still waiting for answers

[lizzie1986]

so I'm now 4 months on and after initially being admitted with a suspected heart attack, to then be told it was myocarditis , to more recently be told they now think I've had a heart attack caused by clot my head is completely screwed. along side this I am 31yrs old with a toddler in tow and my mum has been in and out of hospital with heart and kidney failure which has only added to the stress. I was hoping with myocarditis that things would return to normal and I would skip away but I'm told I have mild left ventricle systolic dysfunction and although I won't get answers anytime soon as I'm awaiting further tests, I can see that this is more of a long term issue. can anyone give me any advice on how this may look long term? will I get my fitness back and feel "normal " again... Will i be on meds forever??? feeling really fed up with it all...

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Myocarditis has probably caused the condition but the good news it that it seems to be mild. It is likely that in the main it can be managed by lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy low fat diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, nit smoking, minimal or no alcohol, and an exercise regime. Issues like blood pressure can worsen the condition so you will probably be put on some form of medication for this - in the same vein you will probably be prescribed a statin. As you have suffered a clot you will probably be given something like aspirin. The whole aim is to stabilise your condition for years to come.

You may ultimately require some form of surgery but by listening to your doctors this could be a log way off. And don't worry as this doesn't help things.

[mandm65]

Hello lizzie1986

I am not an expert in this area so refrain from answering your question but can share from my experience that its possible to return to fitness. We all have different fitness levels so what you can achieve is personal. If you want to know more, take a look at below, hopefully this will put your mind at ease and may answer some of your questions.

healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...

Good luck

[Helen_BHF]

Hi lizzie1986 , hope you're doing ok. Myocarditis can be emotionally challenging but there are many sources of support to help you. You can find out more here: bhf.org.uk/heart-health/con... Hope this helps

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Hi Lizzie. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate just now. Is there anybody who could help out to give you a couple of child-free hours to talk everything through with someone, whether that's a medical chat or or just to offload on someone close to you? I found it so hard to make sense of everything in the early days, but it got miraculously easier once my daughter went to the park without me!

LVSD is part of my diagnosis (of 6+ years) and I'm able to do what I need to as long as I manage things properly - get enough sleep, work shorter shifts etc. I do find things like a mild cold can wipe me out and make everything much harder, but generally I am stable and fairly well. I take a lot of medication and have a device fitted but (now that my doses are sorted) these have a limited impact on my life and I feel very hopeful for the future.

If you are even close to coping with all you have going on at the moment, I'm sure you will do very well when the dust has settled. All the best to you and your mum. X