Subtle Changes - Has anyone else noticed anything?

Hi. I had a heart attack 2 weeks ago (Easter Sunday). I had 3 stents put in and am due 4 more in 3 months time. It was quite a severe heart attack as you can imagine.

That all said, Stoke CCU did a fantastic job. I’m out of hospital and on the road to recovery. I’ve noticed a couple of subtle changes in myself (in addition to the obvious ones that all heart attack victims probably have). I’ve always sung quite a lot and I’ve noticed my singing is ever so slightly higher pitch. I’ve also noticed that I am having problems remembering lyrics that until now I’ve always been spot on with and have sung many many times.

Is this normal and has anyone else noticed anything similarly subtly different about themselves after having a heart attack. The ambulance crew ‘lost me’ temporarily on the way in and I’m wondering if that might be connected. I’m open to any comments, viewpoints or observations...

[Calliope153]

It's very early days. After my HA I found my ability to do crosswords was significantly impaired and recall of some very simple things was an effort - often i felt like I was thinking through a haze of exhaustion. As for singing, as I have never been able to sing in tune I didn;t notice anything different there but I certainly was more quietly spoken. It eventually all returned to normal but it took time. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Andyman]

Immediately after my heart attack I went from being hot all the time to being cold all the time. And I mean within minutes. Even in the overly hot hospital wards I was cold. I needed pyjamas and dressing gowns and slippers, thing I had never worn in my whole life. Still the same. Am I more forgetful. Probably, definitely I concentrate less.

[HectorsDad]

Yup, all of this. But what of this is caused by the HA, what is down to the trauma/stress/emotion, and what is due to the meds? It seems that all of this can be attributed to all of these causes.

[jimmyq]

I had a mini-stroke 15 months ago. On holiday last week I discovered that my map reading skills and my sense of direction have gone to pot.

If you have stents you have at least 1 blocked or blocking artery. I have had 5. I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It will show you that you can clear out your arteries. It is on a website of the same name, Netflix, YouTube. It is about medical dietary research, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did.

The ideal BP is 120/80. Mine has been as high as 240/140 but went down to 190/100 with treatment in 2016. I still had a mini-stroke in 2017 though. I started a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle in March 2018. My BP is now 120/80.

The ideal cholesterol is below 5. Mine was 6.5 for years, nothing budged it until this diet. It is now 3.7.

My weight was 14.5st and is now 12.5st, the same as when I was in my twenties.

I believe that this means that my arteries must be clearing out.

[Happyholidays19]

It’s still very early days. I had a heart attack and 2 stents fitted 3 weeks ago. I spoke to a cardiac nurse yesterday, as part of a rehab assessment, as I was concerned that I was struggling to recall words and didn’t feel that I was thinking as quickly or as clearly as before.

She said that I needed to accept that my body had experienced a great shock and that it was natural to feel tired for some time afterwards which would impact my ability to do what I could do before. She also reminded me that I had started taking a large number of meds that would also take time for my body to adjust to.

Give it time and be kind to yourself.