My Heart Story.

[Cruger]

Hi all newbie here and my first post.

By profession, I am a 60-year-old overweight taxi driver and I came across this site while in hospital waiting for CABGX4.

In 2014, I was out of puff after push starting a vehicle for a neighbour and came over all sweaty and clammy.

Wife phoned for ambulance and I got rushed into hospital. Anyway, I ended up having a single stent put in through my arm and marvelled how quick and painless the procedure was.

After going home, I quickly got back into my old routine of long hours sitting and driving in a taxi and eating on the go. My deluded thought process was if the worst comes to the worst it would mean having another stent put in and off, I go again. Yes, I am that stupid.

Since the stent I have felt fine I don't drink and never smoked, but I do love my food.

As you can guess the inevitable happened and this time, 5 weeks ago, I was out of puff putting a shed up.

So, same as last time wife rang for ambulance, the paramedics done ECG, nothing conclusive, so they took me in. After assessment, I was told I would get an angiogram the next day. Naturally (for me anyway) I thought “Oh well another stent and I’ll be away”.

I remember the angiogram took a lot longer than last time and when the surgeon had finished, I asked him how many stents he had put in. He looked at me and said “None” the best outcome for me was Heart bypass surgery which my surgeon would explain to me. The hardest part was explaining over the phone to my wife and family as there were no visitors allowed in hospital.

My surgeon told me I would be getting a quadruple bypass and as I was classed as obese (24 stone) he gave me the doom and gloom version of what could go wrong for someone of my size.

I was bricking it after that conversation.

Afterward I got my tablet out and searched for info (scary stuff that Google) and eventually came across this wonderful site full of stories that I could now relate to. It has helped me a great deal and is now my go-to place for things like clicking sternum, sleeping comfortably and post op anxiety.

I am coming up to my 4th week post op and recovering little by little but still anxious about things in general. On the plus side I have lost 1.5 stones and decided my taxi days are over. I am going to find a nice steady caretaking job where I can potter about and stay active.

Thanks for reading.

[080311]

Hello Cruger,

welcome to the forum, Good on you for losing some weight, it’s a great start. You are doing things to help yourself look after your mended heart. I decided 4 years ago after my Aortic valve replacement and bypass that I would do all I could to keep my mended heart as healthy as I could, so many people had worked really hard to give me my life back so now it was up to me.

So welcome to the mended heart road that we are travelling on.

I wish you lots of luck on your recovery life can really be good after a heart issue.

Best wishes Pauline

[Cruger in reply to 080311]

Thanks, for the kind words Pauline, and you are so right about not wanting to let so many people down. I feel I will enjoy being a member of the mended heart club.

Wishing you lots of luck as well Pauline, and good health.

[080311 in reply to Cruger]

We are a merry band of Hearties 😂 we try to help those coming along behind us. Remember you are now part of this heart family and if you need to talk there will be someone to listen and if you need a shoulder to lean on someone will be here to help.

We all need a bit of support from time to time, and sometimes just a laugh.

Pauline

[Hidden]

Welcome, and thankyou for your story, when reading it, many a positive attitude does come across and that is a very important thing to have when deeling with ones health.

X

[Cruger in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Kat, that is so true. I do try and remain positive and I certainly won't take things for granted like I use to. Good health to you Kat.

[Chappychap]

Hello Cruger, congratulations on a successful operation and welcome to the forum. Incidentally, you can feel well pleased with hitting the four week mark, there's a certain percentage of bypass ops where the replacement arteries fail within the first year, but in reality the great majority of those occur within four weeks. So you're over that hurdle!

I had a bypass operation two years ago. The first eight or twelve weeks post operation are no picnic, so you have my sympathy. But hang on in there, because if you keep up with the life style changes then you're probably on the verge of a tremendous improvement in your wellbeing!

The great thing about a bypass operation is that it completely re-sets the clock, and once your sternum and lungs have recovered you'll start to appreciate what life feels like with the heart of a much younger man.

You mentioned being breathless and clammy after exertion. Many people on this forum had the same sensation and there's no hiding those extreme symptoms. But what isn't so clear is the gradual erosion of your energy levels that comes with heart disease. We tend not to notice it because it's so gradual. But one morning in a few weeks time you'll wake up and realise that your new arteries also mean a new vitality and appetite for life.

However, a bypass operation isn't a cure for heart disease. Unfortunately there is no cure. All we can do is reduce the disease's future progress with life style changes and medication. Getting down to a healthy BMI, adopting a healthy diet (the NHS and the BHF both recommend a Mediterranean style diet), regular exercise, no more than moderate drinking, and stress management are the key objectives for a non-smoker like yourself.

It's a big ask but now's the moment to dig deep and resolve to tick every single one of those boxes in the coming months. Get those sorted and you're set fair for many more years of healthy and active life. However, slip back into bad old ways and your bypass operation can only deliver a temporary respite. The bad news is that after one bypass your options going forward are very much reduced, so you really want to make a success of this.

Good luck!

[Cruger in reply to Chappychap]

Blimey Chappers you gave me palpitations after reading the first bit about the first four weeks .😲 I didn't know that. 😀

Thanks for your insight and I take heed of what you say. I was told by my surgeon that I was the biggest he had operated on, and he kept an eye on me in hospital by making sure I got out of bed and in a chair. He would ring up my ward daily to find out if I was sat in a chair and moving about. One day I was ordering breakfast, and he told the catering staff that every morning I was to have 2 bananas and 2 oranges. When it came to changing my dressing and taking the tubes out he done that himself. He was quite honestly the best surgeon I could have wished for.

At home, I have to wear a

Posthorax Vest for 8 weeks or more and my breathing exercises are like a religion. I also bought a blood pressure monitor as my GP wants me to send in daily readings to determine the right dose of pills.

Sleeping is by far the hardest for me as I have only ever slept on my stomach. Sleeping on my back propped up by pillows knowing I can't get up without the help of my wife puts me in a bit of a panic. I have solved it by buying an electric riser recliner chair and use it only to sleep in which is frowned upon but helps me get enough sleep at the push of a button.

I am determined to be a success Chappers. 👍 😀

[R3mi in reply to Chappychap]

Hi Chappychap chap and all in the heart club great good positive response to cruger

A friend of mine had a quadruple bypass all sorts of other things done as well. He is now some time after that maintaining up to 5-10 gardens a week and getting stronger every day bc and taking on more work. But he is slim and at his proper weight. I was told once that sometimes taking the weight off takes as long as it took to put it on. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t seem to be as quick as coming off as you would like slowly but surely is the way you will be standing looking at the six pack before you know it. Good luck to everyone.

[Stu888]

Mu uncle had a triple heart bypass and aortic valve replacement surgery in one operation last year. There is far greater risk in the aortic valve replacement. He is now so much better and never looks back.

Regarding your diet it’s worth trying to change it to reduce inflammatory foods, particularly sugar. I also have my suspicions about some “healthy” oils like Sunflower and have eliminated them from my diet and replaced them with cold pressed olive oil (unheated). I no longer eat takeaways, possibly a bit extreme but since giving up my job following heart problems just can’t afford them anyway. Good luck on your journey. I lost 3 stone fairly quickly reducing carbohydrates from my diet like bread, Potatoes, pasta etc and replacing them with huge amounts of veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, so easy to microwave them! I’m back on bread now and have put on a stone over the year so know for certain what puts the weight on me!

[Cruger in reply to Stu888]

Thanks, Stu that's good advice and well done on losing 3 stone I will be very happy if I can match that. My biggest change will be giving up taxi driving after 20 years as I saw my weight increased due to a Sedentary lifestyle. Thursday night was carry out night relaxing with the family after a hard weeks work and preparing myself for the weekend trade. Bread, potatoes and pasta will be hard for me to give up but judging by your weight loss results it is well worth the sacrifice. I like most veg and find carrots and broccoli taste better raw.

All the best Stu and good health.

[Hidden]

Wishing you well 😘😊

[Cruger in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Happyme and good health to you too.

[Misstibbs]

Cruger - It was meant to be, but you’re now listening taking note and sound really positive keep it going and enjoy each day 👍👏👍

[Cruger in reply to Misstibbs]

Thank you Misstibbs, wise words. All the best and good health to you too.

[ToffeeT]

I should image you've been told not smoking was great but the weight is really bad. I just want to point out that the inevitable didn't happen. The inevitable is a cardiac arrest, and depending on your luck you may be one of the 8% who survive. I can say this as a member of the 8% club. I had my aeortic valve replaced in Stoke Nov 19. I was the same as you, I followed all the advice, exercise, diet, alcohol and I had lost quite a good amount of weight, felt great, really so good, then..... I died. Cardiac arrest at work. That was the fortunate bit, I was in the company of many first aid trained colleagues and 50 yards from a defib machine. So you've been given a second chance, don't blow it.

[Cruger in reply to ToffeeT]

I never smoked TT and I rarely drink because of my job. I agree the weight and leading a sedentary lifestyle was my choice and now I am paying the consequences.

I take heed of what you say and thank goodness things turned out all right for you.

As for me I will continue to follow the right advice, do all the right things, live life to the full and see where fate takes me.

All the best TT and good health to you.

[ToffeeT in reply to Cruger]

Unlike you cruger as a young person I liked my beer. After my first consult in Stafford County Hospital the doctor told me I had to be in Stoke hospital that day or I had about a week to live. I would have stayed except I foolishly took the dog with me. I got as far as Asda and I broke down, I just kept cursing myself for thinking all my life, "You are only here once, my as well make the most of it" Anyway I got to Stoke, got a TAVI done, that was one of the things that saved my life. As I say I seem to be in reasonable health, I walk up to 4 miles a day, drink a few beers once a week and look after my diet. I hope it all goes well for ou buddy.

[Cruger in reply to ToffeeT]

You seem to be doing all the right things TT.

Exercise and a balanced diet without overdoing it seems to be the priority in most cases after surgery. That is what I will be aiming for on my road to recovery.

All the best to you as well TT.

[Handel]

Best wishes to you for a very speedy recovery Cruger. Keep us up to date with your progress. xxxxx

[Cruger in reply to Handel]

Thank you, Handel, much appreciated. I will keep this forum posted. 👍

All the best to you and good health.

[stillaboveground]

Hi Cruger welcome to the forum, well done to lose so much weight keep it up. I was in denial when I had my heart attack, they must have made a mistake etc. We on here have all been given a second chance and thanks to some brilliant people we are still here to tell the tale. I was a couch potato and although I didn't eat a lot I ate the wrong foods like skip the main course and eat the pudding (a large one at that to make up for the skipped main course).

So now it's onward and upward. Take care, keep safe. Ruth

[Cruger in reply to stillaboveground]

Hi Ruth, I like your username 🙂

Yep I can relate to the couch potato lifestyle. I was in hospital for 2.5 weeks and got one operation cancelled. Every day during that time I could have had apple crumble and custard or sticky toffee pudding and custard twice a day and believe me some people did. After coming out of surgery the smell of food made me gag and I ended up drinking those fortified milkshakes. You are right about the people who look after us in hospital and the surgeons who routinely perform open-heart surgery. Our life in their hands for 6 hours with a team of people trying to minimise the risks and complications, so we can recover as painless as possible is quite something.

All the best Ruth and good health to you.

[EmmyLaury12]

Welcome to the forum

You will be fine with us fellow hearties 💕💕

What a story !!!

But imputations that you are in track again .

Hope you recover well after your major surgery .

Wishing lots of luck and happiness xx

Take care .

Well done with the weight loss too !!

[EmmyLaury12 in reply to EmmyLaury12]

Meant inspirational sorry text error

[Cruger in reply to EmmyLaury12]

Hi Emmy, thank you for your kind message and support.

LOL 😀 you had me looking up imputation which according to the Cambridge English Dictionary describes imputation as: "someone is guilty of something or has a particular bad quality". You know me so well 😁.

All the best Emmy and good health to you.

[EmmyLaury12 in reply to Cruger]

Oh how funny 😁 lol

Seriously you are inspirational

For your positive attitude which appears to have been a very touch time ,

Take care

Keep

In touch

Let us know how you get on x

[EmmyLaury12]

Tough lol