Page 25 - Inspire Health July/August 2016
P. 25
88 years old, Dirby Kober The beat goes on
says she’s lived two lifetimes.
It’s easy to understand Heart patient lives life to the fullest
why she’d think that. She was born in
Wisconsin but moved to Montreal,
Canada, after her father, a chemist, died
in a mining accident in South Africa.
She came to New Jersey in junior
high and then spent her high school
years in Ohio and Texas. By this time,
she could speak English, French and
German. As a young woman she worked
as an assistant in a pediatrician’s office,
a casings inspector in an ammunitions
factory during World War II and learned
Swedish massage.
Soon she was married and raising
five kids of her own. She’s lost three
of them, but at age 65, she began
to raise her granddaughter. She
and her husband, Lester Kober, age
92, celebrated their 69th wedding
anniversary last October and look
forward to more lively years together.
Looking back, she recognizes the
challenges. “I’ve lived a rich life,” she
says. “The last 20 years have been more
relaxed, but the first 60 years were a
bit stressful.”
HEART CONDITION “I have complete confidence in him,” in the cardiac electrophysiology lab were
Part of that stress in her early years she says. “For the past 20 years, I’ve excellent. They knew what they were
never had a second opinion.” doing. That’s coming from someone who
may have come from her heart. At age is not an easy patient.”
49, Dirby was diagnosed with atrial High praise from a woman who has
tachycardia, which she experienced as a learned everything about her condition. WORKING OUT
fluttering in her chest. While Dirby is still taking time to heal, she
Dr. Khalighi recently suggested that Dirby
When it first occurred, she saw her consider cardiac ablation, a procedure is back to the gym. She usually likes to swim,
doctor who thought it might have been that maps the heart to determine where use the circuit and hit the free weights,
caused by too many cigarettes and coffee. the electric signals are irregular so that the but during recovery she’s concentrated on
abnormal tissue can be normalized. keeping her core strong until she can get
After reoccurring episodes, she saw a back to her normal routine.
cardiologist who placed her on anti- Though legally blind since 1981, Dirby
arrthymic medications. She followed that taught herself how to use a computer “I like to challenge myself,” she says.
regimen for nearly a decade. in 1997. As with any new procedure or “You have to or else you don’t get
medication, she did her research before anywhere in life.”
Soon her episodes happened more agreeing to undergo ablation.
often and lasted longer. And the She’s been speaking out about her
cardiac problems worsened — she was “I do everything whole hog, not by procedure and answers the questions
diagnosed with right bundle branch half measure” says Dirby. of other people who suffer from the
block, a condition where the electrical same condition.
signals are absent between chambers on Following a few diagnostic tests, Dirby
the right side of her heart. had the ablation. Afterward, she felt well “I’m proud of myself to have the
and in high spirits. wherewithal to go through with this,” she
That’s when she started to see cardiologist says. “I’m so happy that I’ve done it.”
and electrophysiologist Koroush Khalighi, “The care at Easton Hospital was Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital
MD, an independent member of the medical excellent, which some people may find
staff at Easton Hospital. hard to believe,” she says. “But the staff
JULY | AUGUST 2016 INSPIRE HEALTH 25
says she’s lived two lifetimes.
It’s easy to understand Heart patient lives life to the fullest
why she’d think that. She was born in
Wisconsin but moved to Montreal,
Canada, after her father, a chemist, died
in a mining accident in South Africa.
She came to New Jersey in junior
high and then spent her high school
years in Ohio and Texas. By this time,
she could speak English, French and
German. As a young woman she worked
as an assistant in a pediatrician’s office,
a casings inspector in an ammunitions
factory during World War II and learned
Swedish massage.
Soon she was married and raising
five kids of her own. She’s lost three
of them, but at age 65, she began
to raise her granddaughter. She
and her husband, Lester Kober, age
92, celebrated their 69th wedding
anniversary last October and look
forward to more lively years together.
Looking back, she recognizes the
challenges. “I’ve lived a rich life,” she
says. “The last 20 years have been more
relaxed, but the first 60 years were a
bit stressful.”
HEART CONDITION “I have complete confidence in him,” in the cardiac electrophysiology lab were
Part of that stress in her early years she says. “For the past 20 years, I’ve excellent. They knew what they were
never had a second opinion.” doing. That’s coming from someone who
may have come from her heart. At age is not an easy patient.”
49, Dirby was diagnosed with atrial High praise from a woman who has
tachycardia, which she experienced as a learned everything about her condition. WORKING OUT
fluttering in her chest. While Dirby is still taking time to heal, she
Dr. Khalighi recently suggested that Dirby
When it first occurred, she saw her consider cardiac ablation, a procedure is back to the gym. She usually likes to swim,
doctor who thought it might have been that maps the heart to determine where use the circuit and hit the free weights,
caused by too many cigarettes and coffee. the electric signals are irregular so that the but during recovery she’s concentrated on
abnormal tissue can be normalized. keeping her core strong until she can get
After reoccurring episodes, she saw a back to her normal routine.
cardiologist who placed her on anti- Though legally blind since 1981, Dirby
arrthymic medications. She followed that taught herself how to use a computer “I like to challenge myself,” she says.
regimen for nearly a decade. in 1997. As with any new procedure or “You have to or else you don’t get
medication, she did her research before anywhere in life.”
Soon her episodes happened more agreeing to undergo ablation.
often and lasted longer. And the She’s been speaking out about her
cardiac problems worsened — she was “I do everything whole hog, not by procedure and answers the questions
diagnosed with right bundle branch half measure” says Dirby. of other people who suffer from the
block, a condition where the electrical same condition.
signals are absent between chambers on Following a few diagnostic tests, Dirby
the right side of her heart. had the ablation. Afterward, she felt well “I’m proud of myself to have the
and in high spirits. wherewithal to go through with this,” she
That’s when she started to see cardiologist says. “I’m so happy that I’ve done it.”
and electrophysiologist Koroush Khalighi, “The care at Easton Hospital was Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital
MD, an independent member of the medical excellent, which some people may find
staff at Easton Hospital. hard to believe,” she says. “But the staff
JULY | AUGUST 2016 INSPIRE HEALTH 25
