Kristin1812Heart Star2 years ago

It’s so unnerving, isn’t it? Like facing your own mortality. I’m sure your anxiety will settle down as daily life takes over.

I am convinced our hypersensitivity to our body’s every little twinge after a HA is the way we learn what is serious and what isn’t. What to react to, and what not to.

It’s a long time since my heart attacks, and my new life is good. It will be for you, too.

Hidden in reply to Kristin18122 years ago

Thanks for that and for taking the time to reply

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FiftyNotOut2 years ago

Morning! Sorry you’re going through this. I’m around eight weeks on from a STEMI, which was totally out of the blue. The anxiety you’re experiencing sounds totally normal to me. I can’t promise it’ll vanish, but it will get better. I found nighttime particularly difficult when I first came out of hospital. I’d get panicked that I couldn’t breathe or something would happen while I was asleep. That’s eased now. I found writing stuff down helps. Also gradually doing a bit more to build confidence up. Look how far you’ve come rather than how far you have to go.

Hidden in reply to FiftyNotOut2 years ago

Thanks for that and taking the time to reply.

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Thatwasunexpected2 years ago

Hi John, and welcome to normality!

*** cue spooky music ***

You are not alone!

What you're feeling is completely and utterly normal but does improve over time.

I found that the key thing for dealing with it was to do stuff. It's great that you'd already established the getting fit mentality, try not to let that slip. Every safely completed walk or workout or run or bike ride is a reminder to your subconscious that everything's good in there.

You can logically know that they've had a good look around in there and fixed what needs fixing but that primitive part of your brain that insists that bogeymen and sabre tooth tigers hide in the dark takes a bit more convincing. And that takes time.

Fwiw, 2 1/2 years on from a heart attack and stent to my LAD (and beingv108kg and horribly unfit when it happened), I'm now running 3x a week (up to 10k and extending), at the gym twice a week (one general session & one circuits class), and heading for a half marathon in September.

I still get some days when I get an odd twinge and the worries kick in but I can mostly ignore them now and, if they get too annoying, then going for an extra gentle run squashes them - it's hard to believe there's anything wrong after half an hour of jogging!

Take it steady, build back up, and every morning you wake up after a worried, sleepless, night tell yourself that the worry was a waste of effort because you're still here.

Eventually your mind will get the message

Hidden in reply to Thatwasunexpected2 years ago

Thats brilliant thank you.

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Hidden2 years ago

Hi John,You've had such a shock!!! It will.just take some time for you to unjust physically and emotionally to this. Just try to be kind to yourself ,allow yourself plenty time to rest, and eventually things will begin to settle down and you will start to feel " the old you' coming back. It just takes time. I had my HA 11 weeks ago and I'm just beginning to allow myself to relax now!! Good luck

Hidden in reply to Hidden2 years ago

Thanks, great to know that I'm not alone

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Hidden2 years ago

Hi John , as everyone else has said , it does take time , I had my heart attack 9 weeks ago or ten weeks ago now , I didn’t sleep for five days afterwards not even in hospital I was absolutely terrified it was going tk happen as soon as a closed my eyes , I recall being so exhausted sick and stressed that at four am I was clearing out my knicker drawer much today my husband distress . I get how you’re feeling I still get pains and twinges I still feel ‘why me’ . It will get better but when? For me it’s been two steps forward and two steps back and I don’t feel I’m going forward fast enough . So I also know that hearing the words it will get better mean nothing to you right this minute. I get it , it’s shit , it’s utter shit , the changes your gona make will also be kinda shit , but you can make it less shit with trying to look at the positive . You are here , your wife loves you , take it all one day at a time , cuddle her more , cherish every second , and right now best thing for you is to just talk about everything. Much love .

Hidden in reply to Hidden2 years ago

You just brought a tear to me eye, thanks for taking the time to reply, I'm lucky to have such a brilliant partner.

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BongoBaggins2 years ago

The way I look at it is, after my stents were fitted I'm at far less risk of a HA than I was (I actually had a sudden CA during the procedure). You're here and you're more likely to stay here than you were.Look after yourself mate

Thatwasunexpected in reply to BongoBaggins2 years ago

Yep. The day before "heart attack" wasn't even on the radar despite the blockages we knew nothing about (but had been there probably for years).

The day after, the blockages are fixed thanks to miracle medics but all we can think about is "heart attack".

But it really does ease up

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Hidden in reply to BongoBaggins2 years ago

Thanks, your right, Ive had my MOT and service.......I need to focus on the positive

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Hidden2 years ago

I went back to bed at 2.30am, I had to leave the bedside light on....going back to my childhood!! I fell asleep and didnt wake until 9.30 am.......feeling a bit more chilled this am, thanks everyone for your words, it has helped.

Hidden in reply to Hidden2 years ago

This is great ! I also was awake at 2.30am and woke at 9 , not that long ago I would have panicked cus omg I have to work all day I’ll not cope without sleep !! Argh ,, now it’s ok right?!? 😂😂 small blessings

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Hidden2 years ago

Just had a call from my local Cardiac Support Team, we had a good chat, I've got an appointment for Natalie, my support nurse to call me back next Wednesday, that call will last 45 minutes, Ive got to take it easy until then, apparently we will discuss my medication, I'll have to take my blood pressure during the conversation, my phsical rehabilitation and emotional state......got to say thats pleased me. One thing for sure its good to talk and not bottle it up.

shopman2 years ago

One thing I learned is that before doing any strenuous exercise is to have a squirt of your GTN spray first. Seemed to work well for me.

Hidden in reply to shopman2 years ago

Yes, I did that in the early days of angina, it definately works.

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Hoocher2 years ago

It's very normal to feel anxious and the pains are most probably anxiety. I went through months of anxiety after my HA in Oct 19. Readmitted to hospital 3 times thinking I was having another. Turned out to be anxiety pains. It does get easier, I was the same , felt safe in hospital but at home at night as soon as I turned the lights off I panicked. I ended up sleeping with a low light on which helped. I had an ICD fitted in May 2020 and 99%of my anxiety disappeared within days. I also got counselling with IAPT through the cardio rehab team which helped. Might be worth speaking to your cardio rehab nurse.

Hidden2 years ago

Thanks Hoocher, it's getting better, didn't get out of bed last night and I beat the gremlins with my logical thoughts.

TAstar2 years ago

Hi John,It's so interesting reading your posts as it is a very similar story to my husband. He was under investigation for angina after thinking that his cough, tiredness and breathlessness were a lung condition. It all escalated very quickly and a week after being given the GTN spray he had a heart attack. This gave him AF and an angiogram revealed a blockage which was cleared and a stent fitted

This was only four weeks ago in York hospital. He was sent home with a booklet and wasn't even told he'd had a heart attack, it was only after speaking to the cardiac nurse that he found out. This was quite a shock and it has taken a while but he is slowly coming to terms with it.

He struggled to sleep as the attack happened when he was asleep and a week after discharge he had another episode when his heart went into AF in his sleep but this has improved.

We feel the after care support has been lacking, 7 cardiac nurses have been reduced to only 2 in our area and we have had to rely on Google and BHF website.

We realise recovery will be a slow process and it's reassuring that he isn't the only one feeling this way

Take care,

Jayne and Eddie

Hidden in reply to TAstar2 years ago

Unbelievable, only 30/40 miles away and such different standards.I can understand your husband's feelings.

After two brilliant days I've had a few aches and pains today and it does set the gremlins loose.

The Drs in A&E, were the first to tell me I'd had a heart attack, followed by all the other Drs and surgeons I saw.

The surgeon who did the procedure in tbe Cath Lab even spoke about it and seeing the reason why!!

All the best

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