Hi my name is steve and 3 years ago I had a aortic mech valve fitted and partial aorta root replacement. It's been a long journey for me. I'm a landscape gardener in my mid fifties but so aware of my heart condition. I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder which is treated with meds, I have cardiomyopathy caused by being born with a bi cuspit aortic valve.
I've gone back to my landscape Gardening business but have struggled thinking I cant do it because of my heart problem. My doctor tells me to keep doing my garden business but no heavy lifting. So I usually get a young guy to do the heavy stuff. I've had some problems with my heart function recently and my cardiologist changed my meds. My heart function. has greatly improved. I suffer from post operative pain around ny sternum area and have been back to see my surgeon thinking I could have my sternum wires removed. He said they wont do that and to take regular paracetemol. I'm prescribed codrydomal for pain but just feel im not the man I used to be. Guess I'm older but anxiety plays on my mind thinking I'm not going to live much longer. I get a lot of satisfaction with my trade seeing people gardens transformed but still I think my days are numbered. My mental health has been on the whole stable so my head doctor said to me not to give up my Gardening and landscaping because there links to relieving anxiety by doing the work I do.
As I dont speak to other people who have been through the same mill as me in thought I would throw this out there hoping theres someone in my position too.
I have a lovely family but my wife gets tired of my moaning so better to go hear I guess.
Its winter and dark nights and were in Scotland that too.
Thanks
Steve.
Written by
Bobbymrg
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When we have any heart issue the life we knew flies out of the window and our new life flies in. Doesn’t sound good does it but it can be. We have medication to take doctors appointments to keep a healthy diet and exercise!
You have got back to your gardening business so ok maybe the very heavy lifting is not good but as you say there’s ways round it.
You have got through the first 3 years I am 5 years on. Though I have a tissue valve so I have a shelf life😂
Understand about the cold dark nights I too live in Scotland, but the days will be lengthening soon.
We all go through dark thoughts we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. You are a survivor you made it. Ok it’s not been easy but your still standing.
This is not meant to sound wimpish but I had a pretty awful heart time for a few months earier this year and dreadful anxiety.I had talking therapy and Meds but one thing that helped a lot at the time was guided meditation.I did it twice a dayI never thought I was the type for it...quite anti hocus pocus....but it did help,a lot. .
Hello Steve
Usually it is men saying they are sick of hearing the wife's moaning makes a change the other way round
I am sure she is not sick of hearing you but maybe just does not know what to say anymore because if someone has not been through the same experience it can be so very hard for them to understand
You have a job that sounds fantastic
I love my garden and I created as I am acrophobic and do not get out like a magical wonderland , I got so much enjoyment from doing it and even if I say so myself people would say wow when they saw it
I am moving house in a few months and having to take it apart now and it makes me so sad but my point is I can imagine that satisfaction you get transforming other people's gardens and money cannot give you that feeling and so I can see why everyone is saying stick with it because if you gave it up it might make you depressed and like you say you have someone younger to do the heavy work
I also understand after what you have been through how it leaves us in fear
I had a triple Bypass and I constantly worry , every twinge , if I do to much will my heart be ok the thoughts go on and on and on and for me my Mental Health is far from stable
I know you might have already but if you could get some or even go private therapy could help
You say your Mental health is stable yet something is still there or you would not have these fears niggling away so a little more help might just get this into perspective
Tell yourself , your Consultants , Doctors have a close eye on you , they are advising you to carry on and they are the one's that saved you so they would not advise something if they thought you were not fit enough
I know it is easy for me to say and harder for us to do when we are suffering but know you are not the only one and that it is normal to worry but you are not alone in feeling this way and you can come and moan to us and give your wife a break anytime you want
Also I for one if you post again would love to see a picture of one of your wonderful creations you have done on a garden , could do with some ideas for when I move and have my new garden which this time I want a wow factor but little maintenance involved x
Hi, I had similar to you May'19 and also am suffering from a sore chest just now. I'm sure it's structural, had ecg, xray etc in November & all OK.I'm doing up an old defender & had overdone it I guess followed by the worst cold since my op and am still suffering so it's reassuring to hear your story.
I'm Gorebridge so we might even have had the same surgeon!
I think many of us (yes we men too) fret about every ache, pain and twinge. I'm sure we had them before our main incident so to speak, but we ignored or even didn't notice them. I can't say for sure, but in my case I had no idea I was poorly until angina and heart bypass op within a couple of months.
Now I fret about the aches, and am constantly trying to define, is it my heart, my sternum or the muscles around them (18 months after op).
I do weight training as often as I can, I don't want to be a hulk, I just think it makes me feel more able to return to normal. Given your job, I am sure you are using many muscles all day long, but I would highly recommend getting some dumbbells and doing some workouts at home. Jo Wicks on You Tube has many workouts worth trying. (No, I don't get commission 🤣), but I do feel that if I have another episode I will be strong enough to get over it.
I'm not sure the weightlifting is such a good idea. I was expressly advised on many occassions to avoid weightlifting. It raises the blood pressure beyond safe limits and is expressly forbidden as exercise for cardiac patients.
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