I went for an initial interview for cardiac rehab. I was very disappointed. The nurse didn’t listen to me. I felt I was being put in a box and labelled with the wrong label as she didn’t have the correct information. She also wanted to change my drugs that my private cardiologist had only just put me on.
I have been finding the last six months very difficult and this was the last straw. I was so upset the interview had to be stopped.
My query is do I go ahead with cardiac rehab? I could find myself a dietitian and a cardiac exercise programme and forget about cardiac rehab as I don’t want to add to my stress.
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Netter
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I'd guess that there is quite a range of how effective the rehab people are from one place to another.
My own feelings are that the cardio rehab that I went to was amazing, from the talks on the various aspects of heart conditions to the actual rehab work in the gym they were superb, they help did so much to get me back on track both mentally and physically, so I would say that if I was you I'd go along and as Gunsmoke123 says try and find a nurse who is motivated.
I'm also a bit surprised that the cardio nurse was trying to change your medicines, my understanding is that they're not qualified to do that, I have Heart Failure so have a HF nurse allocated to me, who is suitably trained, therefore she is qualified to make changes to my meds.
I totally agree with SpiritoftheFloyd but then I went to the same cardiac rehab centre as him though not at the same time. Apparently the rehab course has been arranged in conjunction with the Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital & is the same all over the Merseyside area.
The rehab gave me back my confidence after a triple bypass op at Liverpool complicated by a serious electrolyte imbalance which made me seriously ill.
I am now going to a normal gym to keep up my fitness & mobility.
It’s a shame that rehab varies so much over the UK.
Hello and welcome to the forum! My initial assessment was underwelming as it seemed a little to focused on my weight (just over 25 by the standard method and just over 24 by the height adjusted method). She even wrote to my GP about this! There was a bit of a one size fits all that was not quite right for me. Also too much equipment needed repair. However, it convinced me I could no more than I thought particularly on the exercise bike that could record time, distance and load. Talks were variable - the medication one was exceptionally interesting but a nurse cut it short because she had started the session late (☹️)! The one about diet I had twice as I had to miss two weeks (no idea which one I actually missed) but it was somewhat amusing as contradictory statements were made. Interjections added to the amusement of this talk - comments such as skimmed milk is unhealthy, etc. I think the best thing is to go to a session or two and then make up your mind!
Personally Netter after my AVR I found it really helpful both in terms of giving me a kick up the backside to get more active but also the confidence to know I could "work" my new valve. But then I also found the nurses to be very helpful and positive so each to their own. Personally I'd give it a try and put the bad assessment down to a bad day? Doing at least the first session can't hurt after all? Hope that helps but good luck and all the best with your recovery either way. Nic x
Hi Netter, I didn’t get offered any rehab after either of my AVRs and don’t feel I missed much. From talking to a few other people it seemed they had a bee in their bonnets about weight and as I know I am overweight I don’t need someone telling me something I know. I am working on my diet and exercise on my own and doing fine. I am very surprised the nurse suggested changes in your medication.
Don’t feel like you have to do the cardio rehab, especially if it is making you stressed. Have you thought about speaking to your cardiology team and asking their help? Good luck with your recovery.
My cardiac nurse has been very informative and supportive and she was qualified to change medications. The exercise classes restored my confidence. There were 2 cardiac nurses in my area so maybe you could find out if there is someone else if you need more info. I would try everything offered and if it doesn't suit you don't go back. Also, this forum is full of informative, supportive people and I've found it invaluable.
Just been having great fun building a new fence on sloping ground, digging holes, moving posts and replacing panels, chucking bags of concrete down holes and trying to avoid doing somersaults generally. Just discovered muscles I had forgotten that I have and found out they are not as supple as they used to be. I recently went on a walking holiday and found that someone has cunningly made my bag much heavier and water has become much heavier.
I had reflected deeply on this and reached the conclusion that it is not my fault. In the past 5 years I have had all sorts of medical procedures, replacements, repairs and all sorts of wonderful pills and potions, some with truly astounding side effects.
My conclusion is that it is all the fault of my settee. Perhaps more cushions would help.
As others have said rehab is hit & miss. My husband found the 1st lot woeful with the kinds of nurse you describe & dropped out after week 2. He was persuaded to go again after 6 months & found the next sessions ( at a different venue) much better although the nutrition talk was geared to Y4! Maybe give yourself a break for a while? Do plenty of walking & see how you feel. Psychologically you’ve had a huge knock so just relax and go back when you’re ready. Good Luck!
Clearly the nurse should not be changing your drugs. The GP should monitor that, although it's hard to get appointments. I had a big heart op, 3 months ago, and am on about 10 drugs. I have had a couple of telephone calls with the GP and I asked to be sent for blood tests to check no ever on the liver etc.
My advice is to have the rehab. I have had, six 3-hours sessions with a few extra at the end. Its VERY helpful (i) there are people in roughly the same position as yourself (ii) they cover everything from physical exercises to diet. I am with a bunch of men who discuss everything and I get real help on the anxiety/depression/fatigue etc side. Some say it's the first time they have really been able to talk about things. The mood improves during a session, the jokes get better and I feel that we are a bunch of comrades (I have a sentimental streak, sorry). And the rehab nurses are kind and very professional.
It seems to vary a lot. Loads of people on here love it.
My own cardiac rehab experience wasn’t great.
First: they forgot to contact me as the rehab coordinator was off sick - (with stress*!) It took 3 months and loads of phone calls to find them.
Second: it was 25 miles away so I had to drive there. Seemingly no call for it where I live*!
Third: there were 3 nurses - and all 3 of them were - fat! - yet they stressed good diet and and exercise. Only the teacher and I were slim!😊
Fourth: I have osteoarthritis and found I couldn’t really do most of the exercises. Of course you’re told to do only as much as you can but I came out feeling more defeated every week.
I bought an exercise bike on gumtree and a friend gave me a treadmill. So now I do my own.
My experience has been very similar. problem with the transport side, very unhelpful phone call to arrange times to visit etc. Went once, not comfortable, mainly a refrain about things I was aware off, diet exercise etc, treated like kids really, so did not bother going again. Bought a bike, fell off lol, absolutely knackered at the first hill, put a fixed trainer on the back wheel and set it up in the shed, bought a treadmill [no good] so now got one of those steps which you hop up and down on. Found the GP really good, coronary dept rubbish. There is a lot of excellent information around on diet, exercise both physical and mental depression etc on sites such as this, now lost weight, and also for me, an increase in my perception of my self worth and capabilities. Life is good.
Your comments would be funny if they were not sad at the same time. Our lead nurse was obese and gave one of the diet talks! The other was anorexic. Fortunately the person leading the exercises was of normal build (sports science graduate?). My arthritic hip did not sit well with the one size fits all approach - warm up was awkward and the treadmill was impossible. When the winter approaches I will look at a decent exercise bike.
Looking back it is funny. The first comment I had from them was. “You’re not our usual type, you’re a woman and you’re slim”😂 is there really a heart attack type?Nowadays, I do what I can, when I can. I did go to a gym for 6 private coaching lessons to see what I could do under supervision. I liked the coach who was a muscly wee lady boxer but found the sweaty young runners on either side quite intimidating.
Good idea about the bike in winter. I got mine cheap on Gumtree. They’re a bit like gym subscriptions, people buy them and don’t use them I think.
There is clearly a problem of expectation for most people myself included. It is also the case that what you can expect to get varies wildly. However meeting others who had gone through similar health problems and hearing how they were (or not) dealing with things I found really helpful. Lower your expectations and try not to be judgemental.
I have just started my rehab and have nothing but praise for the cardiac nurses and the physios. During my cardiac assessment, they listened to what I was saying and told me exactly what was going on. The physios likewise. They explained all the exercises and what they were trying to achieve. It was great to meet other people with cardiac issues and have a good chat about our personal experiences. This weeks was cancelled due to the heat in the gym but looking forward to next week.
I guess every hospital is different. I just seemed to have picked a good one
Rehab after a quadruple CABG was wonderful. My daily walks- a little longer, day after day, were solitary- and boring. Rehab brought me together with other folk who had the same scars and the variety of well-timed tasks was so welcome after my solitary, self-motivated regime. We were all different and were all treated according to our particular conditions. We had useful talks and Q and A sessions and I credit rehab with holding my hand in the difficult experience of coming to terms with what had happened to me.
I've just started going to a cardiac rehab exercise class at my local gym - Stage 4 I think it's called. I wasn't offered the hospital-based elements but got referred to the class by my GP. I like it a lot as I don't have a choice whether to keep going practically non-stop for an hour. On my own I think I could persuade myself that a sit down with a cup of tea is a good idea. It's also given me lots of ideas I can do myself at home, even if I don't keep going for an hour. The group is very chirpy as well and the trainer helps to motivate us to keep going.
I really liked the cardio rehab as it gave me an environment to safely push myself a bit. It was only after the rehab sessions that I started to feel fitter and more like myself. I had a congenital defect and valve replacement. There was a half hour session after the exercise where heart rate was monitored and where they had talks on diet etc and I found these interesting and picked up some tips. I had been walking prior to the sessions but never raising my heart rate to a level to improve my heart. The sessions Maybe give the sessions a try and see how it goes.
I was completely refused rehab after HA because I use a wheelchair. I can walk for just a few minutes but they didn't want to know. I got a pathetic talk on the Med diet that an 8 yr old would have known and that was about it. I found the nurse very abrasive and disinterested. I feel that supervised exercise would really have helped my confidence even if I could only do a bit but there was no chance.
Thats really sad Quali and should not be, you really need that rapport to begin with. Not sure if this is any help but in my early days I found on utube a video entitiled Gentle chair Yoga Routine It was put together by the physios from a hospital in Toronto, not overly strenous and I found it helps physically and also helps the mind to relax.
Thanks I'll take a look but I'm a year on now so have pretty much got my confidence back now.- as long as they stop giving me tablets that cause more problems. I just had several months of severe tachycardia caused by my BP tablets which really knocks your confidence. You don't know if it's the tablets causing it or another serious problem. GP thought I had AF but it isn't at all. I'm now off ALL tablets except aspirin and a statin and starting to feel great at last.
Ours is in a church hall - the exercise appears to be circuits using chairs as each exercise, with a laminated card telling you what to do. I only got to one as I needed more work doing on my heart. No mention of talks, and there was zero mention of MH. The class was populated by older men who seemed a lot sicker than me, and only spoken to each other. I focused on just doing the exercise and working as hard as they allowed - confidence building if you genuinely intend to improve your fitness with regular exercise.
Mine is through Northamptonshire, wonder if different trusts provide different rehab packages? I have a friend from HU who is in Cambs and hers seems much better.
Ditto some of the nurses cba, and we also have one who is dangerously overweight. I start back and I’m looking forward to it. I currently walk anything between 1 1/2 - 2 miles a day but looking to take that more into running and also restart my beloved Zumba! I want to be a fitty not a fatty!
I enjoyed my Phase III Rehab so much that I start volunteering with them next week!
As everyone says, your rehab is very much a postcode lottery; mine are lucky enough to have a large room in one of the hospital buildings, but very little equipment (1 treadmill, 1 upright bike, 1 "laid back" bike, some steps, and lots of free weights (max 5kg)) in which to exercise up to 18 people per session.
Each rahabee has an initial assessment with a physio (not a nurse - although there are nurses in the dept) , which includes a walking test, then 7 weekly sessions of exercise with a talk at the beginning or end, then a final assessment with walking test to see if you've improved. Most people are then discharged and pointed in the direction of Phase IV or similar. They got me to repeat the exercise bit because I struggle mentally with the whole heart thing.
Only my HF nurse could change my meds (apart from docs!), and she was completely unconnected with Rehab.
I would certainly recommend Rehab for confidence as much as anything else.
I can honestly say I really enjoyed cardiac rehab, I was part of the HITT research programme and was pushed to my absolute limit (at that particular time), it made me realise how far I could actually push myself and nothing untoward would happen, everyone was helpful and I noticed that they paid particular attention to people who felt that they could not do the cardiac programme. it was good to talk to like minded people. a year later some of us still meet at the gym and have a catch up. I must also add that I am a nurse and most of the healthcare team are known to me, so I am probably biased.... I would say go for it..... it felt like a really long road to recovery and rehab helped me re-evaluate things and move on, Good Luck
I was offered rehab at a big hospital 10 miles away and as I was still not driving , only days out of hospital, I had no way of getting there. 7 months later I am driving but have lost my confidence about trying to get to and parking at that hospital. I am walking most days but can only manage a good half mile and I’m line dancing but resting a lot. I have some hand weights bt only 1kg each and don’t know what exercises are best. I have a friend who had stents after a heart attack and he was given 3 months at his local Gym.
I gave up on rehab after 3 sessions when the one size fits all approach triggered a flare up of sciatica despite my having told them about this risk. I did not find the talks told me anything I did not already know and I found the atmosphere demoralising - all men apart from me who spoke only to each other & no room to share anxieties & concerns. I have since found gym on prescription totally different- the (mainly women) instructors are so encouraging & helpful and mindful of what I can & can't manage. Ironically, the well equipped gym is in the same building used by the rehab course with its very limited options. If you are looking for an alternative exercise programme, the rehab team can refer you for gym on prescription or ask your GP.
If you are referring to gym on prescription, it is independent of the phases & provides an individualised set of exercises with close monitoring but the senior instructor where I go is trained in all phases up to & including phase 4.
Most instructors/trainers these days have sports science degrees. I have just instigated some enquiries via an old contact in the field so am waiting to see what develops. Will update as and when...
So yesterday I visited another gym but concluded it would just cost me more (plus increased travel and parking expenses) for nothing more. I will have to try and follow up on "gym on prescription". Many people, both cardio and non-cardio) have other issues that "one size fits all" does not cater for. I came away quite down about the whole thing!
I know this is now two years on. I hope you asked for a different rehab nurse. I had exactly the same feeling. When I turned up for the initial meeting in my wheelchair I was immediately put into a tick box hat said "Can't do it". Had a book of dietary advice thrown at me and was told they couldn't help. I didn't even get he chance to try. I would have done anything to have tried exercise while supervised by people who knew if something was going wrong. Eve n later when I tried phoning for advice, I got none. IT was a year before I found a class that could deal with a wheelchair but hey had no experience of heart attacks. I did eventually complain and was told, much too latethat I could have asked tos ee someone else.
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