AS DWIGHT HAPEMAN LAY IN A LUTHERAN MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL BED RECOVERING FROM TRIPLE BYPASS SURGERY, he promised himself three things: (1) He'd get well again. (2) He'd volunteer to help other cardiac patients. (3) He'd meet his partner in life. All loft goals, but he was feeling lucky.Hapeman, of Aurora, knew what he had to do to get well, because he'd done it just a few months before. In March 2007, a routine EKG had revealeddamage to his heart from a previous, silent heart attack. A subsequent cardiac catheterization and stenting procedure revealed that two of his arteries were significantly blocked.WAKE-UP CALLI was completely shocked, he says. I never had any symptoms, and I thought I was healthy. But I knew I had to take this seriously. Hapeman committed to Lutherans Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program,where he participated in monitored exercise sessions with a caring, knowledgeable staff; classes on nutrition, stress management and other health topics; andsupport groups. He lost almost 50 pounds and was feeling great. And then, in October, he had a massive heart attack. This time, I had all ofthe typical symptoms nausea, chest pain and breathlessness, he says. After the emergency triple bypass saved his life, Hapeman recommitted to outpatient rehab to get healthy again.PROMISES KEPTToday, Hapeman, 63, has kept all three promises. He's healthy and fi t, weighing in at 160 pounds. He leads Lutherans cardiac support group and visits patientsat hospitals throughout Denver as a volunteer with Mended Hearts, the oldest national cardiac support group in the U.S. Visiting other cardiac rehab programs has given him a new appreciation forLutheran. The level of personalized care that patients receive at Lutheran is truly special, he says. Promise No. 3 was fulfilled on a beach in Fort Lauderdale in January 2011, whenhe married his wife, Maggie (they're shown together above). Coincidentally, Maggie is a former cardiac nurse and is now a hospice nurse in Aurora.There is life after a heart attack even two heart attacksMENDING HEARTSTo learn more about Lutheran Medical Centers cardiac rehabilitation programs, please call 303-403-3604Editors Note: This article was submitted by Lutheran Medical Center. We can be reached at 303-430-3059.