Hello ladies, 8 weeks post procedure after emergency admittance with unstable angina andhad 2 stents put in.
I am going to doctors next week to review medications, I am not sleeping great awake for a great part of the night, whilst I don’t feel anything like the exhaustion or shortness of breath I had before I still get tired and am limited in the amount I can do. Anyone out there who is say 6 months or a year post procedure does it get better and do you start to feel normal again and able to do more everyday things and get about more, I suppose we are all individuals and maybe I am expecting too much. Have also had some “outsiders” say “ “it’s only angina I know someone who was doing 5 mile walks after 6 weeks” feel like saying “what would you know”
So basically I hope eventually to get my life back (as it was a couple of years ago) and get on with life, the doctor did promise me “I will get you back to a normal life and you can live your life again”
Am I being too sensitive.
Lynne x
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Lynne1a
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Lynne, don’t listen to people that have not been through what you have. Just having stents put in puts a strain on your heart. It takes time to recover, I don’t know if you qualify for cardiac rehab but it is a very good way to aid your recovery, ask your cardiac nurse. My hubby had his HA Oct 2016 and had 5 stents put in. It took him a long time to recover, physically and mentally. This site has a lot of knowledgeable people to answer your questions. Spring is coming so look forward to brighter days to help your recovery.
I, like alot of people in this forum have been through it. Yet evan I can't give you guidence on how long your recovery will take 👎
So don't listen to negative people, they are not part of your recovery. You only need and want positive people in your life from now on. Life is for living & it's way too short for negative 👍
You may not have had open heart surgery, but you did have heart surgery when you think about it. Also, if the sergions hadn't of inserted those stents. The likelihood is that you would have gone on to having a heart attack in the very near future.
If you rush things, as they have probs told you at rehab. Then you will just mess up the work the surgions have done.
Now then, your body getting used to the meds you are now probably on. Could be having an effect untill your body fully excepts them.
Also, it is still early days after the surgions have been messing around with the arteries around the most important muscle in your body.
Muscles anywhere in your body need time to heal after an event. So of course you need to realise your heart muscle needs time to rest in order to heal.
How slow or fast that happens is different for all of us. There really is no set time.
This person who walked five miles a day, well bully for them. Sorry, that sounds mean, I really am glad they are doing well.
But they are not you, that is the point of it, we are all indervigual.
I had to walk more miles than that a day a couple of weeks after my heart attack and stent.
It wasn't because I was some kind of supper woman. It wasn't clever ether.
It was because my landlady told me on the phone while I was in hospital in the middle of my heart attack. That she was selling up and she had the date my fella and I had to move out.
I had to pack everything while he was at work. Evan though I was told I wasn't meant to lift anything heavier that a mug if tea.
I also had to search online for properties for rent. Mentally draining.
Most landlords wanted daytime viewing. Therefore I had to do the viewing for most of them as my fella was at work. We need the money niw more than ever due to the move.
I easily covered between 5/14 miles a day doing that.
Then to top it all my work was breathing down my neck for progress reports. They didn't come and see me, I always had to go to them.
But of course they were concerned with my health/wellbeing? (Yeah right)
I had also asked to be fast tracked onto the rehab as I felt I needed to recover faster than norm, because of my non understanding company.
So that was another 12miles in total each trip to the hospital once a week for rehab.
I had the heart attack 22/09/14
After walking miles and miles each day viewing properties.
I finally found our property on the 06/11/14
We moved in 14/11/14
So that will give you an idea of the physical and mental exercise I did so soon after my stent.
So do you think I was the fabulous supper woman?
Or do you think, not by choice I might add.
That I was just plain stupid?
I would say the latter.
I should never have been doing all that. I gave in to the presures put apon me by others who thought they knew best. They thought they knew it all of what I should be capable of, but they knew nothing.
I could have made myself seriously ill and I did to a point. I could have had another heart attack from the strain and stress of it all. After another admission and talking to a senior nurse. It is debatable that I did indeed have another event. The consultant didn't comment on the nurses beliefs.
Never let people presure you into getting back to it. You listen to your own body, not their minds.
My advice, follow what the rehab guys advice you.
1 . Short, little and often walks. Resting and elivating legs often.
2 . Get up and jump around when the tv adverts are on.
3 . Do light housework.
4 . Find out what stage of the BHF dvd you can follow
5 . Take up a new hobby.
6 . If you can walk a little further each walk without feeling you are over doing it, then that is great. You should be able to talk clearly when walking. So if you can't and you feel too breathless. Then just slow it down a little. Maybe sing while walking to test your breathing. Then you wont be worried people think you are talking to yourself lol!
7 . Drink lots of water, keep hydrated.
8 . Never spend to long sitting around. When you do get up, do it slowly. Try to stretch out your body keeping muscles warm and loose. Then you have no chance of ceasing up.
9 . Try some relaxation techniques. If you are having trouble sleeping, Check your diet. Check if you have done something, you are listening or watching something, or are thinking of things that keep the mind stimulated. Then use the music and the techniques you have learnt to clear and relax your mind.
10 . Keep a diary of:
Diet
Physical exercise
Mental exercise
Sleep patterns
Aches pains
Events of concern
Dates, times and period of event.
This way any future paramedic, your Gp and consultant will always have a history for their investigations.
Always keep copies or documentations of what you hand over to members of the medical field. Just so you have medical records for your own viewing too.
So I hope there is some advice from my exspireance in there to help you realise, you are doing well.
Just listen to your body and mind along with the medical profession.
Don't forget if you are not happy and a bit concerned with what a medical professional tells you. Then talk to them and share your concerns.
If you are still not happy, then ask for a second opinion.
Take one step at a time, then like your doctor has said, you'll soon be back to you again with a strong (((💖)))
Best of luck in your recovery and very best wishes to you. Jo 😊
I just wanted to say that I have recently read a number of your replies to people's questions and I think that both the advice and comments that you make are excellent and well written. Thank you.
That’s just it! Most people don’t understand what we are going through. Recovery is different for everyone. It’s a total shock on our bodies and we just want our lives back. You aren’t being to sensitive!!
Am i fed up of people saying either ,, joe bloggs had HA and was back at work in a week or jjoe bloggs had HA and died so young ,,, ,, i,m 5 month on from mine ,,thankful to still be here ,,, back at work on reduced hours but everything takes such an effort ,, carrying shopping bags /getting op the steps /even hoovering ,,, have good days and bad days ,, meds have obviously kept me alive but also the cause for other complaints ,, we are all differant but its a painfully slow process but as everyone says ,, at least i,m here to be on that slow painful struggle ,,,, sometimes tho u just dont want to hear that lol
I haven’t actually written anything lately but have been reading the posts. Denno I liked your comments about people, I had something really unkind said to me recently. An elderly friend said to me “I can’t understand why you haven’t fully recovered and why you are on so many Medications, I mean Theresa (a mutual friend) only takes a little pill when she gets the odd pain” so I said “Well Eileen, Theresa is very lucky - she wasn’t rushed into hospital and told she had unstable angina and if she had left it another week would have had a heart attack, she didn’t have the two unpleasant procedures I had nor did she have two stents, or was extremely unwell as I had been and I wouldn't be taking 8 pills a day if I didn’t need to.” It really upset me do people think we are at it. Unfortunately I have a really bad chest sinus and ear infection just now and it has affected my asthma rather badly so am on steroids and antibiotics so not feeling great. As for my general health I am “ok” but still get very tired in the afternoons and still realise I am physically restricted in the things I want to do. I go to cardiac exercise classes 3 times a week (I am the youngest there and the fastest/fittest) I obviously go when I feel ok can’t go till I am clear of this infection, couldn’t get out of the door never mind to class. I have my big check up 3rd December a year after my procedure so have lots of questions for them, my doctor told me I was over ambitious/optimistic about the length of time to recover so I have to be patient, I want to be the girl I used to be (well I still think I am a girl). Will close for now, my love and kisses and hugs. To my fellow companions on this journey xxx lynne xx
Hi lynne. I am just like you, very impatient. I had mild HA in July and am still not back to normal. I have days where I am so scared that I will have another. I’m finding it hard to change my lifestyle and I need to lose some weight but am struggling to get in the mindset xx
Strange how people who know nothing feel free to tell you nonsense. I’m 3 months post procedure and yesterday went to my first gentle controlled gym set. It takes a lot of time to fully recover- but you will😎
I had a stent fitted almost a year ago..... I am now 65, I felt so good after the soreness had gone and could at last walk uphill without pain. I love walking and my normal life, of sorts, resumed then came the lockdown. I do get shortness of breath but blame that on the drugs I’m taking, especially blood thinners which will be stopping soon and the statins but I am pain free. I exercise without any kind of discomfort or fear.
I know this is an old post, but it was so reassuring. Just had my 5th stent, I was wondering why I haven't bounced back. For one thing I'm older. I got so emotional with this one, it was LAD blockage, just seems, no matter how I try, I can't stop getting blockages. I'd forgotten about time in rehab, no rehab now, not only because of the unmentionable, but I've done it so many times. I take all the usual medication, keep cholesterol down to 3. I hope this doesn't worry anyone, so many have an episode, get fixed, able to return to normal. Just have to adjust my goal posts for new normal. Moni
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