Hi everybody, I am 46 and have recently been diagnosed with Heart Failure, to say that this is a huge blow at my age is an understatement. Prior to March this year I lead a very healthy lifestyle, participating in group fitness at the gym.
In March this year I lost my sense of smell and taste, I had no doubt in my mind that I had Covid 19 which was later confirmed with the antibody test, eventually this was to become a major game changer for me, 2 months after losing my sense of smell I felt out of breath when climbing my stairs to my flat, this I passed of as lack of fitness through not gym training with all the gyms being shut. A short time afterwards gym instructors were allowed to train 1 on 1 again, I began training, 1 of the last sessions I participated in at the end of the session I collapsed over and struck my head on the way down. I was taken into hospital to check for possible concussion, as it happens after I explained to the doctors how things came about I was kept in and had and ultra sound and CT scans which highlighted Pericarditis which is fluid around my heart, I learned from the Cardiologist in hospital that this has been caused by Covid 19.
I have had an MRI this Saturday just gone and a CT at Liverpool Heart and Chest, these scans have highlighted that my right ventricle is severely enlarged and my ejection fraction is low, this has followed on from Pericarditis, now I am on heart failure medication for the foreseeable future. I will be honest and I am not ashamed to say that leaving hospital after my consultation I had tears in my eyes on the news that has been given to me, what I do want now is to find a way back with support of others, and I have joined this group with the hope of connecting with like minded people who are going through similar, I look forward to connecting with you all and I wish you well on your journeys to recovery.
Massive thanks to Julie who is one of the BHF nurses who I spoke to recently who gave fantastic advice and informed of this group xxx
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Andy7419
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Hi Andy and welcome! I'm fairly new too having had a heart attack on 16th September 2020 and awaiting bypass surgery. I was so very scared when this happened and my daughter immediately found this site and it's the best thing I've done by joining.
There is so much help advice and kindness on here. Please don't feel alone as there is always someone who can help and explain things and this support is invaluable.
Hi there that is fantastic to know, I am keen to get involved in support groups and to talk with other people about what they are having to deal with themselves, where is this support group you mention?? And thank you!!
Hi Andy,
I really feel for you and I’m pleased you have joined us on the site, there’s lots of us on here all with different stories. I’m sure that you will get great advice and reassurance from lots of people on here and it definitely helps to feel part of a group of understanding people.
ANDY a great and honest post. Welcome to our forum where you will encounter all sorts but with one goal to share and keep everyone positive. Take care and listen to all the good advice you will receive from your cardio team
Hiya, welcome to our very merry band of Hearties. I'm a lady heartie with recurrent pericarditis (read my profile but be warned it's boring ) so the second I saw you've had pericarditis thanks to Covid, my ears perked up. My recurrent pericarditis is thanks to having caught Dengue Fever in the mid-1990s.
You've been hit with a serious WHAMMO with Covid and the complications of pericarditis, etc. You'll find lots of support here for all your complications - but most importantly, HF isn't the horror it induces when the cardiologist informs he/she has discovered HF and here's a sack'o'meds, see ya in six months...
We have several members who have HF, have had it for years (and decades), are doing nicely, thank-you, and will be along soon to share their success stories with you.
Welcome again, and as others have said - any question you have, post it and one of us will pop along to try to help.
And yes, the BHF Heart Helpline nurses are by all reports, fabulous
Hey there and thank you for reading my post, it has been a serious WHAMMO!! the antibody test confirmed it, as it happens I have been told to take is easy for 6 months and rest up, I shall be doing as much as possible of that, as well as going out for walks some days as that is an activity I have been told I can do in moderation. It is a journey ahead, Rome wasn't built in a day, recovery from this will not be achieved in a day either, but we will meet each day at a time, I shall indeed take a read of your profile and thank you again!!
There are several forum members who live with heart function problems. They I am sure will be along to share their experiences with you soon.
Many are not a big fan of the term 'Heart failure ' it makes you think your engine has failed and your plane is about to drop out of the sky.
The treatment for HF has improved alot in recent years. The flight might be a bit bumpy but the plane keeps on flying.
At the moment it must be a shock and very frightening especially the unknown longterm effects of Covid on your body.
About 6 years ago I walked out of a consultation and cried. I had been told I had a type of angina that cannot be easily treated and I would live with angina pain for good.
I am still here, smiling and complaining about the weather ....the cold and me have some issues.
Be kind and patient with yourself. It will take time to learn to live in a different way.
Hi there, I am not a huge fan of the word failure either, as a failure I am not, and yes we shall all keep flying, turbulent the journey maybe at times. It was a shock indeed, especially being dealt the news at hospital on Wednesday just gone, and there is no wrong in crying either, I can understand why you were so upset, I am at the start of my journey but at the same time I look forward to hearing about everybody else, thank you so much again!!
Hi Andy welcome to the forum. I too just recently been diagnosed with hf lvsd. I'm 49 and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had covid after the echogram so that was ruled out but I do thi k covid has affected my breathing. Before covid I was in the gym most days. I recently had an angiogram, no blocked arteries ☺️ cardiologist seems to think it's been viral so like you medication for the foreseeable. This forum is great and for me gives me a positive outlook. I'm taking lots of advice about life style changes. Take care
Hi Lynn, thank you very much for reading my story, I like you have been in the gym, I do miss it a lot and would give anything to be back there, you kinda feel like you are grieving in a sense, one way or another I can't help but feel that I want to find a road that will lead me back there, as humans I think it is probably normal to feel that way. I have another echogram coming up next month so we will see where we are, like you I have had the CT scans and no blocked arteries. I am looking forward to interacting with people like yourself on here!! Thanks again!!
Hi Andy, yes it's great to read others stories and connect. Yours sounds similar to mine (I wasnt in gym) . Earlier in the year I was having a drink and thought it was a trip but i didn't put my arms out to save myself and butted my head A&E said its nothing you had a drink and that's why you didn't save yourself! But somehow this fall felt dufferent. I'll never know. Yesterday was a good day spent with my daughter until I came home to cardiologist letter from my angiogram. Some of it might as well be written in another language!. It mentions mild dialation of the left ventricle then further down cardimyopathy is non ischemic in origin? I'll try speak to my doctor tomorrow to decider the letter. So of course it all brought tears and fear about my future and children however after talking calmly and finding more about the Condition on cardimyopathy. Org I picked up. I'm taking each day as it comes. I think before being told we have poorly hearts our lives where pretty 'normal' and now it feels your going into the unknown wondering the what's, when and how's etc... I have very little symtoms and I'm taking this as a positive and acting on it, lifestyle change is needed for me. I have lost nearly a stone in 5 weeks by eating the Mediterranean way of eating. I've not touched a drop of alcohol 😭 I'm taking exercise slow just walks and I'm returning to work Friday as a senior carer. You will find your way of doing things which suit you. Don't Google 🙈 that was the first thing I did it had me written off within the year!!!. I found, and only use this forum its very helpful. I believe there is another website (charity) called pumping marvellous which is great for information. Take care of you and keep smiling 😊 always here for a chat 👍😃
This forum really does help you don't feel alone and not want to burden your friends who aren't in the same situation and it certainly isn't so scary just having their messages and hearing their experiences that you can relate to..
Welcome yo the forum. Like you I passed out at work. After a lot of complaining at the drs, had an x Ray on my lungs, which showed they were ok, but my heart was larger than it should be. So had lots of tests and scans and I was born with a congenital heart defect. That was a shock, but answered a few questions during my childhood. Why i always slept. Like you still suffer with the breathlessness. Also have lost my sense of smell, which completely went last June. But that may be because of my sjrogrens. Waiting for the results of my mri I had 4th March this year. Don't apologise for crying either. We are a good bunch on here. Someone will come along and answer your questions.
Hi Dee, like you passing out was a scary experience, I could not believe it happened, my right ventricle is severely enlarged, we are all in good hands with our doctors though, and we have the support of each other on here which is a big positive, I hope you get your MRI results soon, I am looking forward to interacting with more people like yourself on here, Thanks so much for your kind words Dee!!
Thanks for replying. It certainly was scary. At the time I was getting an item out of my bag, so my arms were up high, which I think protected my head. But awfully bruised my foot. How long I was down for, couldn't say. Extremely frightening though. Hopefully will hear soon on my mri? Keep safe.
I'm sorry it's come as a massive disappointment and shock, especially given your previous healthy lifestyle.
I'm in the Slack group called Body Politic and am aware of studies showing over half of 'mild' cases are experiencing heart issues. The fittest and youngest people pre covid make up significant numbers of long haulers with long covid. Feel free to join that too.
I have an enlarged heart discovered as a result of participating in a Covid study rather than any care from NHS. I'm finally being taken seriously by GP having caught the virus in March and will be having scans to investigate.
Hi there, It was a huge shock and I still feel disappointed now, it was around March when I lost my sense of smell and taste, my taste came back but my smell has still not yet fully returned, at least your enlarged heart has been discovered and is now being treated, I shall take a look at the group you have suggested also, thank you so much!!
Same here with the smells and taste. I think I've got some natural smells but chemical ones have faded. I can just about smell bleach, but not things like natural gas, or fabric conditioner.
Best advice from the Slack group is to accept and not fight it. I find it mentally tough. I'm the sort of person who pushes through, normally resilient so this whole mindset is foreign to me.
I think the thing to bear in mind right now is that there's not been anything like this. So inflammatory responses will be different too. Our bodies are still figuring out their way to equilibrium. One Dr's message sticks in my mind: rest, rest, rest, your body is directing all its energy into healing, things you can't see and don't know about. So don't ask it to do things that divert from its main task which is healing.
My new mantra - Accept what is, pace yourself, and rest, rest, rest, recover comes at 2% per month not 20% per week.
Welcome to the forum. Great to have you on board. So sorry to read of the affect that Covid has had on you and the problems it has caused. I have concerns about my wife who has similar breathlessness since contracting the virus in March, but in her case it seems to be lungs rather than heart.
As has been said you will find people on here that are in a similar situation to yourself and you will be able to compare your experiences. Others can and will provide moral support. We are all in the boat, but our experiences are different.
Hi Gerald, my heart goes out to you and your wife, I do hope she makes a recovery, I look forward to interacting with more people like yourself, Thanks so much Gerald!!
Hi Andy, I know your pain well. I was diagnosed with heart failure two years ago, aged 55. I'm a walker, love nothing more than hiking up mountains or along the coastal path where I live. I was fit and healthy, or so I thought when I got my diagnoses. My diagnoses came about as a result of a routine check up for my rheumatoid arthritis, which was well controlled at the time. My EF was low to mid 30s on diagnoses (I guess you've had Ejection Fraction or EF explained to you) my heart was enlarged. I was utterly devastated and shed many tears. I thought I wouldn't get to see my son graduate university. I arranged for family photos to be taken as I thought I might not be around too much longer.
Fast forward two years and my heart in back to normal size and my EF back in the normal range. I'm on several drugs and will be probably for life as they are maintaining my heart function. But I'm told my life expectancy is near normal now, provided the heart function is maintained at current levels. The cause of my heart failure has never been fully identified but through a process of elimination it has been linked back to my rheumatoid arthritis and the drugs I was on to control it. Those drugs have now been changed.
I still do the things I love, hiking, yoga, cycling and travelling around in my campervan. The whole experience did make me sit up and take notice of what is and isn't important in life. That's something good that has come out of this.
My advice would be not to Google heart failure, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Stick to reliable sources like BHF. Seek counselling to help you come to terms with this diagnosis, I did and it helped. The mental health impact of a diagnosis of heart failure often goes unsupported. You are going to be afraid and anxious, feel every little twinge that previously would of gone unnoticed. If it gets too much always seek help, if you have a heart failure nurse ring him/her. If not your GP, the nurse on this site etc. But mostly be assured the drug treatments do work and they can make this better. It is going to take time to get the treatment right for you, my drugs were tweaked and changed several times.
Lastly I hate the term heart failure, impaired heart function would be much better and a more accurate description of what is happening.
Hi Gracie, that is such an amazing story!! you are an inspiration to us all on here, you are a success, this has made me sit up even more and I shall certainly keep away from google, it can tell you one thing and another thing, this is a positive step forward for us all being on here to share our stories and in your case your progress. Ejection Fraction has been explained and mine is low, mine should be 55. Yoga I can imagine being a good rehab activity for mind and body. I shed tears walking out of hospital on Wednesday as this was far from the news I wanted. I also do not like the term heart failure, as a failure we are not, being on here is a massive step forward for us all, thanks so much again Gracie!!
Hi Andy it’s a massive shock I’m 57 thought I was quite fit and had a heart attack 3 weeks ago. The journey we have in front of us now has to be nothing but positive easier said than done I know because I’m the world’s worst worrier about anything.Im looking at it that I’m lucky I’m still here and have another chance things have to change but push on seek advice from the amazing nurses and you and I and everyone else will find there own paths through this .Take care and shedding a tear is a must .
Indeed you have a second chance, you live again and blessed you are to do so, there is no shame in shedding tears at all and we will all find out way through, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post!!
Hi Andy what a journey you have been on. I’m in the process of being diagnosed l have an ECG booked in for Monday and a heart scan booked for 15th November. I haven’t had covid but l do have lupus and sjogrens both of which can affect the heart. I hope your meds help and that in time you will get back to a good level of fitness and be able to use the gym again
Hi there, thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to read my post, I wish you all the very best with your scans coming up and please let me know how you get on with everything!! all the best to you and yes I hope to use the gym again too, I am certainly not thinking that I won't, we cannot afford to be defeatist!!
Your very welcome to the forum, not somewhere you would be looking to join. You have certainly had a awful time, when you read some of the posts on here you will see there are lots of different heart issues I for one had no idea there was so much that could happen to us. I am 4 years post surgery AVR and bypass. Life can really kick us in the teeth when we are not expecting it, but as others have said there is life after a heart issue.
Hi Pauline, there certainly is life afterwards, we are living that life now and forging our path!!!! thank you so much for reading my post and for your reply!! All the best to you and I look forward to reading how you are getting on!!
I was also diagnosed with HF earlier this year. Previously I was in the gym 6 days a week, didn’t smoke, drink and despite a serious arrythmia and an ICD I was considered to be very fit.
I now have an EF of 32%, left ventricular enlargement and am often symptomatic even at rest (class2/3 HF). I also had to have open heart surgery in June and my mitral valve was replaced as this was the cause of the HF. Unfortunately the damage has been done and I’m not a candidate for Entresto because my BP is too low.
I sometimes find relentless positivity and an attitude of ‘get out there and get on with your life’ difficult to take because this just what is so difficult to do! My life has changed and there are things that I loved that I can’t do now. I sometimes feel anxious, afraid, angry, frustrated and would rather kick the unicorn in the teeth than ride it under rainbows. I want to be quite honest with you because I really do believe that we all need honesty and to deal with painful feelings.
I have really struggled, and often still do with the change in my life. I really miss my physically active lifestyle and there are days when I can’t even manage a 20 minute walk because of bone crushing fatigue. I have improved a lot and most days can climb the stairs without stopping or being out of breath at the top. Some days I can manage a 40 minute walk at a fairly steady pace and I am starting to add in some yoga which I also really miss, although I can’t do some of the postures because of the strain on my heart. I love those days when I feel a little more like my old self.
However, I know that my life will never be the same and I am applying for ill health retirement as I can’t predict how I will feel on any particular day. I loved my job as a university lecturer and really miss it, but am now studying online and hoping eventually to get an MA. This is one of the best things about my diagnosis, from working flat out lecturing in Neurosciences and Psychology, editing books and privately tutoring students I am now working on my poetry and aiming for an MA and a published collection.
Heart failure is such a hard road, particularly when you are younger than average and the diagnosis is fairly sudden. We do need to be positive and look for ways to focus on what we can do, but I also think that we need honesty about how brutal and painful all of this is. Fortunately there is a lot of support available and this site is great.
Hi Iris, thank you so much for your reply, I feel honesty is the best spoken word on here, honesty helps us all and reading your reply it is a hard hitting reality, your honesty is powerful and true, and here we need that, I also really feel for you, I am still trying to understand. I really do wish you well with your MA, go for it and I want to hear about it when you graduate, I graduated last year I achieved a Degree in Photography, at our age what amazing achievements!!!! Reading your reply I sense you are still driven and more determined than ever, this shows us all that your heart condition is not in anyway stopping you from moving forward, keep it moving Iris, we are with you too!!!!
Hello and welcome! You will hear from a lot of us on this forum who will talk of previously - going to the gym 4 days a week, walking for miles, always being energetic and doing loads - and then we discover we have heart disease or in my case need an aortic valve replacement. The news just wipes you out doesn’t it! But there is lots of help out there for you and you will find a way of dealing with it. This is a great forum to get into, I’ve had great support and wonderful advice from people in similar situations and the thing to remember is - they truly do know what you’re going through - they are going through it too! Keep in touch with everyone and good luck with your journey.
Hello and thank you for your kind words and I look forward to hearing from everybody, as for your aortic valve replacement it is incredible you are here now to tell us all about it, Thank you so much again!!
Hey Dave, it was a hammer blow for me at 46, I can only imagine how much of a hammer blow it would have been for you at 33!!!! you are an amazing guy!! the plane does keep flying you are right despite the turbulence, this is a huge step forwards this forum for us all, stay strong yourself and stay safe too!!
Hi Andy, I know the diagnosis can be shocking, it rocked me initially but I soon began to get glimmers of hope and clung to them - thankfully these grew with good results. I sincerely hope the same or better can work for you.
The positive thing is that you have a diagnosis and a cause AND are still here with something to work from. Your cause I actually see positives in because it’s completely outside influenced, nothing you could have controlled and not an unlucky hereditary or genetic problem.
I was diagnosed 21months ago (2weeks before 45th b’day) with fast AF, which had already lead to Heart Failure due to me being asymptomatic - no idea how long I was in AF. I had a very low EF from one valve and wasn’t expecting to reach anywhere near 50 if this didn’t reverse. It’s been a long journey so far & following my cardiologists advice (still can’t get over lifelong medication prospects but it’s sinking in) things fortunately have reversed. I’ve had 3 cardioversions, all because of persistent AF & the 2nd was clearly a viral trigger, no idea what the 3rd trigger was - everything was as perfect as it could have been that day & a stand out day since diagnosis..... Not a clue! There’s other signs on my heart that could have been down to the AF or could have been many years of heavy gym work & front row rugby union. Not particularly bad things but abnormalities in enlargement & muscle thickness that could be caused by either & I guess we’ll never know which....
My cardiologist had been giving me positive news for a while but dropped a (positive) bombshell on me prior to planning my third cardioversion. I was exploring the option of just living in AF, rate controlled through medication as I can function quite well that way & only notice an issue when I look for it. He informed me that the heart could restructure to work that way but it could cause problems in my 70s or 80s - giving me pension worries for the first time in a while... haha. He also said I can take a better arrhythmia drug now as my heart had repaired well & now is in a “normal” range - possibly a good thing about a young diagnosis which hopefully may apply to you too.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I was very lucky not to have had a serious complication before diagnosis - I was feeling unfit after a series of colds / flu etc & a long period of inactivity due to a spinal injury getting aggravated & causing new agonising symptoms (been managing this nearly 20yrs). On recovering I was pushing myself (usual theory of harder today = easier tomorrow, sounds like you’ll know the mindset) in training without realising I was actually quite ill & it could have had terrible consequences.
Although controlled on medication, I am now quite well & finally have the all clear to exercise / train harder & am (for the first time in my life) sensibly building up to that.
That’s my journey so far in a nutshell, cutting out emotional ups & downs, anxiety issues and outside stress influences which need a close eye at times. Generally all positive from diagnosis & I‘m thankful for having great support from those around me & attribute a lot of my progress to them. A lot of the small, hard personal “wins” that I’ve needed I often put down to my sporting past & nature - something you clearly must have too.
Dig in my friend, you can beat it!!! There’s loads of us here to help & just reading though this group occasionally can help you pick up little tips or enlightenments along the way.
Steve, what an incredible story!!!! If i hadn't fainted over I would still be putting my breathlessness down to lack of fitness, and I would not be getting treated now and who knows what damage would have been done in the long run, I do not even want to go there, I am hoping that being fit like I was has limited the damage here, I don't and have not ever smoked, the only alcohol I drink is red wine, which even the BHF nurse has mentioned a glass a day is good for us [depending on the meds we are on]. With regards Rugby I was not a player but I prefer union to league, was gutted we lost last year but South Africa were by far the better team. Keep pushing forward yourself Steve and a positive for us all is that we are all on here to support each other and help each other along!!!! thanks so much again Steve
Anytime Andy! You’re bang on correct, there’s loads of us here & all in support of the others. I’m 18months or so further down the line from you is all so drop me a line anytime if there’s anything you might want to hear about. If I’ve experienced it, I’ll tell you straight & if I haven’t I don’t mind revealing that I don’t know. Other than the diagnosis & getting it into my head, my phobia of needles (still) & one medication intolerance - there’s really very few true negatives & those 3 are all down to me really. Good thing you went over that day - it might well have saved real trouble....
We were well beaten in the final - they had a better game plan & didn’t have to reveal a lot about themselves on their journey to it either - beaten by a quality side, no shame there. I live deep in Wales now too, so would have had 4 great years if we had won, think my local mates are relieved we didn’t!
On the note of locations, we’re not lucky enough here to have Broad Green or similar locally - they have been brilliant over the years with my uncle & my father in law - superb facility! I’m from the North West originally.
Feel free to private message me for any personal matters - I’ll happily share the lot if it might help you. One important matter, you probably already know & already fallen foul of it (we all have) - stay away from Dr Google!
Try to keep calm about it. I am 44 and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and very low EF onthe right ofmy heart in May and felt much the same. I have dropped 4 stone and with medication am probably fitter than i have been since my early 20's with no further symptoms and have gone from not doing much to running a couple of miles 3 or 4 times a week. I do have spells where i stop and think about will it get worse or when might it get worse and it takes a bit of time to snap myself out of it. I think of it as a warning to sort myself out which i havee done and i do feel much better for it. I go to work as normal so nothing has really changed apart from taking a few tablets every day and being careful with my diet. Try and stay positive, i am sure you can have many good years in frontof you, just keep taking the tablets and listen to what you are told by doctors, honestly, its not as bad as tou think.
Hi Matt, my right side is dilated also, I am on medication to aid this, I again before March have been the fittest I have ever been in my life prior to this, I do miss gym training I will be honest now, in a sense I feel I grieve sometimes because I miss what I love. It is incredible that you have gone from limited activity to running 3 or 4 times a week so well done you on that, we are all in good hands and thanks so much again Matt!!
Hi Andy, Similarly to you I was diagnosed at 46 as having heart muscle damage causing an arrhythmia missing 1 in 3 beats. The cause was a multitude of things but after 3 years of tests is thought to be due to myocarditis rather than MI. It hit me hard because I’d been swimming over a mile every other day so came out of the blue. After about 6 - 12 months my heart “remodelled” and the arrhythmia corrected but the heart muscle scarring will always be there. All I can say is there’s always light at the end of the tunnel and things will improve with time so try and focus on this if you can. As an example my gran had heart damage and heart failure again caused by a virus in her teens. She lived to 92! Broadgreen is a great hospital with some top doctors so you are in good hands.
Daily meds after a while become something you do without thinking.
Hi Stu, I have been very impressed by the treatment from all the professionals so far, I am in good hands and trust every one of them. It is astounding reading that your heart remodelled, what a journey you have been on!! I take heart in reading every-bodies journeys and stories on here, thanks so much again Stu and keep pushing forward all the time!!!!
Glad you found this forum as you will find it very helpful. Wishing you all the best
Hi Sheila, thank you so much for your kind words, I have been blown away with the response so far from people, what an amazing group this is, it has been a rough ride and I certainly miss my gym training, I miss my gym friends more than anything and the laughs, I feel the positivity in what you have written above too, a huge positive is being on this forum with all of you, this is the start!!!! Thanks so much again Sheila x
Hi Andy, welcome to the group. Like yourself I was diagnosed with heart failure but mine was last March and I was aged 41. I also was leading a very active and outdoor lifestyle. My diagnosis was a very leaky left ventricle, severe murmur and a bicuspid aortic valve which was the main problem. I had put my increasing breathlessness down to having little people and not getting out as much as I used to. Had to have avr to sort the valve. That was this Feb and am slowly getting active again taking almost a dozen pills a day. It's been a long haul but I'll get there and this group has been key to that with positive feedback when low and advice when needed. I know it's a big knock and you feel like you've probably had the rug pulled out from under but you will get back to the active lifestyle you used to have it will just take time and the support and advice you get here will hopefully help you on your way.
Life is different for me now and I have a new set of priorities which tbh is not a bad thing.
Hey Mike, let me know how you get on as time goes as well, that is massive what you have been through and my kindest thoughts are with you, there is a way back and we are all on it here, being on this group is the beginning of the journey for a lot of us, I can imagine life is different and it puts things more into perspective for us, take care yourself and I look forward to reading more of your journey, Andy!!
Will do. Did my 1st 5k run this morning in support of a local charity. Not a group event just a record your strava time and submit it. Took about 40 mins but it's a start. Next I'll be dusting off the road bike.
You're in the right place. Brilliant people on here with some great advice. I know its hard and a big shock. I had a cardiac arrest at home when I was 42 totally out of the blue. There are lots of people with advice or just a cheer up if your having a bad day. Welcome hun x
Hi there and thank you so much for your kind words and support, I have been blown away with the responses on here from you amazing people, you have done amazing to come as far as you have and to share your journey with us all, thank you again x
I think it's an awful shock at any age, and it takes a while to adjust, I was diagnosed in July and am 72. Apparently the Epstein Barr virus , which I didn't know I had, caused a lot of damage. This site helped a lot when I didn't know which symptoms were serious enough for me to seek help.
Hi there and thank you so much for reading my post, its been a huge shock, you have done amazing to come as far as you have and to share your journey with us all on here, thank you so much again!!
You have done the best thing possible by signing up you will learn from the experts who live with these sorts of things day in day out. Nothing is too hard to mention or seek help from those here. My cardiologist says there is very little we can’t do today. So leave it to the medical heroes. This is where you will get the support to calm your nerves and re assure you to stick with us and good luck.
Hi there and thank you so much!! there is everything positive in what you have written, I have been blown away with all the responses from everybody, very uplifting, a positive start!!
Hi Andy, welcome to a very supportive forum. I’m sorry to read of your experience with Covid and the complications you’ve experienced. I wish you well in your recovery.
Ive had myocarditis & pericarditis and am left with permanent damage to my heart. This forum has been really useful to ask questions and to hear some brilliant but terrible jokes 😂😂😂
My best advice at this stage is to give yourself plenty of time, don’t rush your recovery. Its that old saying
‘2 steps forward and 3 back!’ So just 1 small step at a time and you will start to see small, slow but steady improvements. I wish you well & look forward to hearing about your recovery👍🏼 and remember no question is too small- there are some wonderfully knowledgeable people on here.
Hi there, you are right, Rome was not built in a day and recovery from this will not be achieved in a day either, but time will be our ally here, I look forward to hearing about your journey also, thanks so much for your kind words!!
Hi Andy i am so sorry this has happened to you such a shock , i am 70 today actually dont like that number at all lol but , i had a mild heart attack and a stent fitted in May which was a shock for me and really worried when i was told , as i was recovering from a rotator cuff operation did'nt know i was having a heart attack just back ache that got worse over several days it didn't seem to me that it could possilby be a heart problem , this group is brilliant very good advise glad i found it too 🎃
Hi Sheila and belated happy birthday to you, and no reason why you cannot reach your next mile stone birthday!! I am sorry that this has happened to you also and we all wish you a fantastic recovery, I have a ultra sound scan this month so fingers crossed!!
It is a huge blow to be told that your heart is failing/has failed. My heart failure cane out of the blue too after an infection with legionella bacteria. I think it is fairly common for the heart to be affected following an illness but your path to diagnosis seems similar to mine. I actually could hardly stand up to take a shower and was breathless on the slightest exertion. That was several years ago and I also had a great HF nurse called Julie at the Royal Liverpool but I am now signed off cardiac clinics etc now and just keep taking the tablets as they say! You are still young and have a long life ahead of you.
Hi Mel, so sorry for the late reply, I don't manage to get on here everyday, thank you very much for your kind words, I had my MRI and CT at Broad Green they are a very good hospital, both them and Southport I have been extremely well looked after by them.
I wish us all a great recovery and the support from people on here is amazing!!!!
Hi Jan, welcome to the group, I have just read your story now, that is such a massive blow, anybody who believes Covid is just a common cold will be sorry if they caught it like we have done and suffered the long term side effects of it. I am really sorry for you, on here there are always people who will share there experiences and stories with you, you can message me, although I don't check in everyday I do reply to all messages I receive.
Big hugs Andy. You definitely have been dealt a rough ride. I’m 46 also but not fit but I’m not unhealthy it’s such a shock. I really think the reality is only setting in now for me. As I was in hospital for a week with no visitors because of covid. That was fine as I was so upset and seeing my loved ones would have made it so much more difficult. But now I’m teary and worried about how long will my heart last. Will it last for 30+more years🤷🏼♀️. Every ache or twinge is frightening. But I need to man up. I hope your keeping good and getting the support you deserve.
Hi Sorcha, I have just looked at your profile now, what you have had to deal with I reckon anybody will be concerned at the slightest twinge, I feel a bit of tightness in my chest when I begin my daily rehab walk, I am thinking perhaps that could be the medication kicking in maybe as one of them slows down my heart rate. It was a huge shock and its a game changer too, it has made me look at things differently now, you are very courageous as you have survived 2 attacks and you are on here with us sharing your amazing story.
It is great to hear from you Sorcha and I hope you are getting the support you deserve also.
Hello Andy7419. It saddens me to read your post. I’m in a similar position, 37 years old and fit and healthy. I caught covid in April and it’s led to diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Nobody seems to know anything about what this virus can do or how to reverse the effects. I hope your condition doesn’t affect your day to day living. Take care of yourself
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) so the second I saw you've had pericarditis thanks to Covid, my ears perked up. My recurrent pericarditis is thanks to having caught Dengue Fever in the mid-1990s. 
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1st Time Post - Heart Failure - The Future?
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