Sooo... I'm 42 and had a heart attack in August and now have 5 stents after they found severe disease in all 3 vessels. I now have 3 stents in circumflex, and 1 in RCA and 1 in LAD. Only a little damage to the heart fortunately, with resulting 'mild' atheroma in all vessels ( apart from one distal which is 70%) but a LVEF of 50%. I was , I thought, very fit - played football -completed two half marathons in the last five years , ideal weight etc etc. I smoked from 18-30 and have a strong family history of heart disease - but have lived a healthy life since.My father is in his seventies - double bypass in his mid-sixties , but he did not have any problem until his mid-fifties despite being less active than me. I have pushed at work and had several, at times, stressful years. I have a beautiful daughter aged 3.5 years old.
In short - I'm scared. I now think that a long life is unlikely - the idea of a relaxing retirement seems like it has been taken away - but most importantly the time to see my daughter grow. This is what I was working so hard for and I feel it is now very uncertain.
I am hoping someone can offer a positive report of stents lasting decades and living a long time with multi vessel disease. There is not much out there to suggest that this is possible - even though my nurse practitioner has been very positive l (an excellent support) I always feel that they are not telling me the whole story - that it would be counter-productive to do so. I am trying to hold it together in front of my partner and daughter - I want to be fun dad again ; but can just feel the tears welling- but I have managed so far. Does it get easier?, do you eventually learn to trust the stents? . I am overwhelmed with the sudden change to my life.
I know that I will have to have bypass at some point in the future - if I am deemed suitable, but I am scared of another attack and dying as I did not get pain warnings last time - just tired and out of breath. People with toddlers are always tired!. I will be doing the exercise (I enjoy it anyway) , I am looking at the MD dean ornish low fat diet - which has found in studies that it can help stop and mildly reverse some atheroma . I am also looking to see if I can get a non invasive ctca scan in a couple of years to monitor progress- but there still seems to be so much out of my control.
If anyone has any thoughts on the above I would be most grateful. Love and good health, David
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I haven't got answers but I am 42 and had 4 stents fitted weeks ago and I am feeling just like you. I could nearly have written your post! My dad too has had a bypass two yrs ago. I can't seem to find any solid info or statistics on how long stents last either and it depresses me. I feel chest pressure at night and inside I worry is it the stents? Cardiac nurses I have asked just say "you're young they could last you years" but nothing more specific. I think it's because there is sadly no answer. Every one is different I guess and their own disease process goes at different rates. Plus some peoples stents restenose sooner than others. I am trying to be positive but it is so hard when you have this hanging over you. I almost didn't reply to you as I feel I haven't got anything positive to tell you, however I just wanted to say I totally understand how you are feeling, it's a lonely place. You are among thousands of people who are in the same boat. You just have to keep in mind there are advancements all the time and who knows what technology will be able to do in ten years time. This op is becoming very common and especially so in our age group.
Wish I could reassure with more solid answers but it's largely up to you to write your own answers. Do all the right things. I've looked into dean ornish reversal diet and I do believe this can help reverse atherosclerosis. You may laugh but meditation, do this every day. I read somewhere that among people who practise meditation daily, heart attacks are halved. Even the cardiologist said there is a big connection between brain and heart so it's important we learn to work on anxiety.
I'm the type of person who over analyses everything and I like to be in control and I can be quite impatient especially with myself and it's uncanny how many people who have heart attacks seem to have a similar nature. Well I believe this has come along as a lesson for me to learn that I cannot control everything, I need to learn to let go and actually concentrate purely on what's important in life.
My advice to you would be, live in the moment, soak each moment up and try to see the positives in your life. Know that there are literally thousands in your position, you aren't alone. Don't try to man up all the time, allow yourself to break down and grieve, bursting into tears is normal after what you've been through and it's healthy to get it out. Concentrate on you and those you love, and everything else is periphery.
I've been through the same emotions about not seeing my girls grow up get married etc there 7 & 9 I found myself very emotional every time I thought about them not having me around but it does get easier with time ... Also finding myself less on edge .. I was 40 when having a heart attack and received 2 stents they unfortunately didn't work and 6 months later they narrowed resulting in a double bypass.. the bypass failed also and got 3 more stents which failed again 6 months later .. though subsequently they found I had a genetic issue with my Arteries and the bypass had failed due too using arteries from my chest wall ... I received another bypass last year and have never looked back .. I set a goal of going to my friends birthday party which 9 days after surgery I did I've done things with my girls made memories rather than feeling sorry for myself which I did do for a long time . None of us know what the future holds I'm back at work something o didn't think would happen and I'm enjoying being here .. I understand your reservations about living a long life but live for just now I wish you all the best
Dear me you really have been through the mill! How do you know the stents are failing, does this happen suddenly or slowly? Also if you don't mind me asking, what condition causes repeated rejections of bypass/stents? I have to say I admire your bravery and courage. I've struggled to come to terms with this one event, I dread to think what it must have been like to go through repeated events.
Restentohsis is the reason for stents closing though it only happens in a low percentage to be fair I've been unlucky . But on the reverse lucky as I'm still here I had too fight too get believed as they thought it was all in my head but proven 6 times it wasn't I've set the record for angiograms at the local hospital 6 in 2 years lol not a record I want . I had a wound infection and pneumonia which nearly got me .. but I'm here for a reason obviously so live life too the full .. meditation is good but being positive is important and I've not once thought about giving up ... I wish you well with your recovery and it's always good too chat with folk that have had similar issues all the best x
Wow, that is unlucky! But goes to show what resilience you have. What do you think caused repeat restenosis or your bypass to fail, did they ever tell you? Did you feel exactly same symptoms as before your procedures? My dad had a bypass and they took arteries from the leg, he walks miles a day at 74 and bounced back from his op and feels better than ever two years on. He had his done privately abroad and they said bypass is better than stents. I do wonder if I will have to end up getting one done or whether stents will last. It's the not knowing that's the worst, but then again no one on here has any guarantees as to what might happen next week, month, year etc. Just have to try and live in the here and now and as you say be positive x
They said it was a genetic issue which could have began with me .. they used arteries from the chest wall first time ... And the Veins from the leg second and the results are amazing as Arteries and veins are totally different from one another ... I hope your stents are a success as I've seen a good few folk our age having excellent results my initial stents where Bare metal but the next 3 trip eluting ones both weren't great but from what I've been through at my age is pretty unusual .. though I've touch wood not had any problems in a year and a half ... I don't take beta blockers as I take a bad reaction though my resting heart rate is about 65 which is probably better than it's been in years .. but going back too work has given me an extra boost .. getting my head into a good place was all important it took a while .
It sounds like you are doing great. Good slow pulse without beta blockers. I've got xience drug eluting stents though they had to put 3 in lad artery and one in RCA which was 95-99% blocked. I hope they work, I intend to do all the right things, diet and exercise etc but know that it's one of those things I cannot control 100%. It's helpful to hear stories such as yours as it makes me realise the human body is not as fragile as we think and can actually overcome a lot. Attitude has a lot to do with it.
I've lost 2 stone I was a bit over weight do loads of walking have changed my diet though still like a beer and a cake ha ha you can't become boring you need a few things that keep you happy ... I've been too the gym ran around on the beach with the kids have a carry on gone away with my wife on a holiday abroad I think if anything is going too happen it will if I'm sitting moping about or out having fun when or if it does it will be during the latter... I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine change a few things lifestyle wise and lose a bit of weight if needed and you'll be good .
As AllBoy states, nice to chat to others with the same issues and in the same stage of life. Failing stents I was told happens in only 2-3% of stents - but not sure if you can avoid eventual restenosis when stents end their 'eluting' life (this is where the ten to fifteen years thing comes from I think). My dad had a double bypass, again grafted from the legs- and is 74 too and still manages a physical part time job and walking to the shops. I was talking to a lady on my group that had her bypass 21 years ago and it was still going strong - but she needed one more stent in another of her vessels (she was 72). I am thinking that if I monitor via CTCA (privately) in a couple of years, so I can at least be proactive in looking if it progresses this will help. However, I am also aware that I don't want this whole thing to takeover and as you both say - I need to focus more on living in the now and enjoy my family - I do have a lot to be thankful for. I too over-analyse (if you had not already guessed 🙂) - a positive approach to life is probably going to be the best thing I can focus on (apart from the obvious).
Yes it is really helpful, it's the isolation part of this health issue that is probably the worst as you feel no one fully understands. Let's face it they can't unless they have been through it.
Regarding the drug eluting stents, I am on ticagrelor for a year this is while the stents bed in. As far as I know your artery wall slowly grows over the mesh of the stent so that it is inside the artery after a year or so. Theoretically then the anti platelet meds can be stopped although I may ask to take them for a further 6 months just to be sure as some studies seem to recommend taking the tablets for up to two years although risk of bleeding is higher.
Just think though even if these need redoing in 10 years time, imagine what the medical advances will have achieved by then. Also reading about how the heart naturally bypasses blockages with new collateral arteries is amazing. The fact it does this on its own shows just how much the body wants to live. There are people living with 100% blockages who have grown these collateral arteries.
Andie I should also mention that when I say your chest pain is probably anxiety - I am basing this again on my nurse practitioner - she said because I was ok doing physical rehab, it was very unlikely that I would be having problems at rest and this was therefore more likely to be stents settling in, and/or anxiety and/or muscular /skeletal. Another time she said if completely unsure- try the spray- although I don't like using it.
I think after a heart attack and intervention any chest pain or feeling not right could be anxiety though not worth taking the chance.. medication tweeks can sort problems and there is a small chance of something not right but getting checked is essential ... I had too push for an exercise test and lasted 1 min due too extreme pain then that's when it was realised the stents hadn't worked and the bypass was needed
Wow, thanks for the replies. Yes Andie we sound VERY similar. I am also looking at meditation - and have found the CALM app quite good for this (30quid a year) and plenty on anxiety, mindfulness etc plus some sleep stories narrated by Stephen Fry no less. As for the chest pressure, most likely anxiety at this stage. I do think I get less of this now, but I have noted when I do get upset I can get an ache around the heart area or even a tightness across the chest but this is very fleeting (one ache or a few seconds of tightness). I can't count the number of times I have questioned any feelings felt around my body. I had a panic attack and went back into hospital after a few weeks when out walking and had an ectopic beat due to anxiety. I was fine and ectopic are harmless. I have woken up sweating at night. I have had pressure behind eyes, so I burst a blood vessel in one eye - bloodshot. This was all classic anxiety symptoms (something I did not know about a few months ago!). Although there seem to be no stats - the consensus seemed to be that stents last ten to fifteen years ; but with the caveat they do not know , could be less - could be more ; the nurse practitioner with thirty years experience suggested that it could be a long time, the consultant - ten year . The psychologist (they gave me a referral to help with anxiety) says that actually consultants probably might not be that reliable as they will have a view based on the majority of patients they see - which are usually older. I kind of trust the practitioners view, because she was a pull no punches type- she genuinely believed what she said. She said it is nearly always the smokers who continue and those that don't follow the guidance that end up going back quickly. She also states that there are hundreds she has personally seen that are out there living life with their stents for a long time... even one she told me to contact with 10 stents !!
As for you AllBoy... I echo Andie's comments, I draw some inspiration from your bravery facing the number of challenges you have. I hope to achieve the same mental state and approach to moving on with my life. I have good 0.5 days and bad half days - this is progress, so I hope in a few months more I will get to that point where I can 'forget' about it for a day. I guess like we have all said, there are no answers/ stats available to reassure ( unless others come forward and post) as it largely an individual thing, but I do believe that they are good for the majority. I also do have some confidence that technology is coming on leaps and bounds and that we are lucky to be living in this era - with stents , surgery being far superior and medications being good.
Hi David, thanks for your response, your symptoms are eerily similar to mine. I had the pressure feeling behind the eyes and night sweats, the odd ectopic etc. I feel okay during rehab apart from aching leg muscles which I'm sure is down to the statins I'm on. I think 80mg of atorvastatin is a little too high, will see my gp about that.
Regarding our outlook for the future, I was also told that it's mostly smokers who end up back in for repeat treatments. When you think about it, we are lucky in the fact we know now and have had our arteries cleared. There are thousands of people walking around now who have severe blockages but haven't got a clue. Some won't get a second chance like we have. I believe things happen for a reason, it's obviously not our time, that is why we are still here.
With regard to finding answers, we could spend months of our time researching all this then get run over by a bus (now that would be unlucky lol!). No one knows how long they have but we have the edge in that our attention has been grabbed now and our focus suddenly zoomed in on what is important in life. For all I've felt devastated about this there is a strange appreciation creeping in like I'm being shown what I actually have. I was too busy, stressed, ignorant of bad habits before to even pay all this a second thought.
It's bittersweet but if we can only see it, it's actually a gift.
Indeed, I agree one hundred per cent ; I have reassessed a lot over the last few months - we have a second chance and we are now on the 'radar' as my GP put it. Time to learn how to play the piano... if my daughter will allow me 🙂. Ps the leg pain ( my left foot sometimes feels numb and I woke up the other night with a burning cramp - but I had propped up my leg in my sleep for some reason) I was told with some certainty that this is likely the beta blocker as your heart is not working as hard, the flow to extremities is reduced - time to get some lovely bed socks 😐. My resting heart rate is now 48, which is only several beats from where it was - but still has effects I think!. But then again , you will have seen the long list of potential side effects on all the meds we have! -lol, I too wanted to cut the dose of the statin ( I'm on exactly the same- they are huge tablets! )- but they were not keen on that due to the important role it plays. I can say that I think my body is adjusting/ getting used to the meds after 3 months ; so might be a waiting game for you too... The worst side effect for me was stomach acid, so I was taking lanzaprozole and now on Ritanidine....it's all a bit of a cocktail that won't suit all and may need tweaking...
Okay - I am being summoned by my daughter to get back to role play as shopkeeper again ( better than watching Peppa Pig))-lol. Thanks to both of you for your positive words, it has given me a real lift today. I wonder if anyone else will chip in on this post - it certainly is a useful resource to hear from others. Love and best wishes David
I was on Lanzoprazole for 2 weeks prior to heart attack, they kept telling me my aches were gastro. I decided to stop taking it after heart attack and the symptoms weren't there anymore. The stomach ache was the heart issue all along.
Anyway time to get the Christmas decorations up and try to feel a bit festive.
You enjoy the "shopkeeper" role play with your daughter and remember to sell her healthy fruits and veg and not sweets. Lessons about health can't start too young! Lol.
I've just had for 4 stents fitted 21 sept 17... Anxiety can add or cause heart conditions, of which I think caused mine with a little help of eating to many cakes and bisquits lol....I've just read a book on bodly intakes which sujests a low fat diet on it's own is not good for us. amazon.co.uk/Body-Fuel-Calo...
I can't answer all your questions, No day is gaureteed so don't worry,take each day as it comes and just do your best that's all any of us can do and trust the doctors..Luckly all my kids are in there 20's but i would like to be a grand dad,so i can see where your coming from..
On the subject of feeling Anxious/anxiety it can lead to paranoia,and questioning everyone and every thing, that's what happened to me after a nervous break down years ago,which over time lead to me being paranoid and eventually stopped me going out of the house, on this subject i can talk about..But since my heart attack it became less of a worry mainly because the hospital put me on a dose of sertriline which should be subscribbed to heart patients but I didn't find ths out till after my stents we,re fitted,I've discused this with my GP but I've had no ill efects so decided to stay on the half dose of 25mg...
Just remember as with us all you were very close to death before the procedures and the doctors do their best for us..just be thankful we got another day..it's up to us to make the most of it...good luck to us all...
Hi there, I can totally resonate with the questioning everything and everyone. I was told I just had stomach issues before my heart attack but I knew it was more but they wouldn't listen. This led me to doubt what I was told.
From what I've read and been told, mental health is strongly linked to heart disease with depression being common amongst people who suffer heart disease. Also repressed anger has its links. My dad and I are both quite impatient and get stressed out over silly things and we both had clogged arteries. They are saying because of his age mine is not linked genetically as he was 73 before he fell ill. No other cases of heart disease in my family so for me to get it so young has to be more likely due to lifestyle factors and personality traits. In dean ornish's book about reversing heart disease he found that people who were happier, open and were more loving actually had much much lower rates of repeat heart attacks. I think the key in addition to diet exercise etc is to start with ourselves, loving ourselves and those around us more. I feel no matter what heart ailment people have they would all benefit from this.
I agree we have to grateful for our second chance.
interesting reply checked out ornish's book and found him on youtube so thanks for that, nice meeting you Andie1975,just keep taking the Med's...watch the blood pressure..lol..without it were dead lol...well December here the count down has begun..all the best to you and your family..
Hi David. You’ve had such good replies, I’m only adding a few new points. Firstly, I was told the stents are much less likely to fur up within two years, after that, very low risk. I was not given a lifespan estimate. I have 9 stents, uncounted admissions, angios and three small HAs, the depression you mentioned, helped by Sertraline and therapy. I am now leading an active life, rehab helped enormously by the three times a week exercise classes following coronary rehab. Exercise improved my heart functioning, measured on stress MRIs. So it’s not all gloom!
Lots of juggling of meds and interventions for unstable angina, from small vessel disease. I mention this because you had the circumflex vessels done, like me.
I did get chest pain like you, after stents, that seemed to take around 6 months to get comfy. Lying on my left is still marginally less comfortable.
The spray, what can I say? Horrible headaches, at first, but this does fade, completely. When you need it, use it, it stops the heart straining, something you don’t want.
My daughter gave me some of the best advice.’you are still you, you are not defined by your illness’. I’ve now stopped mentioning it to people who don’t know. Makes a huge difference. I’m me, again!
It was really useful to read your post. It's a realistic view of what is possible to expect from stents. I still get burning chest ache a month after stents fitted. Do you recall getting anything similar after stents? Also how long did your stents last before requiring more if you don't mind me asking? The spray doesn't seem to work for my chest pain and it's always at night I get it and worse when lying down. They did diagnose pericarditis following heart attack but I had this burning prior to stents in addition to stomach ache (the stomach ache has since went away so I think that was my "angina" symptom).
I think because I maybe had peri prior to heart attack I worry about which pain is really the trigger I should watch for. Wish I could stop worrying!
Hi Andie. I’ve just noticed a mistake in my message above,
So sorry.
Stents apparently are more likely to fur up within 2 years. After 2 years they are less likely. Sorry that wasn’t clear,
Your questions. I don’t remember a burning sensation, though my chest did ache. Of the 9 stents, just one had to be redone a year after being inserted. They bored it out, and put another one inside. Im now well over the 2 years, and all stents are apparently fine
Similar to you, they thought I had a bout of pericarditis, too, mine was after stents, mainly diagnosed by strong chest pain at rest, and particularly when lying down. The Echo was not too helpful in confirming it.
Your idea of monitoring your symptoms in some detail should work well. I listed what I’d been doing beforehand, what I was doing at the time of angina, and the characteristics of the symptoms, then what I did, and how long it lasted. Hope that’s clear?
Such monitoring gave a clear picture, when I saw the Cons. If you have a good Cardiac liaison nurse, they might also be good for your particular queries about symptoms.
I think angina symptoms are v varied. It was really helpful getting to know my own personal pattern of symptoms.
I do hope it all goes well, and you feel a bit better soon.
Thanks so much for that Kristin. I don't think my chest pain must be angina as its not on exertion anymore but can get really painful at night if I'm leaning back or lying down, sounds just like what you had during healing. That is reassuring.
Nice to hear you are past the two year mark, that will be a nice feeling. I just have to get over my creeping fear that my stents will restenose. I suppose it would become extremely obvious if they did and any chest pain would become exertional.
Like others have said, I really find exercise classes something I look forward to each week and intend to continue some kind of class after they end. I also intend to start a diary that's a great idea.
Hi Kristin, thank you so much for your reply. Again, it is a really positive view and I am really pleased to hear that you are doing so well. Your comments have further allayed some of my concerns and I love what your daughter said- that really resonates and will stay with me. I am hopeful that my exercise programme will equally have some positive impact, I have just finished the structured rehab and I was fine with that - so all looking good so far. Your comments especially about circumflex are interesting, something that was not really mentioned to me ( to be fair it might of been - but there was a lot to take in and I was perhaps not in the most receptive state a few days after!). I do feel that I get some resting angina- but I was told angina is a good few minutes in duration( I never got any pre- HA); my aches seem to be instantaneous or over in a couple of seconds - it might be something worth following up after monitoring for a bit longer ( I'm hoping it is still settling as only 3 months ago). Thank you so much again, I wish you and yours all the best for the future and for the festive season. Love David
Hi David, I realise I’ve answered some of your queries, and particularly your points on monitoring, above, in my reply to Andie. Sorry.
Your message was v positive, too. You’ve made a great start, with the rehab, and follow up exercise should push you just that bit more.
Monitoring is such a good idea, and should clarify the exact symptoms you’re getting, and will inform your questions to Drs about whether it’s all part of the recovery process or ongoing angina.
Stop smoking. I was born with heart disease. I have 16 stents. I’m onli just changing my habits tho. Luckily I’ve never smoked tho. I’m onli just looking to get into a sport at 31 so u are doing better than me on that so don’t fink I’m a health freak I’m just changing to lee my heart healthy as well. I’ve onli just started eating healthy food and snacks. I’ve used to hate checking food labels in the supermarket and since I’ve checked food labels I be started refusing to buy stuff I used to enjoy. It’s definitely a choice to eat heart healthy as unhealthy stuff tastes nicer.
I can’t believe I read that. Ur body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Sorry but my body doesn’t belong to me but God. So I’m going to be hard on healthy eating. Wen my bro found out I’d had so my stents he was hard on me but I’m he’s also a Christian. To all those who stress I pray and read the bible and attend church on a weekly basis and my faith helps me through life’s decisions difficulty’s esp heart issues. My faith is helping me live in a heart healthy way!!!
Hi Gal... I was struggling at night with anxiety post heart attack and then I started to pray to our Lord and felt His healing hand on me and it went away. I did this every time and haven’t suffered with it for quite some time now. I’ve also returned to going to church after many years and I’m absolutely certain that asking God to intervene has helped me get through things. Doctors and meds are great but faith in God brings a crucial ingredient to our soul. May Jesus continue to watch over you my sister and I hope anyone reading this will call on Him when in their time of need,
Hi Gal, thank you for your reply. Yes... don't worry , smoking was stopped well and truly twelve years ago. It's never too late to get into sport - it does not have to be competitive; I have recently found group classes to be really good fun and could be a good place to start. I also have become obsessed with checking saturated fat content and it is surprising how high some are!. Love and best wishes , David
I check fat and salt content and the sat fat shocks me but not as much as the salt content. I won’t buy anything over 1g of salt per 100gs. My diet has changed significantly due to the fact most things are high in salt.
I had a triple bypass so I have not been stented. However, a neighbour had hers fitted 12 years ago and. She's still going and she's 89. The best thing is just do your best with what you've got. It is very tough at first whatever treatment you have, but you will get there. Hope this helps. It still gets me some days, but they are much less fraught. But at last I'm getting counselling.
Thanks so much again for your reply- it is good to hear evidence of them lasting. And rest assured I will be doing everything in my power to make the little blighters work!. Similarly bypass seems to have good long term results - two famous ones you may or may not know ( I use to play football so I apologise for sporting examples if not that wAy inclined!) but Graeme Souness (triple) , and David Ginola (quadruple).
Thanks Springray, I find Esseltyn to be quite hardcore - no saturated fat at all, but I think the Ornish diet is doable for me. I will also still have the odd bit of fish. Me and the mrs are actually enjoying cooking the new recipes, so it does not feel like a chore at the moment. Thanks again for your post, love and best wishes, David
You must of been about 7 when I had a Heart Attack in 1982 no stents back then only an Angiogram which showed what had caused the MI, a blocked Right Coronary Artery. I went 33 Years with not a further Heart Problem with NO medication and no real check ups !!!
In 2015 I started to feel Short of Breath a great GP, a relatively young lady said lets have an ECG to see what's going on, When she saw the ECG she just said I will forward this to Cardiology I have a small concern. So a further Angiogram, which led to a double by pass ( RCA still blocked ) not suitable for by pass. Now another 33 years and a further 2 years on technology moves on and it may be possible to open my RCA, only now it looks like my LAD which has been by passed may require a stent !!!
Just wanted to say I am proof there is a full life to be led after an MI. I have worked since 1982 all around the world in some very remote locations without fear of having another MI. I have had a couple of things go wrong like a brain bleed ( Leaking AVM ) and a tumour on my Parotid Gland (Benign) but otherwise everything has gone great.
Target now is get this stent out of the way and the possible opening of my RCA and then to live for another 10 years to see my Grand Daughter possibly to Marry and gain a Degree, Oh and our Golden Wedding in 2018.
I never think I am going to die even now with Heart Failure. You have to be positive don't get me wrong we all die sometime but if I can help it, it won't be for a while yet.
We all go through dark ish periods one of mine was I wouldn't buy new clothes because I thought I may die soon !!! tight or what ?? After the by pass op and Rehab I went out and bought an XF what the hell was we saving for at 69 Now at 70 we have bought a bungalow down South so look forward to a long and happy life it is more probable than the alternative.
Wow, what an inspirational story! I loved your post so much I re read it 3 times. Sounds like you will live forever lol. Did you change much in your lifestyle after your heart attack?
Brilliant post Frank. When you open up you post with the line .... "you must of been 7", that really made me smile.
Wow, I never even thought that would be possible! ...A fully blocked RCA and still going for that long with no problems; just shows how little I know about the subject and I suspect ,again, that having a positive outlook can make a huge difference.
I wish you all the best with your future op... I have a sneaky feeling that you may be enjoying many happy years in your new bungalow, maybe even Great Grandparent status?. Thanks so much for posting, this was exactly the kind of thing I needed to hear. Best wishes to you and yours, David
Ha , not at all Prada47 . Be careful on those roads in your XF though , bit icy out there!.I'm not jealous at all ... ha. Best wishes and thanks again. David
Hi David, im 49 and almost 12 months on from my HA, 1 stent fitted, mild to moderate damage. I have two boys, one 14, the other 5 and 6 yr old girl ... I very much want to see them grow up too mate and know exactly how you feel. I wanted to be the dad kicking the ball around in the park with them but at the moment I’m not able (I still have to do the rehab and build up my stamina) which I aim to do this summer. Post HA I suffered with anxiety and it felt like the heart attack had wrecked my confidence and took away my hopes (which maybe it did for a few months) but it did another thing too... it woke me up spiritually.
Good to read so many replies and they are all excellent points/recommendations. I would only add (and this is because no one has actually replied on the “mortality” issue), that we are fragile creatures. God made our bodies to last decades but He made our soul to last an eternity. As much as we live in the here and now, surrounded by our loved ones, our real focus should be on the next life - where there is no pain or suffering. So I would recommend you have a chat with the man upstairs and get yourself right with Him, for it is He who has granted you and I an extension in this life.
As a Christian I’ve always known Him but I’m unsure what He wants of me now. Why did I have the heart attack? Why did He save me? I started to pray and started going to church again after a 20 year absense and I have found it extremely beneficial to my recovery and my spirit. I am right with God again - not perfect - but happy in the knowledge that when my time is up it will be because God wants me with Him. Yes it will be sad for my wife and children but I will see them again in the afterlife... and what a wonderful, reassuring thing that is.
And listen, I know “religion” is not for everybody and totally respect those who have different beliefs etc, but a near death experience is what it says on the tin, and none of us are prepared for it. You were very close to actually meeting your Maker my friend and been given a second chance. Use it wisely, yes spend every precious moment with your daughter and live every day like it’s your last, but He is waiting for you mate... maybe it’s time for you two to talk?
I hope everything is going well for you and best of luck in your recovery.
Hi David , thanks a lot for your reply. It sounds like we are definitely going through the same range of emotions. I am fortunate to have mild damage I think but my LVEF is only 50%, just below normal - unfortunately I did not go to A&E until a couple of days after my MI- so that probably did not help. However the damage is mixed with the atheroma affecting all three arteries and stents in all three( now mild to moderate atheroma)- so I like you am battling with confidence and anxiety; it is, I think getting better as time does heal - but there is no doubt that it will always be there in my mind in some form. However, I also like you do feel spiritually awake from all of this - my partner is more religious than I , but I would be lying if I have not said a few prayers over the last seven months and have not felt some comfort in doing so. I feel like I am here for a purpose and just hope I get to see my daughter grow to be the beautiful person I am sure she will be; I suppose my greatest fear is not death but the impact on her if it was to happen in front of her. However, I cannot spend my life worrying about the ‘what if’s’ or what is the point?, that would also probably affect my daughter and partner more. I wrestle with these thoughts- but I do feel that I will reach peace shortly and your suggestion may help with this aim.
Thanks again and I also wish you the best with your recovery too.
How are things going. I have had stents fitted recently and completely understand where you are coming from. Have you gleaned any further statistics regarding stent life. I have worried myself sick reading all the reports about the fact that i have multi-vessel problems and the fact that my outlook is worse than some. I am looking for any hope that even with the clogged arteries i have, i will still have a reasonably long life. Just want people to say they are still going strong after many years with multiple stents
Hi barnie... all going well thanks. I am settling into the new ‘normal’ if you know what I mean. Yes, there can be such a thing as too much information- you will always find a negative report or news item which unfortunately it is easy to focus on ; what we do know is there are thousands out there in the same boat and living well- we know some things we can do to help control it, diet and exercise and I would say stress control is equally as important. But specific stats are hard to come by; I think they are probably difficult for trusts to compile and we are also in the early stages of use of these second generation stents too. I am lucky in that i recently paid for a private exercise stress test and echo; it showed that my LVEF , which was slightly below normal is now back to normal and there is now no fibrillation of the heart muscle which was there earlier after my MI. Fit enough to fly a plane apparently!?!. Cardiologist says I am low risk - but of course there is still a risk (you see I get a positive and then focus on the negative -ha!). I just hope I can keep the vessels as mild atheroma and also keep the collateral growing (apparently they helped to save me first time around). I am nearly a year past and time has been a great healer for me, but it will always be there now (the new ‘normal’ as I say). You sound like you are the same , in just wanting to wrestle back some control - that’s the scariest bit- we are relying on these little ‘straws’ and lots of meds but I am starting to trust them. The first few months were a nightmare for constantly scanning my body for any unusual feeling. How long has it been for you? Hope you are starting to feel a bit settled?
Less than a week for me David, I'm also getting hung up too on cardiac arrest as a future worry as a consequence of coronary disease. Maybe I'm reading too many reports on the internet. The thing is I want to know the facts so that at least i know what i have to work with . Its difficult as you know but this forum seems a good way of keeping in touch. I was so glad you replied. Many Thanks Mark
Yeah, that’s very early on , I was up a height then too. I have changed my diet to pescatarian- but mainly veggie. I read Dean Ornish, Esseltyn and Furhmann and they were some help. I had a range of reports on how long the stents last; the first dr i saw (miserable in personality!) on the ward said 10-15years a but could be as little as 5 and then I saw the senior cardiologist and he said he disagreed completely and that they could last a lifetime (I trusted him more- not just because was positive) and they can be reopened. The nurses always said it was the smokers they saw returning 9 times out of ten. Feel free to message me mate. Best wishes , David.
Hi Mark and David. Just to add that research is ongoing and new treatments and procedures are being developed every day. I am a year on from heart attack and stenting. I too went through and still do some of the concerns that you have. But I also see some of the research that is being undertaken which is phenomenal. I follow Esselstyn diet which is strict vegan and exercise so I am doing as much as I can to help myself. Prior to my heart attack I suspect I had a risk factor of 80%. I was very overweight and in an extremely stressful job. And although having had one I am at risk of having another but my risk is dramatically reduced because of my weight loss eating habits and exercise regime. And at least i know the exact state of my heart whereas many out there are totally unaware of their heart health. So take heart (sorry!) stay strong and keep being positive. My mantra is. I can’t change my past but I can control my future. All the best. Zena
Hi Zena , glad to hear you are doing well. From your many excellent posts I gleamed we were probably in the same hospital at about the same time!. I and testing to think we may have briefly been in rehab together?!?. Yes- reports of treatments and procedures are very encouraging too- we are certainly lucky to live in this era of medicine.
Freeman Hospital And Consett rehab! The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network gives excellent updates on current research. I’m getting there. Not always been plain sailing but this forum helps if I focus on others rather than inward looking to me! Take care and speak soon. Zx
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