Hi I had a severe heart attack on 5th April I was rushed to Blackpool Victoria hospital were I was rushed straight through and had emergency treatment angioplasty and two stents fitted now making three spent five days their and now waiting to go to cardiac rehab but I can’t get used to not being able to do normal things like I used to as I am 61 but was always a fit 61 and non smoker I have terrible feeling s of not waking up wen I go to sleep I m off work atm also and unsure if I can go bk to my job due to having the heart attack I feel down and can’t seem to talk to my partner or family as I know how worried they already are about me so I keep it bottled up I am trying to excersise daily by going out walking which I m ok with the meds I m on make me a little dizzy sometimes talking to strangers is easier if u get me !! It’s been nine wks now since it happened and I just can’t really explain how I feel thanks for reading this !!!
Heart attack : Hi I had a severe heart... - British Heart Fou...
Heart attack
What you describe is quite normal for a lot of folks. It can take a lot of getting used to.
Is there a particular reason why you can't do "normal things like you used to"? As for work it is possibly still early days and a lot would depend on what you do for a living - some allowances may need to be made. Have you been back for a follow up appointment yet?
You will need someone to talk to and a good starting point may be to contact the BHF Heart Helpline - they only work Mon-Fri 9am-5pm 0300 330 3311 - they may be able to help but at some stage you will need to speak to your family.
Hi thanks for replying I don’t think theirs a particular reason I think I m a bit scared tbh of doing things like playin with my g children etc in case anything happens this was all such a big shock to me n my family as it came on so sudden I was fine wen I got up that day said bye to my partner has b fast went to work for my new rota for the following wk n wham !! I was taken by ambulance to Lancaster were I was told I d to go straight to b pool Victoria who I must add were amazing and I was on my own which was horrific their just was nt time to ring anyone I understand their r lots of people in this position also but just now I feel it’s just me if u understand !! I do feel it’s nice to talk here about it I will talk to my family cause I know all they want is for me to get better and have all been very supportive I am waiting on an appt for cardiac rehab they have rang me a couple of times but their is unfortunately a waiting list in the area and I have not had a follow up appt yet at hosp appt I m on the list and looking at August for this but I am back out walking most days to try n build up my heart muscles for bout hour each day and as we live by the sea we r very lucky to have some nice walks and the dog enjoys it 😊as for work I m not sure if or wen I ll go bk my partner wants me to stop work ( I am 61 now ) but I m unsure how I feel about that so we ll see how that goes but thank u for listening
You have to get your cardiac fitness up. The rehab is so important, in time you need to strengthen your heart muscles, eat healthy, understand your cholesterol and triglycerides readings, the feelings you have are all normal, it takes willpower and an understanding of your hearts problem, information is king. But slowly, slowly for now be guided by rehab and your cardiac nurse at bhf. Good luck.
Hello Chrissydoll
What you're going through is quite normal for a lot of us. I had a heart attack on 28th December 2018, blue light to Broad Green in Liverpool where I went into cardiac arrest for 3 minutes, had keyhole surgery to fit one stent and discharged 6 days later. The damage to my heart has left me with a low EF and am classed as heart failure classification class 1. Going back to Broad Green in August to have an ICB fitted to hopefully prevent any further cardiac arrest in the future .
The 3 minutes of CPR left me in agony for weeks, and being told I had heart failure was devastating, i really didn't know what I was going to do.
I got to cardio rehab 8 weeks after leaving hospital as I had to wait for my ribs to heal from the CPR. I was keen to go but worried about how much I'd be able to do - they started me off nice and slowly and over 12 weeks built me up to more and more demanding routines which rebuilt my confidence so much. They also held a number of educational classes on heart attacks etc which were very informative and helpful. You'll really enjoy it so much. I now feel so well and feel that I'm not so much back to normal but actually feel better than I have in a long time.
I too was afraid to go to sleep at night thinking I might not wake up in the morning, it takes a while but those feeling do go away.
The way you feel is quite normal, having an unexpected heart attack was the most frightening thing I've ever experienced, it's a very traumatic event, but you will get through it.
Finally, please talk to your family and friends. I imagine they can see how traumatised you are over your heart attack so may be inclined not to start a conversation in case you get upset. So you need to tell them how you feel, how fearful you are about what happened that day and how you're frightened about the future, you will probably all end up sitting there crying buckets, it doesn't matter, you need to open up about how you feel, trust me they will welcome you starting to talk about it.
Thank u for ure reply I think it was all such a shock the way it happened as I was perfectly fine wen I got up that day had b fast etc chatted as normal to my partner been to work to collect my new rota for the following wk (I look after the elderly in their own homes ) plus I was on my own wen it happened and it all happened so fast n i was taken to Lancaster were I was told I needed to go straight to b pool on blue lites it was so scary !! I know I need to talk to my family and I will but I just know I ll get so upset as we re all very close and I have this awful fear of leaving them behind we had a lot of heart problems in out family on mum s side which I presume this all came from as I m a non smoker don’t really drink much and keep quite fit walking etc !! I am bk walking about hour a day which I enjoy so hopefully in time these feeling will go or at least get better I do feel quite well actually n certainly better than before it all happened I am waiting to go to cardiac rehab who r in touch with me but their is unfortunately a waiting list in the area I have been off work now 9 wks and not really sure I can go bk to the same job now as it s quote strenuous but I will have to decide about that soon I guess thank u for taking the time to reply
Hi. Like you, I had a massive heart attack. Mine was Easter day. I had 3 stents and need 4 more. I'm waiting for an echo cardiogram on 17th and am expecting to find there's some damage. The cardiac rehab team have advised not to worry re that as damage isn't permanent until it shows at 12 weeks.
Don't worry regarding work. That's not important. It's quite normal to be in shock too. I'm only properly now coming out of it.
Re cardiac rehab, if you're walking each day that's great. I'd suggest getting some 3 or 4kg weights too. You can work your arms etc then. Check with the nurses first of course.
Recovery takes time and it's as much about getting used to the new you as it is physically recovering as best you can.
Keep smiling. Your alive. Enjoy the time that's left 😊😊
Thank u for ure kind words yes it certainly has come as a shock and just getting used to different things and adjusting a little bit but I am feeling better in myself and enjoying my walks with the dog 🐕 and am lucky enough to live by the sea so some lovley walks hope u too r gettin their 😀
Hi Chrissydoll. What you’re feeling is perfectly normal and most of us in this forum have been through something similar. The only thing I can add to the great comments already made is that you might like to consider talking to your cardio rehab team about counselling. There will be someone there who can point you in the right direction and you might find it helpful. It’s still early days yet. Good luck.
Yes I spoke to them on the phone few days ago and they were very nice I am waiting for an appt as their is unfortunately a waiting list in the area also waitin on a follow up appt in Lancaster with cardiology but thank u for u re kind words 😆
Hi Chrissydoll. Its amazing how fast it all seems to happen. Heart attack, stent, home within days and you’ve had a lifetime without this. It’s taking me a while to come to terms with this myself. The cardiac team told me to walk for 10 minutes every day before I started the rehab. This helped and rehab helped even more. I have good days and bad and I wake up sometimes at night worried. I think this is all normal after a heart attack so try not to worry. This site is great and you will feel more confident as time goes on. Try not to do too much too soon as this can make you over tired. One step at a time. You’ll get there.
Yes sounds but like me I wake up thinking thank good for another day I worry too much tbh I have a super family of six sons and a daughter who have been super supportive but they all have their own things to be doing so don’t like to ask too much of them though I know they would nt mind my partner has been amazing n I know how worried n upset he was too !!! I feel like I m checkin everything I eat if it s ok to have after a heart attack I don’t hardly drink but that does nt bother me and it s taking the meds five in morning n two at nite which I ve never been used too but I m sure in time I ll get their it helps seeing everyone’s stories as well how they r all doing I hope u recover well
this is a commen feeling lovely I was the same over time i told myself i have to be positive and as iv said before my heart consultant told me you are lucky you got through it many people are waiting to have theres .....you wake up each morning my love so try to look on the positive I do truly understand your fear ....but i also believe stress can put pressure on the mind and body i used to think am i going to get my 1st year under my belt i did i work hard not to worry but it's not always easy today shopping i got a sharp pain i said going lass keep beating and carried on try not to worry my lovely ....all the best
Thank u for ure lovley words and I hope u get better soon too x
Hi there,i was like you and was all over the place till went to cardiac rehab at stanley park, they will sort you out,my recovery started after first visit as they answer all your questions and you meet people in same position as yourself.
Thank u I m sure in time I will feel much better and accept the fact some things have changed for me but I will beat this feeling 😆
Hello and welcome, whats has been said above is fantastic, whatever exercise you choose to do, listen to your body and make adjustment accordingly, there is no set template unfortunately as everyone is different.
See below link which explains what can be achieved post stents/HA, does not mean you need to do the same.
Wish you all the best with your recovery.
healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...
Thank u for ure words of support they do actuallyean a lot 😆
To feel the way you do is, apparently, normal. I was the same, a sudden heart attack with 4 stents inserted. I was afraid to close my eyes, move ,walk, bend or stretch. When my family, which is very large, visited me I put on my normal self, wise cracks, sarcastic humour, laughing and joking. To them all appeared good and normal. A picture I wanted them to see. When they left and I was on my own, tears fell as gloom and doom made its way into my mind and took over. I imagined my own funeral and how it would and how they would be. I felt their sadness and I felt their loss.
After a four week and starting cardio rehab, I explained this to the ward manager, who took the group. She allayed my fears up to a point. But as I worked with them and became a part of the group I could see I wasn’t alone with these thoughts or feelings. I was encouraged by the other group members who had been down the same path before me. One thing I will say it is essential that you talk with your partner. I didn’t want to tell my wife of my secret thoughts as I felt she had hers too. But together we cried and talked and slowly came to realize that is was now that was important. I have now finished the proscribed weeks at the cardio rehab group and moved onto phase4. There too I have met people who have experienced the same thoughts. I met a couple who went through this , one 8 years ago another 12. How encouraging was that.
Please don't live your live in fear, oh yes the “thoughts” come back occasionally but brush them aside and look forward with confidence. Not easy at first but time helps. I wish you well for the future and remember all of us on here have been or are in the same boat some hold the rudder some hold the oars yet others bail out the water, but together we stay afloat.
Wot lovley words thank u everything u ve said is wot I think I have six sons a daughter 22 grandchildren and it s them I constantly think about n who ll be their for them wen I m gone especially my daughter as we re so so close although she has a husband n I know she ll be ok as he s a fab guy it does nt hurt any less I cry on my own try not to let any them see how worried I am I like u say act a normal life but things have changed for
me in some ways but I hope once I get to cardio rehab it l help but thank u for u re kind words good luck for ure future
See you are so much like me, and what a coincidence. I have 4 daughters 2 sons and guess what? 22 grandchildren same as you, but I also have 6 great grandchildren. I consider myself a “young” 70 year old and do the things a 50 year old does, just like you probably did and will again . Chrissydoll. You carry so much love for them, (which is a burden of great joy) that you sometimes forget to love yourself. I did and I had to learn how to. You will and soon enough you will have that special smile that is within yourself only then will the outside smile shine with a radiance. My Best wishes to you Chrissydoll and good luck with the Cardio rehab, you’ll love it.
Wow !! Well I ve no great g children yet lol 😆 but I m suee they ll come ye I m sure I ll get their it s early days I suppose is nt it it s just weird all the things u think about wen something like this happens is nt it and my family mean the absolute world to me as I m sure ure s does too but thank u for ure kind words hope u get better soon too xx
Hi Chrissydoll, just thought I would check in with you to see how you are doing. Hope you are feeling so much better in yourself and to see how how the cardio rehab group went.
For me I still go to the phase4 but now progressed to the normal gym. I cannot believe I go to a gym and I also swim. (Not very well though) Lost 2 and half stone and 5 inches off my tum. Feeling good and looking forward to going to see family in Australia later this year.
Remember earlier we talked of being positive......it works and I sincerely hope it is working for you and you too are feeling the benefits...........
Hi wow u have done amazing have nt u 😆well done I am good thank u feeling more positive and not getting so anxious now been to cardio assessment went well and start rehab on 1/10 so looking forward to that the nurse was very nice and said like most people everything I was worried about is all very normal after a ha had a good chat with her so ye feeling better walking most days for hour to hr n half lost half stone watching my diet mission my wine lol 😆 though
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