Positive Recovery Stories

[Seaguller]

Hi All

Been feeling a bit anxious lately with lots of possibilities floating round my mind. Just wondering if anyone had any really good examples of them recovering / stabilising with their heart condition and living life to the full!

Cheers P

[Hidden]

Morning mate, I had a HA in June and spent over a week in hospital, I've never felt as lonely or scared in my life connected up to those machines with lights flashing and alarms sounding all night....I committed those feelings to my memory to use as reminders if I ever found my self straying to poor life style choices going forward.Now 6 months later I've she'd a couple of stone, I'm still 16 stone and a couple of pounds....but that's over 2 stone lighter than I was.

I'm fitter than I've been for years, in 20 minutes I'll be off to a Fitsteps class, I do exercise every day.

I won't lie, there have been shit days when I've felt dreadful, I still have issues with my medication, but I'm still here and at 69 years old Ive got plenty to look forward to.

To me the HA gave me the wake up call I needed.....and I've taken good notice.

Medication can do so much, there's a lot more we can do.

It's surprising how some days I kick off feeling bit lethargic, I don't let that feeling win, I get off my arse and go for a good walk and I always come back home with a bounce in my step.

We are spending Christmas down at the sons with the grandkids, next year we have holidays booked to Maderia and Tenerife, importantly, Covid restrictions allowing, I feel fit, well and confident enough to do these things.

[babssugar in reply to Hidden]

HiJust reading your post has given me a boost

What a strong minded gent you are

Love this forum

😃

[Prada47]

Hello

Well lets start in 1982 I was 34 driving home from the Office felt really bad realised something was quite seriously wrong. Stopped outside a Dentists house knocked his door and he took me and phoned his Dr and an Ambulance. Both arrived and straight away said Heart Attack so off to the ARI ( Aberdeen ) No Stents back in 82 !! so after about 5 days sent on my way Just to show how things have changed I didn't leave with a bunch of Meds, nothing at all.

After being transferred to another position my boss just said your career is now taking a different path which sure enough it did.

I worked all over the World in the Middle East in Desert Locations Hours away from the nearest Medical Assistance should I need it. Just over a year in Rural China was I must admit a challenge.

To be Honest it takes a lot of Mental Resilience to able to mange the Cards you have been dealt and I understand that I am lucky to be in this situation !!!

I was working in the USA in 2001 when driving home from work I started with a headache which I recognised as not Normal. So I stopped off at Walmart's took a self administered blood pressure check and it was fine . So off Home and my Wife said this is not right so we went to the ( Emergency Room ) at a small local Hospital they had a scanner so hey ho got scanned. My wife had run through my history and when the Dr came back he just said this is a lot more Serious than having a Heart Attack you have a Bleed in your Brain and the nearest Hospital with a head unit was 120 miles in Jackson so in an Ambulance and a long journey followed. ( they had planned a helicopter but weather was to bad ) Next step was an operation to embolise the bleed which worked but still needed further work so this was followed by Gamma Knife to blitz the AVM which took 2 years to fully correct the problem.

So I worked for a further 2 years and then called it a day, and retired

Fast forward to 2015 seeing my GP for something else she said you seems a little short of breath I will do an ECG mmmmm that doesn't seem right I will fax it to Cardiology, so Echo, Bruce protocol followed by Angiogram . The Cardiologist said after the angio you have some blockages I think I can sort them with Stents. Good . 30 minutes later he came back and said having reviewed your pictures with the Team you need OHS so lets get on with it !!

2018 Angina pains returned so another MRI followed by Angiogram and then you need stents in your bypassed LAD, Your RCA is 100% blocked and there is nothing we can do without a lot of Risk and I don't think it is worth the possible Reward.

2021 bloody pain back again so booked in for a Profusion MRI in January the Story goes On.

I will be 75 in September and still think I am around 40

I really think I could go back to work and perform a reasonable job, so it I believe this is a positive story and long may it continue.

Happy Christmas Everyone

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Prada47]

Many thanks for your brilliant post. I liked the bit about your age versus mental age. I'm 70 in February, but 32 in reality..... according to me! I'm looking forward to climbing a couple of Munros later this week. 😀

[Prada47]

Just a question is Seaguller because you are a Brighton Supporter ??

[Seaguller in reply to Prada47]

Yes!

[Prada47 in reply to Seaguller]

My grandfather played for Brighton before and after WW1 he was in the Footballers Battalion !!!He was the first Brighton player to signon for the Army at Chelsea Town Hall. He was a Geordie so would be difficult to understand. One thing I do know about him is was either Right or Left Footed. Come on the Seagulls

Regards

[Seaguller in reply to Prada47]

Fantastic! I'll look him up

[Hidden]

Dear Seaguller,

I find that taking each day at a time { God that saying used to really bug me until I needed and understood it } is the best way to deal with most of life’s problems.

Also most people that have recovered from their heart problems are more likely to come off this forum and be getting on with their new lives.

It’s hard to get a true picture of anything just by a forum { as I’m sure you already know } what about the thousands that never join one, or the silent members that don’t comment.

When I look at the “best of the best” etc competitor’s, be that the Olympics or strictly come dancing , I am reminded that I’m watching and supporting the best of the best that came forward to be tested, there maybe a lot more talented people out there that for what ever reason don’t come forward.

I hope that you can find answers to your situation, the odds tell us that there will be someone else out here that mirrors both your illness and it’s effects.

But that doesn’t mean that others like myself, who don’t mirror you, cannot send the best wishes and thoughts to you in the hope that it will help you in some small way.

Hopefully we will all get a little better with the passing of time, to what level that reaches is as individual as us.

Take care

[Seaguller in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your comments

[Chappychap]

"wondering if anyone had any really good examples of them recovering / stabilising with their heart condition and living life to the full!"

You're setting the bar too low Seaguller...I (along with plenty of others on this forum) haven't just recovered/stabilised, we're actually far more active and vigorous than we were before being introduced to the medics!

There are lots of people here who used their heart problem as their cue to quit smoking, exercise regularly, eat healthily, loose weight, manage stress, stop drinking, etc, etc. And as a consequence are now enjoying a second lease of life.

I'd just assumed that because I'd reached my 60's I was slowing down as part of the natural ageing process. It turns out that was nonsense.

Open heart surgery and a new healthy life style means that my wife and I now spend our time travelling the world and fully experiencing wherever we go (463 steps to the top of Florence's Duomo...easy peasy!), sailing all over the south coast (including trips to Brighton marina, wave if you see us!), and attempting new challenges (we're currently adding Latin to our ballroom dancing skills, so we can cha-cha and rumba our way around tropical cruises!).

We're all capable of so much more than we believe, and it's a tragedy to let our heart problems prevent us enjoying this beautiful, amazing life to the absolute max.

Good luck!

[Seaguller in reply to Chappychap]

Thank You. God bless you and your wife

[Seaguller in reply to Chappychap]

Thank you. Are you on any meds at all?

[MountainGoat52]

Like others have said, life can be better after surgery than before it. I certainly feel great, I have days when I don't even think about my medical history, to the extent that when people ask about my heart, I am genuinely surprised. Those that know me well have stopped asking and just go by how I look. 😀

Of course there are days when life is more difficult.... usually down to situations caused by someone else! People - dont you just love them! 😁 I find getting out for a walk cures many an ill and certainly helps mentally. This year I set myself a 1,000 mile challenge and I am nearing my goal. What next year will bring, who knows.... I must set myself some task. Maybe more visits to Scotland to climb more Munros. As we say in the hill walking fraternity, onwards and upwards!

Best wishes for the future,

Gerald

[Seaguller in reply to MountainGoat52]

Thanks Gerald. Are you on any meds at all? Are you classed as a heart failure patient?

[MountainGoat52]

My meds are just maintenance doses - Aspirin, Losartan, Bisoprolol, Rosuvastatin and Vitamin B (to control my homocysteine level - hereditary issue that led to me having a blood clot and heart attack). I take the lot with my breakfast cereal followed by a cup of tea. Then it's on with my day!

I usually visit this forum while I'm having breakfast after which I put my tablet off. It's a case of out of sight, out of mind. I don't usually think about my health unless the subject is raised.

Getting out for a walk (started back in the 1990s when I had an office in a village) and a healthy diet is part of daily life. I think nothing of getting up at 2.30 am to drive to the hills and go walking. I very much adhere to the "use it or lose it" philosophy. Okay I have some arthritis, but the pain is only transitory and not really any worse for doing exercise.

As for classification, thankfully I'm nowhere near HF. When they did an ultrasound on my heart, they found it hard to find the damage caused by the heart attack. This was probably down to the fact that when I had my HA, I was blue lighted straight to the local cath lab.... all done and dusted within 90 minutes of calling 999. The NHS at its very best. I was referred for bypass surgery to deal with the remaining issues and even had my stents bypassed. Again, the very best from the NHS. My surgeon told me to go out and live life and I do thank him when I get to the top of the mountains.

I realise that I am extremely fortunate. I saw some very poorly people when I was in Papworth after my surgery. This is what makes me determined to keep fit and enjoy life. The dice could quite easily have rolled the other way.

Keep safe and stay positive. There will be bumps on the road, but that's life.

Gerald