Hello

[HMTwinnie]

My twin brother had a heart attack at the weekend, he had 2 stent procedures and is now home. It has scared him and everyone in the family. From being 'fit', to feeling fragile and stunned, little overwhelmed by recovery ahead, looking to see if this community can provide some support, advice etc..

[080311]

Hello HMTwinnie

Welcome to the forum, it’s not a place I bet you ever thought you would be joining but it’s a place you will certainly get the support you are looking for.

It’s a very scary place he and the rest of the family are looking at, one minute fine the next we have a heart problem. I know for me it was if the ground had opened up under my feet.

But there are things we can do to help ourselves, healthy eating, look at the Mediterranean diet recommended by BHF, look on their website lots of hints and recipes. Gentle exercise to start with, and if he smokes stop.

I have no doubt he as been given a bag of medication so take the pills on time, we have to learn a different language! But he will pick it up very quickly.

Try and get him on the cardio rehab course, it will start to give him back some of the confidence that will have disappeared.

If you have any questions just post and someone will be along to help. We are a merry band of Hearties and trying to help each other through this process of heart issues.

Sending you and your brother best wishes Pauline.

,

[Beatles1956]

Hi HMTWINNIEYou will get a lot of support here, don't be afraid to post/ask.

I found it useful to write out a chart of what drugs to take at what time of day, helped me until I got into the rhythm of them.

Also, don't try to overdo anything, baby steps with everything - just do what the docs and nurses say (and you get a lot of sense from the nurses) .

The BHF website and helpline will also be useful.

Wishing your brother all the best.

[HMTwinnie in reply to Beatles1956]

Thank you!! Meds have caused him to be on the loo all day today, unfortunately. Not good. Definitely will reach out on this forum. Thanks for the advice. Best wishes

[RufusScamp in reply to HMTwinnie]

The meds may be getting rid of excess fluids. Still worth mentioning to his care team though. It is a shock finding yourselves joining us, but we know how you are feeling, and can give you support and encouragement. The attack is a warning. If he follows advice, he may well be healthier than he was before. It would not do you and family any harm to follow the same advice on diet and exercise.Keep us posted.

[HMTwinnie in reply to RufusScamp]

Thank you Rufusscamp. Hes going to reach out to his GP today if his tummy is not better. Family are also making changes to diet and exercise it's a wake up call for all. Other bothers have had cholesterol checks, bacon, sausages thrown out! I'm vegan so benefit from non dairy meat free diet, but making other adjustments as needed. Thanks for the support.

[Boohbette17]

Hello HMTwinnie, your post stopped my eyes in its tracks looking thru my feed. I 'd just like to give good vibes to your brother & you/family as well. My family is tight knit so I feel the love in your post. You will see I am most active on the Thyroid community as I have Hashimotos but my father had many heart attacks way back when the were new to angioplasty. Soo many advances since, my mother had a myriad of health issues including a major stroke, and my brother had a subarachnoid hemorrhage & survived an amazing repair. That said I have learned much of what a fellow numbers have mentioned about the diet is very very powerful ( as you being vegan already know) I just like to add maybe studying about supplements that help the heart too. And , some very old-school tip to help with loo issues., some cooked rice or some cheese usually binds you up . Just a little ! you don't want your brother to be truly bound up mind you .

Lots of love & light to both of you & family 🥰🙏🤗☀️👍

[HMTwinnie in reply to Boohbette17]

Thank you so much xx

[Boohbette17 in reply to HMTwinnie]

You're very welcome 🥰🥰

[Allan007]

Well, I am a twin myself and 3 months ago I had one stent put into place, after a heart attack and 3 weeks later had a X3 bypass.Total shock to myself, family and everybody that knows me - as I was a fit man, running my own business and done sports all my life and won some honors.

I sit here and wonder " Why me ? " when my twin brother is still eating everything I love to eat and he is still smoking - he also retired from work 5 years ago.

I am out walking every day and I also go and do our weekly shopping and I hope to return to work next month - some times I can not believe what has happened to me - I have my good and bad days and your brother will get there - it takes time and you will get a lot of good advice over here.

[Heart124]

Hi. It is scary. I am 66 female and a diabetic. On 1 Oct I woke up with an ache in my left arm and my heart not too bad plus felt hot and bothered not right at all. I called ambulance and they were there in 10 mins I was taken to hospital straight into theatre and one stent put in. I had had a heart attack and had a blocked artery. I was in hospital for 7 days first 5 days too weak to even have a shower. I got breathless but went home after 7 days. End of Oct I went back and had 3 stents put in. Since the heart attack my recovery has been good I can and could see day by day I was getting better. I am doing cardio rehab classes and this week started a phased return to work. Just to say I still worry but I keep positive. I try to walk every day at least a mile. It’s taken me 3 months to get to this point. If I get a bad tummy as well as the prescribed landoprzole I take probiotic which I buy from health shop. My tummy is still not 100% I am now a fussy eater although I eat every meal and eat veg and fruit etc. I don’t eat as much and don’t fancy sone foods that I used to eat ok. I have lost weight which is a good thing for me.

[Hidden]

Dear HMTwinnie

Hello and a warm welcome to you.

I could not pass your post without typing a reply to you with the hope that I can assure you that you, your family and your brother are not alone and a massive blanket of support is unfolding in front of you by joining this forum.

I cannot begin to understand the love and closeness that you have with your twin and how his mortality worries must reflect in you and your loved ones.

But at this moment it is him that is ill and because of your love for him, it has hit both you and the rest of the family hard.

There is help out here now for families, with dedicated help groups { you will have a local one }

Ask away questions on here, which we will do our best to answer remembering that most of us are not medically trained .

The site has great ref and self help pages, just use the search function.

But most of all take care of each other,

Give your brother our deepest regards

You are all in my thoughts

[Bigheart58]

I was also moved by your post and wanted to offer my support and best wishes to your brother for a speedy recovery.

I had a major heart attack almost 2 years ago and it was a huge shock for me. What I would say is that your brother needs to look after himself and take time to adjust to his new reality.

The meds can play havoc with your bodily functions but this is usually just temporary. Your body needs time to adjust and it is important to allow it to recover naturally. Diet and exercise are extremely important in aiding the recovery process. The BHF website offers a lot of helpful advice on both these issues.

I viewed my heart attack as a warning to change my lifestyle and reduce the amount of stress in my life.

It takes time but I feel I’ve made some positive changes over the past two years. Hopefully these will stand me in good stead in the future.

The fact is your brother and I are amongst those lucky ones who survived. He should try to focus on this and do whatever he can to look after himself as much as possible.

Good luck to you both!

[Haresear55]

Hi HMTwinnie,I had a STEMI heart attack with a stent placed over two months ago. I had no conditions prior except a family history of heart issues on both sides. Started cardio rehab but going slow as I have heart damage and thrombus. Exercising is on the easy side for now. I have much fatigue along with good and bad days. I understand that recovery takes time and varies for each person. Your bother will gain physical and emotional strength. For me, I focus on doing the needed actions such as meds, diet, and exercise to move ahead. I will be starting work from home, next week, to see how it goes. I am staying away from in person teaching for a bit. Welcome and stay connected.

[Gratitude99]

Hello there and welcome !I am also new to this forum after a heart attack and stent procedures almost 2 months ago.

You have found a wonderful space here to get the support you need.

Having a HA is such a shock to all the systems of the body and is a very scary event. I was quite numb in the beginning and only now really feeling my emotions. Your brother is very fortunate to have your love and support.

I felt very afraid and alone in trying to accept and come to terms with what happened to me ...in fact I am still processing and expect I will be for quite some time. I was also healthy and this was quite unexpected. It was so helpful to read other peoples experiences and helped me to realize my feelings and concerns are quite normal. Things do get better, of course there are some ups and downs adjusting to meds/anxiety and lifestyle changes etc. I still have some healing to do but I can see progress each week and I celebrate the small victories.

Keep checking in with your concerns......your brother will likely benefit from this website also. I wish your brother well .......please make sure you are also nurturing and taking care of yourself like you said it is a big shock for everyone in the family.

love and warm hugs

😍