Today, Jemalyn Ayodoc has colour in her cheeks and speaks so positively that you wouldn’t guess that it was just a year ago that she was in hospital for heart surgery. In fact, other than having developed gestational diabetes with her last pregnancy, the mother of four was not aware of any personal health issues or family history of heart problems before last fall, when she went to the hospital with difficulty breathing.
While she recalls pain and weakness leading up to her diagnosis and eventual surgery, it was being in the hospital, away from family, that became her strongest motivator to get well.
“I was at a hospital from September 29 to October 30. Imagine that, not seeing my daughters,” she recounts,
“My youngest was only five years old.”
“It really motivates you … the feeling of being in a hospital bed with your kids at home, knowing that you’re not there to look after them. So I said to myself, ‘If my surgery will be successful and I will be out of this hospital bed, I will make sure that I will always listen to my doctors and do everything to have a healthy life.’”
After two months of recovering from her surgery, Jemalyn started the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at the Wellness Institute. Although she felt weak and experienced some dizziness, she was determined to get better. Jayms helped her establish a safe routine, convincing her not to rush into using heavy weights too soon. Through the cooking and education components, she realized she had to watch out for salt in her diet.
After a month, she was already feeling stronger, with less back pain. After two months, she no longer needed help to tie her shoes and could carry more on her own. By April, Jemalyn had completed the program and was strong enough to return to work, but she signed up for a Wellness membership to keep building strength and stay healthy.
Not only did she find that the regular exercise helped regulate her blood sugar better than watching her carbohydrates and diet alone, but she also quickly felt the difference if she missed coming to work out.
“I noticed that if I don’t come here and do some exercise, I get tired. After a day of work, you can feel your body but when I come here after work, everything is good. I realized that I really need to stretch out every day.”
Now she recommends the Wellness Institute to her family and friends, regardless of their current health. She even tells how she encouraged a lady she met while riding the bus to join.
“If I just go to a regular gym and if something happens to me, they don’t know what to do for me, right? And if I’m here, there’s the hospital there, and they know my history. And you see this?” she says, gesturing the facility around her, “It’s nice. And there are instructors, and everything you can ask for.”
Today, Jemalyn’s story is a powerful reminder that recovery doesn’t end when you leave the hospital—it begins there. For her, wellness is no longer just about healing; it’s about living fully and sharing that strength with others.