. And then we were
able to go back and do blood test to see
which side of the family it's from. So it's from
my dad's side of the family. And so when I
(27:02):
was in the hospital, they implanted a ICD.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
I see SD s ICD, s ICD.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
That's it. It's a defibrillator, so it lays inside of
just above my rib cage, and so my dad also
has one as well.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Tell you what this is. First of all, thank you
for sharing your story. I'm hopeful that it resonates with
folks who are dialed in. What was your path to recovery.
Your husband said you were out for quite a while.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
Yeah, in the hospital, I was there for ten days.
I was in a coma for three of them because
they didn't know how long I was without oxygen, so
they just wanted my brain to rest my body to rest,
and they didn't know what I would come out like
from it, and it was kind of amazing that I
(27:54):
was able to get back to get back on my
feet right away. I think a week and a half
after I got out of the hospital was the Heart
Walk that year, so I participated in that and met
the team for the first time. But my recovery process
was definitely slow, which I don't care for. I like
(28:16):
a high paced life, and it was very stressful for
me to have to sit and not do anything because
my new medication that I was on, I was having
trouble adjusting to it.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
It lowers my.
Speaker 6 (28:27):
Adrenaline, which again I don't care for, but I know
that it's keeping me healthy and it's keeping me on
the right path. So two years later, I'm definitely adjusted.
I'm as active as I know I can be, knowing
my limits of what's too much for my body and
what's just enough, which has been a very fine line
(28:49):
to kind of figure out.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
But I have not had an episode since my last one.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Are you back to dancing?
Speaker 6 (28:55):
I am back to dancing. My husband, would you know,
shake us out a little bit? He's just he worries
and I love him for it, but dancing with my limits.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Gotta do what you gotta do.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Yeah, exactly, Amen.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
We're going to continue the conversation. We'll bring Brent back
into the discussion. We're delighted that you're with us this
edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. Portions of the
following program were prerecorded.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Welcome back to Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Once again. It is a heart month, February and the
American Heart Association of Hawaii is in studio with us
and so much more, and welcome Brent back to the program.
But I want to thank again Terry Ann sharing. Welcome,
thank you, thank you so much for sharing. Brent. What
(29:54):
do you make of Terry Ann's story?
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Well, first of all, she's awesome. There were only a
few dry eyes in the room, and mine.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Wasn't one of them, or two of them or two
of them.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, so very inspired by her story, and that's why
we do what we do, you know, to help people
like Terry Ann, who is by all accounts an awesome
young lady that had a bad break and fortunately, thanks
to the care she got, she's with us today and thriving.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Amen. Are you volunteering with the Heart Association.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
I am yes.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Oh tell us about that experience, would you please.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
It's been wonderful to help advocate for American Heart Association.
Getting my story out there is really I think it
has helped a couple people that I know of I've
been reached out to from. Actually, someone in Texas had
heard my story from American Heart Association and asked me
to speak at their Heart club their high school Heart
(30:54):
clubs meeting, and it was great to connect with somebody
out there and be able to share my story. And
so for me, it's always a if I can help
one person like that's that's the reason why we do
all of this, to help to help the community and
to change the lives of everybody else.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
What's the criticality of volunteers for the Heart Association? Right? Criticality?
How important? Oh? How essential?
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Is really critical? I mean because we don't have the
biggest budget. I mean we you know, we're funded by
national we're also funded by local donations, and we rely
a lot on volunteers. There's thirty five million of them
across the country. So it is an organization of volunteers
(31:45):
nationally and also here in Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
If folks would like to become a volunteer. Is there
a way to do so?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Well, there's a couple ways at our website www dot
Hawaii dot sorry, heart dot org, and then you can
also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Heart Hawaii
Terry Anne.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Have you had an encounter with someone associated with the
association or volunteering at an event? Have you connected with somebody?
Would you like to share that unique It's like asking
which one is your favorite baby. I know there's probably
many many, but is there one that stands out for you?
Speaker 6 (32:27):
I mean, it wasn't at a heart event, but once
I started sharing my story, there was a dancer actually
that pretty much had almost the exact same story as me,
except for instead of at a funeral, it was during
a dance performance.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
We have the exact same condition.
Speaker 6 (32:45):
Same device, same everything, and so we connected at a
dance event I think the march after my episode, and
she was I think she was just eighteen at the
time that everything happened, And so we've connected and we've
stayed in conversation and following her journey, you know, kind
(33:05):
of big sister watching over her as she goes like, hey,
did you remember to bring your meds, just make sure
you do this and this, and so it's been really
nice to connect with her through the events. Just being
able to work with the American Heart Association here in
Hawaii and also the LA chapter when we were living there.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Meeting everybody and.
Speaker 6 (33:24):
Being able to help in any way possible has been
has been great for me because I know that my
work that I'm doing with them is going to help
reach somebody, and reach hopefully more than just one brant.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It just seems that as a volunteer you'll have so
much fulfillment of the time and the efforts that you dedicate. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Absolutely, I mean we all have our stories quickly. You know,
my father had congestive heart failure and I lost them
in twenty seventeen, but he lived a lot longer than
he would have thanks to the care he got from
his cardiologist, who was also a member of the American
Heart Association.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Right, this has been a heck of a program. We
still have some time left, but I want to make
sure we haven't enough time to thank you both very much, also,
doctor Dutt, because there are there are many things that
we can disagree on. There are topics, Hey, the sky's
blue No, it's not. It's white water's wet. No, it's not.
(34:24):
It's just whatever it might be. But the ecumenical thing
that we can all agree on is health. And having
lived a very interesting life, I can attest that health
plays such an incredible role. Incredible and it's not just
for yourself. It's the relationships that you have with people
(34:45):
who care about you. I go through that with my
kids twenty five and twenty two, and they're just so
dialed in because they see the ebbs and the flows
in my life and they're there to kind of put
me in check, going, do you really need a fourth cocktail? Dad?
And my response is absolutely no, just kidding, but no.
(35:10):
Being attuned to in the relationships, Brent, your service and
your work. Can you comment further about relationships that you've made,
relationships that have been enhanced, feedback that you receive because
of your work.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I mean, I've made many dear friends being part of
American Heart Association. The physician that helped my father, who
I mentioned a few minutes ago, is a member of
the American Heart Association, is on the board and that connection,
you know, really helped my dad live a longer life. Ironically,
my younger brother also had some challenges with his heart,
(35:47):
and it was through relationships that I had through the
American Heart Association that he is here today and living
a much better life. So for me, there's two instances
of families, my family members who have been helped by
the American Heart Association. But there's also many dear friends
the staff. I covet them all and they're really great
(36:11):
resources and I'll say treasures for our community.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That love that. Indeed, Terry, what's the message you'd like
to deliver the folks that are dialed in in regard
not only to their health, but the American Heart Association.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Get your numbers checked.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
You know your body better than anybody else, So if
there's ever an inkling of something, go see your doctor.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Trust your gut. We trusted mine, and I.
Speaker 6 (36:43):
Know without going into cardiacres, I wouldn't have ever gotten
my correct answer. But when you have a feeling, just
go and get your numbers checked and do support the
American Heart Association because I can almost guarantee that somebody
that you know has been affected or has been helped
by American Heart and it'll.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Just continue to change.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
Everybody's lives and just make a better, better world for.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Us to all live in.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Would you arrive the most out of volunteering? Huh?
Speaker 6 (37:15):
I think knowing that this organization that I am donating
my time in.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
And my efforts into.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Is the reason that I am sitting here today, the
reason that I am able to speak to their organization
today because had they not pushed for AD devices to
be in all of these different places, I don't know
if CPR alone would have helped me get to where
I am today. Yes, it helped, but also I know
that AD device was a big part of it as well.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Love that Well, can we see you perform?
Speaker 4 (37:55):
You know, we'll get back to you on that one.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Maybe you're not a Green Bay packer cheerleader, are you?
Speaker 6 (38:01):
No?
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Green Bay doesn't have cheerleaders. They shouldn't.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Terry, and thank you so very much for joining. Thank
you brother brand, like for you to wrap things up
for us calls to action and also access how we
can learn, participate, donate, and maybe refer to a couple
of the events that might be soon. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Well, I mentioned Heart dot Org on the website. You
can follow us on Facebook and Instagram at art Hawaii
at heart Hawaii and you can find us there and
start to network with the organization and the fine work
that we do. It's easy to donate online and we
(38:45):
were happy to accept online donations, and when you start
to network with us, you can obviously get involved as
a volunteer as well. When we do events like the
Heart Walk in August, it's a huge event. We need
all kinds of volunteers to make it happen, so we're
happy to welcome welcome people to support our cause.
Speaker 7 (39:06):
Brant, it's always good to see you, yes, sir, thank
you so much, thank you, thank you, indeed, thank you
to all of our friends who joined us today on
this edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear once Again.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Health for All, Hunger for none is our mission at
the bottom line is this. If you feel compelled then
you would like to learn more, You can always join
us on our podcast page on krehradio dot com or
visit the website for Bear Hawaii Hawaii dot bear us,
also Facebook, Instagram at Bear Hawaii once Again. It's a
(39:42):
pleasure and I thank you so much. Looha,
This is Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. During this bi
monthly program, we take a closer look at what is
being done to enhance life on the islands through healthcare,
agriculture and community service. Now here's Rick Amanta on Sustaining Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Once again. It is Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. As
you know, it is a bi monthly program where we
focus on the community and the role that Bear Hawaii plays.
And as a matter of fact, February is American Hard
month and it's a time to pause focus on cardiovascular health,
(00:50):
so very very important. And we have good friends in
studio also joining us on the phone. In just a
moment will be a doctor Dutt. But in the meantime,
it's a delight to welcome Brent Farias back in the
studio with us and Brant. I want to wish you aloha.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Good morning, Helloha, rec good morning to you too. Thank
you for having us.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's a pleasure. It's been a year.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It has been a year. It's gone by fast, but
the cause is still here and the need is still there,
so thank you for the exposure and awareness.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Amen. Amen. Also like to welcome into studio Terry on
Bhutek and Terry Ann. Good morning morning and how's your
morning so far? There it is, you know.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
It's February, it's hard month.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Here we go. Absolutely, we'll connect with doctor dutt in
just a moment. But again, you can contact Bear at
Bear Hawaii, Hawaii dot Bear dot us is a website
at Bear Hawaii on social media. And we'll kick off
with Brant if you don't mind, And Brant it is
(01:58):
Heart Heart Mind. What does it mean to you that
we have this focus with American Heart Month.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Well, you know, as the local chairman of the American
Heart Association Board, it means a lot because for us,
that awareness keeps people healthy, it keeps fundraising going, dollars
coming in to fund the research that we do. So
in general, it's a really important.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Time for us. How did you get involved?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
You know, someone asked me once if I wanted to
be to join the American Heart Association Board. I want
to say this was almost ten years ago and I'm
still here and I'm just into my second term as
board chair and it's a fabulous organization.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
What's the aor of the board chair? Area of responsibility?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, you know, overall oversight of the board meeting with
the executive director, helping to set our policy, not policy
with respect to medicine and so forth, but the way
that the association operates here and also awareness and ongoing
(03:16):
marketing if.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
You will, for the association. You talking about messaging so
very important and as a matter of fact, you are
the first responder until help arise. That one statement very powerful.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Absolutely. I mean a lot of people don't realize that.
You know, if there is an episode and someone is
having a cardiac arresk, you can do something. You don't
really call nine to one one and wait thirty minutes
for a doctor an ambulance because that's really critical time.
I mean, that's the heart of it. So you are
the first responder if you're there and should act and
(03:50):
can absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Once again, you're dialed into Sustaining Hawaii and it's presented
by Bear just getting started brand farious with this and
more of our friends. Heart Association is saying that anyone
can be the difference in cardiac emergency. Why is it
so important that people see themselves as first responders and
how do we prepare ourselves to be such? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Well, again, if there's an episode somewhere and something happens.
Calling nine to one one is fine, and that's likely
the first thing you want to do, but you really
need to act quicker because oftentimes, you know, something will
happen to the individual, and oftentimes it can be fatal.
(04:36):
So you know, we have something called hands only CPR
very quickly where you can do chess compressions to the
individual's chess and oftentimes that can save a life and
it's not all that hard to do. Kids learn it
in the schools today.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Oh yeah, right, that's the one thing I just always
have remembered CPR. When I was a kid back in
the eighteen hundreds, it was du ragueur because I was
a Cub Scout and we were exposed and went on
through the years. I'm glad to hear it's still a
presence for kids to understand, learn and perhaps even employe.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, well, interesting you mentioned Cub Scouts because I was
a boy scout probably before you were a Cub scout,
and they taught a CPR, you know, the mannequins and
they put things on the lips and you know, had
to use your mouth and breathe and turn your head
away and it was fine. It was clunky, it was important,
(05:37):
but with this hands only CPR, it's infinitely easier and
people need to understand that. I mean, they can look
it up online, watch YouTube and they don't need a
lot of formal medical training. They can get it, but
it's something that's easy to learn and to do.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
What is AED and how is it accessible?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And AED is electronic defibrillator. I'm pulling out the name
for you, Automated external defibrillator. And these are critical because
I was talking about the hands only CPR, but these
things are increasingly found in schools, in our own airports.
(06:18):
American Heart Association funds some to be put out there
in the community, which is a really critical need so
that when you have these close by, they can help
save a life.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, Brand Farius joining us and Brand appreciate all the
help and assistance. But as board chair, what's the motivation?
What inspires you? And if there's a prioritization of your role,
what would you describe it as well?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, the research we do is so important, that's
number one. So our ability to raise money in this
community is really important and people need to understand the
role that American Heart Association plays here. That's why we
spend a lot of our time promoting the good work
that the American Heart Association does, this being one example,
(07:07):
and we have some really critical key events that we
do annually, the Heartball, the Heart Walk, the Heart Walks
in August, and we track thousands of people and this
is a celebration of American Heart Association, but also a
celebration of the work that we do. So for me,
that kind of awareness and education is really a priority
because it leads to more fundraising to fund the research
(07:29):
that we do for the great doctors that we.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Have tremendous We're actually going to connect with one of
the excellent physicians. But Brant, what do you recommend for us?
How do we reach out? Where's the best place to
learn more and participate?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Well, our website, okay, is probably the best place to go.
We make it easy to contact us, to submit us
some contact, submit your content information, and we can let
you know how you can best get involved. And there's
a lot of ways to get involved.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Thank you for so very much. As a matter of fact,
we'll connect throughout the course of the program, But thank you.
As a matter of fact, as mentioned, physicians so very important.
And we turn to uh, doctor Doblina Dutt who joins
US online and doctor, I want to thank you so
very much for joining us.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Aloha, Helloha, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's a pleasure. Would you mind sharing a bit about
yourself please?
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Yeah? Sure?
Speaker 6 (08:26):
So.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
My name is Deblina Dott. I am the heart failure
physician within Kaiser Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. I grew up
in New York City and I've been very very thankful
to practice here in Hawaii and really enjoyed my experience
here over the last six years.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
What would be a definition of your role and expertise?
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Sure? So, As you know, medical training is a pretty
long pathway. I am from New York City. I did
a lot of my initial training so medical school and
internal medicine in New York City. Then decided to go
into cardiology, so I did a three year specialization in cardiology,
and then within cardiology, my area is advanced heart failure
(09:09):
as well as heart transplant, so I usually take care
of the sickest of the sick within cardiology, those people
that may need additional support by way of heart transplant
or heart pumps because their hearts are literally failing to
do the right job.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
A heart or the heart is a muscle. There can
be various forms of deterioration compromise. As a cardiologist, what
is it that affects and afflicts us the most?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
So many depending, there are many different things that can
cause the heart muscle to not perform well. There's two
different types of what we call heart failure. So one
is the type where the pumping of the muscle, as
you said, is affected, and that can be related to
things like, you know, you have a family history and
you're at a you have a gene that predisposed you
(10:00):
to develop a weak heart, or potentially you have had
a heart attack which has damaged some of your muscle
and now that heart muscle cannot perform well, or lifestyle wise,
if you have excessive alcohol, cocaine, math, these can also
affect your heart function. The second type of heart failure
is where the heart muscle over time stiffened. And you know,
(10:23):
it's amazing because we actually do have treatments for this
type of heart failure, which affects about fifty percent of
all those diagnosed with heart failure. So now we actually
have treatments that are really good for both types.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
I have to say, doctor I turned sixty five this year.
At this age, what should those of us around this
age be most aware of?
Speaker 5 (10:46):
So, I think the most important thing to emphasize is
that all in ninety percent of your heart disease risk
is modifiable through a very healthy lifestyle, And the biggest
things are just being aware of your numbers, being aware
of your risk factors, and working consciously to improve those.
So specifically, you know, looking at your blood pressure, trying
(11:09):
to target and have a blood pressure less than one
twenty over eighty is really important. And I think that
one is really important because you can actually feel really
well and your blood pressure can be astronomically high. So
it's really important to like go to regular doctor checkups
and know what your blood pressure is and if it's elevated,
work with your physician to come up with a plan
(11:29):
to lower your blood pressure. Other things in terms of lads,
being aware of what your cholesterol panel looks like because
that can also be another risk factor for heart disease
and stroke, Making sure that your sugars are optimized and
that you're not overweight, and really making sure that you're
targeting a good amount of exercise every week. Typically we
(11:52):
say that's about one hundred and fifty minutes of modern
intensity exercise in any.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Given weekly depressed Now.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I think it's encouraging, right because you can actually ninety
percent of your risk can be modified by your lifestyle,
so that's kind of empowering.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I didn't hear one word about the increased consumption of
screwball peanut butter whiskey is an advantage now that one
hasn't maybe just double checking, just double checking. Would you
mind sharing briefly about your association with the American Heart
Association and what it means to you?
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Sure so? I think I joined the American Heart Association
two years ago as the Kaiser representative, and it's been
a tremendous opportunity for me to bring the medical expertise
to the front and to be involved with a board
member that's equally passionate about heart care. Together, as you've
heard from Brandt, we've been able to do a lot
of events to really raise awareness about heart disease, and
(12:58):
particularly my passion is heart disease and women. I think
it's often underrecognized how important it is to take care
of heart health and women. So it's been a good
avenue to connect with other physicians and leaders in the community,
to spread advocacy, to deal with things like food insecurity,
to get all of our patients running in the American
(13:18):
Heart Walk, to really bring this platform to life.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
You know nationale where Red Day is coming up, It's
this Friday, February sixth. What's the significance of this day?
Speaker 5 (13:30):
So this day is really an opportunity to specifically raise
awareness about women's heart health by wearing red. As I mentioned,
you know, heart disease is actually the leading cause of
death for women. And when I say heart disease, that
includes everything from heart attacks, to strokes, to my specialty
heart failure, to heart rhythm issues. And unfortunately, only about
(13:52):
forty four percent of women realize that heart disease is
a health threat. So the idea is by having a
day like National Red Rare Red Day, we can raise
awareness and more people can be attuned to women's cardiovascular
health issues.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Are there specific risk factors for women that women should
be aware of?
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Yeah, so I think in addition to the traditional ones,
So you know that this is for all of us smoking,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, having a sedentary lifestyle.
I think it's really important to note that there are
very There are additionally women's specific issues around certain periods
in their lives. So one important period is the period
(14:34):
of pregnancy. So in the course of pregnancy, women can
encounter issues like preaclamsya or eclampsia, which is a condition
of very elevated blood pressure to the pregnant mother, gestational diabetes,
and then there's another entity called peripardum cardiomyopathy where at
the tail end of pregnancy and at the early first
(14:56):
trimester of baby, the mother's heart struggles, develops heart failure,
and heart disease, unfortunately, is the number one killer of
new moms, so it's really important to recognize that as
a critical period. And the second one that's important to
recognize is menopause. So with the menopause, there's a drop
in estrogen and that can lead to unfavorable changes in
(15:19):
women's cholesterol profiles. It can lead to higher blood pressure,
it can lead to stiffening of the arteries. So it's
especially important in that period around menopause to really make
it to hone in on health and modify your risk
as much as you're able to do.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
So we're talking with doctor Develina Dutt and thoroughly and
enjoying and thank you very much for the information. A
few minutes remaining, know your numbers? What does this statement mean?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
So knowing your numbers just means really knowing all your data, right,
So knowing what your blood pressure is on a day
to day basis, knowing what your cholesterol profile is. We
want your total cholesterol to be less than two hundred,
and the most important number in that panel is the
LDL or what we call bad cholesterol, and truthfully, the
lower that you can get that number ideally less than
(16:11):
one hundred, but if you've had risk factors ideally less
than fifty five, that's going to be really important in
preventing future heart attacks and strokes. Controlling your sugars is
really important because over time, high glucose can damage the
blood vessels, the nerves, the organs. Maintaining a good weight,
(16:32):
we typically say that we want the body mass index
to be less than twenty five, and we know that
if there's especially around the waste, if there's a visceral
abdominal obesity, that can be a big risk factor for
things like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. And finally,
it's a good idea to be aware of your resting
(16:53):
heart rates. We ideally want the heart rates to be
between sixty to one hundred.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Just a quick question, and that is is to monitor
on a daily basis. There are some folks who are
probably asking how do I do that? There are over
the counter, different types of meters, etc. What would you
recommend the regular person have on hand at home?
Speaker 5 (17:16):
So I think it's always a really good idea to
have a blood pressure cough at home and you can
get that at the drug store at the local pharmacy.
And just keeping track day to day what your blood
pressure numbers look like. The other thing, particularly in my field,
with the field of heart failure, it's very important to
keep track of your weight from day to day because
(17:36):
those rapid changes in weight can be indicative of worsening
heart failure.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Well, I'm definitely going to have to go buy a
new one because I threw my other one out when
I saw the number. Anyway, Well that's a doctor. If
anyone would like to connect with you, is there a
way we could do so?
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Yeah, absolutely, I'm happy to send my email to you.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
And we'll go ahead and take that. I'll share it
on the year. Bottom line, though, we can't thank you
enough for being part of the program, and we certainly
hope that you'll join us again soon.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
It's a pleasure, Doctor Deblina Dutt, that was a remarkable information.
All right, we'll continue with Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
More of our friends coming up after.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Welcome back to Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Like to welcoming back to News Radio eight thirty kh
for eight. It is this edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented
by Bear. Just a reminder that Bear Hawaii plays an
integral role in so many different ways, not only with
its core mission, but also with lending, assistance, support, information
(19:03):
and this platform to present to the community. And I
enjoy this segment so very much. I think we're in
our six going on seven years and learning is the
number one aspect as we're doing today. We reconnect with
Terry Anne, who is in studio with us. Terry Anne,
(19:24):
once again, many thanks for.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Being here, good morning, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It's a pleasure. I understand that you are a cardiac survivor.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
I am.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Would you mind sharing a bit about yourself? First, sure
and your experience.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
I was born and raised here in Hawaii, and by trade,
my passion in life is dancing, so I'm a dancer
and I have been a professional dancer for a majority
of my life, which has been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
But since I was a senior in high.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
School, I started having episodes and no doctors could really
figure out what was causing it, which.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Should have scared me a little bit more than it did.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
To be honest, but I we always chalked it up
to I didn't hydrate enough. I wasn't I didn't eat
enough before I was dancing. I was too stressed with
schoolwork and dance, all of the things. And each time
was different. But every episode I had prior to two
years ago was when I was dancing.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
So what how could you describe an episode?
Speaker 6 (20:27):
So I would tend to just faint out of nowhere.
A few times I would hit I hit my head
once I had a grandma seizure because of the impact
that I had that I had hit the floor so hard.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
But I would pass out.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I would come to within a couple minutes, everyone would say,
and then sometimes the they would take me to the hospital.
Other times I would decline because I would wake up
where I had fainted and I would say, please don't
take me. I'm good, I'm good, I'm going to go
home and arrest to sleep. But the last time was
the biggest one.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
So yeah, what happened. I was visiting.
Speaker 6 (21:09):
I was Actually I hadn't moved home yet, so my
husband and I were living in La up until twenty
twenty four. But in twenty twenty three, we had come
home from my grandfather's funeral. He passed unexpectedly, and so
it was really hard on me because he was my
last grandparent and he was my favorite. He my career
(21:32):
in dance would not be where it is without him,
So it was just it was really hard for me
to to have to say goodbye. And my brother, my
older brother lives in Japan, and our baby cousin was
doing a study abroad in Japan at the time, so
(21:53):
we all missed it. We didn't get to have our
find and goodbye before he passed. So my mom and
my auntie wanted us to have a moment to say
what he meant to us and have a moment to
you know, really say goodbye. And in the moment it
was I was like, yes, I want to do this,
that's fantastic. And I knew my brother wouldn't want to
(22:13):
go first. I knew my cousin wouldn't want to go first.
So I had to be the one to say, Okay,
I'll do it, as long as we all go up together.
And before I even got up to say anything, I
knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my body.
I could feel that something wasn't right. And I asked
my husband. I was like, give me the biggest and
tightest bear hug you can possibly give me, because something
(22:35):
is wrong, and I don't want to have an episode
in front of all of these people. And he did,
and for the for the moment, it was good. And
then I got up there and this is where none
of this is for me. This is from hearsay from
everybody else. Everyone said. I got to the podium, messed
with my papers a little bit, and then I was
(22:58):
and then I dropped and I got into setting cardiac arrest.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
My goodness.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
First of all, I feel you the loss of someone
very close. My mother passed away fifteen years ago, that's
how long. But I recall the moment at the service
of having to take the podium and speak about someone
(23:31):
that you love so much. Yeah. I bring that up
only as a perspective that there's a certain amount of
stress and anxiety that is associated with a loss. Were
you told or informed or you believe that that was
attributable to what took place?
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, it was definitely all of those things.
And yeah, I also believe that he was watching over
me and he knew that that's where I needed to
be at that time, because otherwise I would have been
in Thailand on a dance gig, and I don't know
if I would have survived it.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Wow, Terry Anne with us and thanking her so very
quickly when the seizure took place. Was there action by
those that were in attendance.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Yes, my cousins are Actually I have a lot of
nurses in my family. I am definitely half but it
was the Japanese side turn of events. But yes, a
bunch of my cousins stepped in right away to start CPR,
and thankfully at the mortuary there was an ad device,
(24:46):
so they also put that on right away. Again, this
I'll hearsay, but it shocked me twice before paramedics arrived,
and by the time they arrived, my heart still hadn't
started back up, so they put me in the back
of the ambulance and verbatim from my husband, it was
a while until they were even moving me to the hospital.
(25:07):
So they were working on me until they could get
me stable enough to transport me.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Where was this.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
This was at Mililani Mortuary and one.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
At home.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yes, yeah, so very close by.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Very they everyone was very surprised at how quickly the
ambulance arrived. They said that they got there before the firefighters,
which was as you guys know, it's it's right down
the street, so they must have been right around the
corner to have arrived as quickly as they did. But
the doctors told us when I woke up that had
(25:43):
my cousins not started CPR, I wouldn't have made it.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
So you be here to be very healthy, Yes, leading
the idealistic lifestyle, as informed of us by doctor dot.
You mentioned episodes that were indicative. So at the at
the diagnosis of what took place with your cardiac arrest,
(26:11):
were you informed that you had a symptomatic, a chronic
a some condition that led.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Yeah, so it's I have a it's called long QT
syndrome and it's hereditary. No one in my family has
ever had any episodes, because I think I'm one of
the most active people in my family to also have
survived it. And so the doctor said that without the
cardiac arrest and not knowing that our family has a
(26:41):
history of it, they would not have been able to
diagnose me with long QT. So the cardiac arrest saved
my life instead of ending it. And then we were
able to go back and do blood test to see
which side of the family it's from. So it's from
my dad's side of the family. And so when I
(27:02):
was in the hospital, they implanted a ICD.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
I see SD s ICD, s ICD.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
That's it. It's a defibrillator, so it lays inside of
just above my rib cage, and so my dad also
has one as well.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Tell you what this is. First of all, thank you
for sharing your story. I'm hopeful that it resonates with
folks who are dialed in. What was your path to recovery.
Your husband said you were out for quite a while.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
Yeah, in the hospital, I was there for ten days.
I was in a coma for three of them because
they didn't know how long I was without oxygen, so
they just wanted my brain to rest my body to rest,
and they didn't know what I would come out like
from it, and it was kind of amazing that I
(27:54):
was able to get back to get back on my
feet right away. I think a week and a half
after I got out of the hospital was the Heart
Walk that year, so I participated in that and met
the team for the first time. But my recovery process
was definitely slow, which I don't care for. I like
(28:16):
a high paced life, and it was very stressful for
me to have to sit and not do anything because
my new medication that I was on, I was having
trouble adjusting to it.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
It lowers my.
Speaker 6 (28:27):
Adrenaline, which again I don't care for, but I know
that it's keeping me healthy and it's keeping me on
the right path. So two years later, I'm definitely adjusted.
I'm as active as I know I can be, knowing
my limits of what's too much for my body and
what's just enough, which has been a very fine line
(28:49):
to kind of figure out.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
But I have not had an episode since my last one.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Are you back to dancing?
Speaker 6 (28:55):
I am back to dancing. My husband, would you know,
shake us out a little bit? He's just he worries
and I love him for it, but dancing with my limits.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Gotta do what you gotta do.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Yeah, exactly, Amen.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
We're going to continue the conversation. We'll bring Brent back
into the discussion. We're delighted that you're with us this
edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear. Portions of the
following program were prerecorded.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Welcome back to Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Once again. It is a heart month, February and the
American Heart Association of Hawaii is in studio with us
and so much more, and welcome Brent back to the program.
But I want to thank again Terry Ann sharing. Welcome,
thank you, thank you so much for sharing. Brent. What
(29:54):
do you make of Terry Ann's story?
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Well, first of all, she's awesome. There were only a
few dry eyes in the room, and mine.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Wasn't one of them, or two of them or two
of them.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, so very inspired by her story, and that's why
we do what we do, you know, to help people
like Terry Ann, who is by all accounts an awesome
young lady that had a bad break and fortunately, thanks
to the care she got, she's with us today and thriving.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Amen. Are you volunteering with the Heart Association.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
I am yes.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Oh tell us about that experience, would you please.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
It's been wonderful to help advocate for American Heart Association.
Getting my story out there is really I think it
has helped a couple people that I know of I've
been reached out to from. Actually, someone in Texas had
heard my story from American Heart Association and asked me
to speak at their Heart club their high school Heart
(30:54):
clubs meeting, and it was great to connect with somebody
out there and be able to share my story. And
so for me, it's always a if I can help
one person like that's that's the reason why we do
all of this, to help to help the community and
to change the lives of everybody else.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
What's the criticality of volunteers for the Heart Association? Right? Criticality?
How important? Oh? How essential?
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Is really critical? I mean because we don't have the
biggest budget. I mean we you know, we're funded by
national we're also funded by local donations, and we rely
a lot on volunteers. There's thirty five million of them
across the country. So it is an organization of volunteers
(31:45):
nationally and also here in Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
If folks would like to become a volunteer. Is there
a way to do so?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Well, there's a couple ways at our website www dot
Hawaii dot sorry, heart dot org, and then you can
also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Heart Hawaii
Terry Anne.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Have you had an encounter with someone associated with the
association or volunteering at an event? Have you connected with somebody?
Would you like to share that unique It's like asking
which one is your favorite baby. I know there's probably
many many, but is there one that stands out for you?
Speaker 6 (32:27):
I mean, it wasn't at a heart event, but once
I started sharing my story, there was a dancer actually
that pretty much had almost the exact same story as me,
except for instead of at a funeral, it was during
a dance performance.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
We have the exact same condition.
Speaker 6 (32:45):
Same device, same everything, and so we connected at a
dance event I think the march after my episode, and
she was I think she was just eighteen at the
time that everything happened, And so we've connected and we've
stayed in conversation and following her journey, you know, kind
(33:05):
of big sister watching over her as she goes like, hey,
did you remember to bring your meds, just make sure
you do this and this, and so it's been really
nice to connect with her through the events. Just being
able to work with the American Heart Association here in
Hawaii and also the LA chapter when we were living there.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Meeting everybody and.
Speaker 6 (33:24):
Being able to help in any way possible has been
has been great for me because I know that my
work that I'm doing with them is going to help
reach somebody, and reach hopefully more than just one brant.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It just seems that as a volunteer you'll have so
much fulfillment of the time and the efforts that you dedicate. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Absolutely, I mean we all have our stories quickly. You know,
my father had congestive heart failure and I lost them
in twenty seventeen, but he lived a lot longer than
he would have thanks to the care he got from
his cardiologist, who was also a member of the American
Heart Association.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Right, this has been a heck of a program. We
still have some time left, but I want to make
sure we haven't enough time to thank you both very much, also,
doctor Dutt, because there are there are many things that
we can disagree on. There are topics, Hey, the sky's
blue No, it's not. It's white water's wet. No, it's not.
(34:24):
It's just whatever it might be. But the ecumenical thing
that we can all agree on is health. And having
lived a very interesting life, I can attest that health
plays such an incredible role. Incredible and it's not just
for yourself. It's the relationships that you have with people
(34:45):
who care about you. I go through that with my
kids twenty five and twenty two, and they're just so
dialed in because they see the ebbs and the flows
in my life and they're there to kind of put
me in check, going, do you really need a fourth cocktail? Dad?
And my response is absolutely no, just kidding, but no.
(35:10):
Being attuned to in the relationships, Brent, your service and
your work. Can you comment further about relationships that you've made,
relationships that have been enhanced, feedback that you receive because
of your work.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I mean, I've made many dear friends being part of
American Heart Association. The physician that helped my father, who
I mentioned a few minutes ago, is a member of
the American Heart Association, is on the board and that connection,
you know, really helped my dad live a longer life. Ironically,
my younger brother also had some challenges with his heart,
(35:47):
and it was through relationships that I had through the
American Heart Association that he is here today and living
a much better life. So for me, there's two instances
of families, my family members who have been helped by
the American Heart Association. But there's also many dear friends
the staff. I covet them all and they're really great
(36:11):
resources and I'll say treasures for our community.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That love that. Indeed, Terry, what's the message you'd like
to deliver the folks that are dialed in in regard
not only to their health, but the American Heart Association.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Get your numbers checked.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
You know your body better than anybody else, So if
there's ever an inkling of something, go see your doctor.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Trust your gut. We trusted mine, and I.
Speaker 6 (36:43):
Know without going into cardiacres, I wouldn't have ever gotten
my correct answer. But when you have a feeling, just
go and get your numbers checked and do support the
American Heart Association because I can almost guarantee that somebody
that you know has been affected or has been helped
by American Heart and it'll.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Just continue to change.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
Everybody's lives and just make a better, better world for.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Us to all live in.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Would you arrive the most out of volunteering? Huh?
Speaker 6 (37:15):
I think knowing that this organization that I am donating
my time in.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
And my efforts into.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Is the reason that I am sitting here today, the
reason that I am able to speak to their organization
today because had they not pushed for AD devices to
be in all of these different places, I don't know
if CPR alone would have helped me get to where
I am today. Yes, it helped, but also I know
that AD device was a big part of it as well.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Love that Well, can we see you perform?
Speaker 4 (37:55):
You know, we'll get back to you on that one.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Maybe you're not a Green Bay packer cheerleader, are you?
Speaker 6 (38:01):
No?
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Green Bay doesn't have cheerleaders. They shouldn't.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Terry, and thank you so very much for joining. Thank
you brother brand, like for you to wrap things up
for us calls to action and also access how we
can learn, participate, donate, and maybe refer to a couple
of the events that might be soon. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Well, I mentioned Heart dot Org on the website. You
can follow us on Facebook and Instagram at art Hawaii
at heart Hawaii and you can find us there and
start to network with the organization and the fine work
that we do. It's easy to donate online and we
(38:45):
were happy to accept online donations, and when you start
to network with us, you can obviously get involved as
a volunteer as well. When we do events like the
Heart Walk in August, it's a huge event. We need
all kinds of volunteers to make it happen, so we're
happy to welcome welcome people to support our cause.
Speaker 7 (39:06):
Brant, it's always good to see you, yes, sir, thank
you so much, thank you, thank you, indeed, thank you
to all of our friends who joined us today on
this edition of Sustaining Hawaii presented by Bear once Again.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Health for All, Hunger for none is our mission at
the bottom line is this. If you feel compelled then
you would like to learn more, You can always join
us on our podcast page on krehradio dot com or
visit the website for Bear Hawaii Hawaii dot bear us,
also Facebook, Instagram at Bear Hawaii once Again. It's a
(39:42):
pleasure and I thank you so much. Looha,
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