CentraState - Healthy Directions

7 I f you're exercising on a late Saturday morning, you may want to have a little breakfast beforehand to fuel up for your workout. But for 62-year-old Morganville resident Alan Zwerin, doing that almost had fatal consequences. Fortunately for Alan, he works out at the medically based CentraState Fitness & Wellness Center. About two years ago, Alan and his wife, Marlene, were overweight and wanted to improve their fitness so they could lead more active, healthier lives. After looking at other gyms in the area, they came away very impressed by CentraState's facility, particularly due to its affiliation and proximity to the hospital. Seeking a personal trainer to help kick their fitness regimen into gear, they were paired up with fitness and wellness instructor Phil Li Pomi. A SHOCKING EPISODE By shedding weight and gaining energy, Alan was feeling better than he had in years. That is, until one Saturday this past May, when something went wrong. About 15 minutes into his workout with Phil, Alan had a bout of hives, which he had experienced in the past, but very rarely. Alan was also becoming exhausted too quickly, and was turning a concerning shade of red. Phil noticed these signs and had Alan take a break. "When he took a break and went to reach for his water, it was apparent his motor skills had diminished," Phil recalls. "I remained calm and called a 'Code Blue,' which calls for emergency hospital assistance. Once we made that call, hospital staff responded very quickly and were at the Fitness Center." Fitness & Wellness Center staff attended to Alan while emergency hospital staff made their way to that side of the building. Because everyone who uses the Fitness & Wellness Center has a medical history on file, the responding doctors knew that Alan had asthma and allergies, so they were able to treat him accordingly. "Before I knew Phil had called the code, I had passed out. From what they tell me, I had even stopped breathing, and they had to do compressions," Alan recalls. "When I woke up, they had already begun working on me and working on transferring me to the Emergency Department." During this time, a worried Marlene was consoled by Phil and one of CentraState's patient representatives. Alan was taken to the ED, where his blood pressure was brought down and he was stabilized. Phil stayed with Marlene for several hours as a comforting presence in a distressing time. Alan was then transferred to CentraState's Critical Care Unit, and it was determined that he had suffered from exercise-induced anaphylaxis. "He had food that was still in his system, and the combination of food and exercise caused the reaction," explains Alan's primary care doctor Leonard Schindel, MD, a board- certified internal medicine physician and on staff at CentraState. "Alan is one of these rare people who can't have anything in his system when he exercises. He exercises to the extreme and sweats a lot. When you exercise, your adrenaline goes up. He had hives and asthma in the past, and with the food in his system, this was just a perfect storm." Because exercise-induced anaphylaxis is so rare, most of those who could potentially suffer from it don't know they have it until they experience an actual attack. Fortunately, it is manageable and preventable if the proper precautions are taken. For example, Alan now knows that he can't eat anything three hours prior to exercising, he makes sure to stay hydrated, and he now carries an epinephrine pen with him at all times. He is truly taking control of his health and wellness. THE MEDICAL ADVANTAGE Alan, Marlene, and Phil acknowledge that if Alan had been exercising at a fitness center that wasn't medically based, his attack could have been fatal. "I was so lucky that if something like this had to happen, it happened in this setting," Alan says. Phil adds, "I was very proud of how everyone responded and how they handled it. I truly believe that if he were in another gym that wasn't hospital based, maybe time would have caught up with him. But I think being in that setting saved his life." Dr. Schindel agrees. "The truth is, he would not have made it without the medical attention he received here," he says. Marlene is even more convinced: "Alan is still here because of Phil and the CentraState team." Now, down dozens of pounds, Alan and Marlene are in better shape than they had thought possible, and they credit Phil and his positive instruction and influence. "Phil is really special, very caring. He was really motivating and never wants to take any of the credit. I don't think I could have gotten into shape without someone so encouraging," says Alan, who used to take five blood pressure medications and one for prediabetes, but is now down to just one blood pressure medication and has gotten out of the prediabetes danger zone through his diet and exercise routine. Marlene adds, "Phil just doesn't give up on us. He's been such a positive influence on our lives." Phil comments that it was Alan and Marlene's growing confidence that really shaped their fitness success. "Alan and Marlene are more confident in themselves," he says. "When they came in, they were in search of a different lifestyle and more confidence, and with that came weight loss." For more information on CentraState's Fitness & Wellness Center, visit www.centrastatefitness.com. HD Alan Zwerin (middle) and his wife, Marlene, credit their CentraState Fitness & Wellness Center trainer, Phil Li Pomi, with taking action that saved Alan's life. www.centrastate.com Fall 2015 Leonard Schindel, MD, board- certified internal medicine physician

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