It’s a long process

[Ian_farnish]

Hi all, am Ian a 49 year old former heavy drinker, smoker and junk food specialist.

In March of this year I admitted myself to A&E with pains in my arm, cheeks and the feeling of trapped wind in my back and from shoulder.

What I didn’t know at the time is that I was having a full blown heart attack!

I was quickly seen by the triage team and then told I was going into VF. Then last I remember was passing out.

What happened was that I had gone into cardiac arrest. I was blue lighted to the great people at Glenfield Hospital. I woke up two days later in intensive care and being told I am a very lucky man as I had a LUCAS machine to help keep my chest compressions going and also I had down time of 70 mins. Yes you read that right! My parents were told to expect the worse. Also they were told if I did survive I would be servely brain damaged. And all I had done was one stent fitted

Well here I am working back to full fitness, getting my head around everything, feeling awful most days from different side effects from the tablets I have to take and lots lots more.

I know it’s going to be a long journey to get back to how I was. And it’s great to read other people’s stoies as they can help with the process we all go through. I can really say am very lucky to be here and be that little miracle of life. But if my story helps one other person I will be happy. So take strength and don’t think the worst is going to happen. It already has happened and now you are on the road to getting better.

Ian

[jimmyq]

Welcome aboard Ian! Glad to see your positive attitude. I hope you get better soon.

[Ian_farnish in reply to jimmyq]

Thank you Jimmy. Well I have had lots of help CBT and cardiac recovery really helped. Getting out and meeting others in the same situation is really helpful. I still have bad panic attacks and anxiety. And I willl for a while, but that’s part of the process I guess.

[jimmyq in reply to Ian_farnish]

I would like to join a group but there are none round here. They shut down due to lack of interest.

[Ian_farnish in reply to jimmyq]

Where abouts are you based? Maybe you could start your own group and use the forum here to gain members

[jimmyq in reply to Ian_farnish]

Good idea. Blackburn, Lancashire. I will ask BHF about setting one up.

[ntiday]

Welcome to be group Ian , I note the remark regarding the Glenfield so assume you are a fellow Fox . There seems to be a few of us on here . Great attitude and good luck with your continued recovery.

N

[Ian_farnish in reply to ntiday]

Thank you ntiday and yes I am a fellow fox. I have just read your post as well and that’s brilliant how you Are coming along too. All the best and maybe we will bump into one another one day 😃

[ntiday in reply to Ian_farnish]

Thanks Ian yes my recovery is still on going the Anxiety and Panic Attack’s are still very real and the aches and pains and twinges are still there but the confidence is coming back .

I am an SK4 ST so yes maybe one day will bump into each other

[PeterJemmett in reply to ntiday]

Glad to see you're doing well Nick, if you remember you responded to my blog a short while back when we discussed the virtues of a certain Roy Essandoh and what he can do for your heart rate! ... (peterjemmett.blogspot.com/)

[ntiday in reply to PeterJemmett]

Thanks Peter your blog posts are a great help to me I often go back and re read them when I am having a wobble day!

I have come to realise there must be a connection between being a Leicester City fan and heart trouble it is explains a lot . I always knew following the Foxes was bad for your health

[PeterJemmett in reply to ntiday]

I think that's just being a 'football' fan .... try being a Chairboy for a season! (mind you we are on a great little run at the moment)

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Yours story is really positive. I think the bigger message that can come out of it is the importance of a relatively healthy lifestyle. In my cardiac journey I met one person who needed stents at 30 having eaten junk food every working day since leaving school. Obviously many others are just unlikely or have inherited heart issues.

[Ian_farnish in reply to MichaelJH]

Hiya Michael, yes you’re right about having a healthier life style. I’ve cut out the junk food, the drink is now a glass of wine at the weekend instead of a bottle a night. And also the smoking is out of the window. I just hope people can see that smoking, drinking, rubbish food and being lazy end you up in a whole lot of trouble. But I a weird way am glad it happened to me so I can tell my tale

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Ian_farnish]

I have a friend who does a bottle a night! He is on his mid-fifties and had been told to stop both habits. So far he had a fatty liver (potential cause of Type II Diabetes) despite being BMI being under 25 and irritable bladder syndrome. Will tell him your story as friends and the medical profession cannot get the message through!

[Nathan53]

Hello Ian your post is both encouraging and inspirational. Thanks for taking the time to tell us your story - You have come through so much and I sense you have a way to go but I am sure you will get there with the support of your loving family. All best Ian

[Ian_farnish]

Thank you Nathan. Really appreciate that. Yes I have a long way to go. But I will get there as will everyone else. If I can do it believe me anyone can

[Hidden]

I am also in your area and know that the hospital you went to is top hole! I am interested in your comment that in a way you are glad "it" happened since it has made you evaluate your life and make the necessary changes. I do think that is the crux of the matter for most people here - for we are clearly not uneducated and no doubt were aware of the risks we were taking with our life styles. However the experts do say that people need an incentive or to put it another way, the will to make changes. A pity therefore that so many have to wait for a near death event to wake up to the facts that life style can kill. I do remember speaking to a friend who was a heavy drinker, said to me that he knew he was killing himself and was seriously thinking of committing a crime to enable a stay in prison, where he believed he could beat the habit of drink - I suggested that the first thing to do was to "want" to give up and when that came, the next step was much easier because you could tell yourself that you wanted to do it - no one else to blame etc. Good luck to you - do you have a family behind you or a good friend since it is sometimes easier to get over some things by talking to others. This is a kind and helpful place where a friend in need is definitely not a pest!

[Ian_farnish in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I always wanted to give up. In fact how ironic it was that the night I had my event I was planning to give up smoking the next day. Obviously I did that lol

[Bazza1234]

They say that nothing concentrates the mind so much as a near death experience!!!!! However I have seen patients connected to air supplies having a fag out the front of the local hospital.

[Rosei in reply to Bazza1234]

Oxygen, highly dangerous to light a cigarette.

[Ian_farnish in reply to Bazza1234]

I agree. It was strange going for my first walk outside and seeing some people still smoking after having similar to myself

[2stents]

Scary time for you Ian, so pleased you are on the mend and been so positive

[Ketantanna]

Hi Ian,

I am from Leicester and was also in Glenfield Hospital at the end of March 2018 following a HA and Cardiac Arrests. Have had 3 stents in the LAD. Since the HA have lost 3 stones in weight, given up alcohol, exercise regularly and eat healthy. I must admit I feel like a new man.

[Ian_farnish in reply to Ketantanna]

Hiya Ketantanna that’s fantastic buddy. Sounds like you’re on the mend too. And well done for weight loss. I was 100kilos now 73

[KEN65]

That will teach you...

[Handel]

Hello Ian. What a lovely and honest post. You're an inspiration!

Keep plodding on and good luck to you. Have a lovely Christmas xxx

[Ian_farnish in reply to Handel]

Thank you Handel and hope you have a lovely Christmas too