As the title says, CA 24 March, ambulance was already with me, have no memory of events, but told CPR/shocked, taken to hospital, emergency surgery, 3 days ITU.
Previous HA 13 years ago, 1 stent. Have had one more stent fitted, and another artery 'optimised' as on a further angiogram they couldn't get a third stent in where needed.
Have been sent home with all new meds, collosal pain in chest area (from CPR etc), and instruction I will receive 'follow up' appts.
My problem is I dknt know what I SHOULD be able to do, have already called an ambulance once for what turned out to be a probable panic attack.
I know, and appreciate, that only a small minority survive CPR, but feel like I've just been cut loose to get on with it now and I'm happy to admit it scares me.
Anyone out there been through similar with any helpful thoughts please?
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Trulee55
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Yes I did modify my lifestyle quite significantly. I was on 10mg Rosuvastatin, this has now been increased to 30mg day.
Hi there, I think we all feel like that after we've been discharged from hospital....I know I did, I was petrified, the thought "what if it happens again" was ringing through my brain and the demons inside my brain were definitely winning over the more rationale and sensible thoughts.You've just had a brilliant service and MOT on your heart, your heart is probably in better shape than it's been fir years.
It's still early days, it's only three weeks so take it steady.
Your body will tell you what you can do.
Three weeks after my angioplasty a walk round the block was about it, I felt buggered with any more.
Over a few months I bit by bit did more until after about four months it was life as normal.... although I will admit at that stage if I pushed myself too hard I did start to feel a bit rough.
If you are offered rehabilitation jump at the chance, I did mine on line supported by weekly phone calls and it did my confidence a world of good.
Thank you, am a little trapped as live in a second floor flat, so have you be sure I can get back again which puts me off doing much. Sometimes all I can manage without getting breathless is surting room to loo (about 20 steps), others I can walk the length if the hallway 3 or 4 times. Confusion is what SHOULD I be able to do
My husband had a massive heart attack and cardiac arrest. The dr's described it as having a massive punch to the chest which is painful enough but then throw in broken ribs and sturnun as well....then ouch!
I would think at this stage there is little you can do as you're probably still feeling quite weak, my husband couldn't even walk to the garden gate. However, he was advised to build his strength by gradually increasing his walks when he could but definitely no lifting of anything heavy, sometimes even filling the kettle would be too much for him.
I get the panic of every twinge and calling the ambulance, you have just gone through the ultimate experience & you don't have any memory of it, that in itself is very scary!
Can I suggest you contact your surgery & talk to your GP, hospitals are under so much pressure & it might be a while till you hear from them.
The other thing I would say is if you do Facebook there's a closed Facebook group 'sudden cardiac arrest UK' and I would highly recommend joining the group. It's a very safe, well moderated group with people who've been through CA or have witnessed it and given CPR. They're a very friendly bunch, not only do they understand what you're going through but they are affiliated to SADS so can arrange counseling for you if you need it, they have a consultant cardiologist on board as well.
It's very hard for people who haven't experienced a CA/CPR to understand what you're going through, how this impacts you, loss of memory, anger, fear, intolerance etc. At the moment in time I would simply concentrate on getting through what has been an incredibly difficult time for you.
If there's anything I can help you with please don't hesitate to ask,happy for you to PM if you prefer to be private about it.
I hope it puts your mind at rest to know my husband's heart attack and cardiac arrest was in 1997 & although he's has serious health issues, both heart related and non heart related, he's never had another HA or cardiac arrest. Also if the hospital were concerned that you could have another cardiac arrest they would have fitted you with an ICD (implantable cardiac device) before leaving hospital. If you have had an ICD fitted take comfort from knowing it's your own personal paramedic that will try & correct any abnormal heart rhythm and if that doesn't work it will automatically shock your heart to restart it (in much the same way an external defibrillator shocked you, except it would be an internal shock) take care
My brother in law had an out of hospital cardiac arrest several years ago. Witnessed by my nephew who was 4 years old at the time. He had had a massive heart attack.
He survived he was resuscitated by an off duty life guard walking through the park at the time.
It takes time to come to terms with such a life changing event.
Some hospitals offer counselling otherwise perhaps ask your GP to refer you if you feel you need some psychological support.
Have the Cardiac rehab team made contact with you?
They can certainly help with advice about exercise and lifestyle changes.
There is a support group for people who have had a cardiac arrest, there are also several other forum members who have had a cardiac arrest and hopefully they will be along soon to offer you more support.
Isn't it a sad state of affairs to be left feeling you've been "cut loose and left to get on with it", sadly, all too common lately.Firstly, in calling an ambulance, even if it was a panic attack, was exactly the right thing to do, and don't hesitate to do it again if you need to.
Secondly, where are the community services teams? I would get in touch with your local health centre/doctor and ask for a home visit from the community matron, you are exactly the type of patient she should be getting involved with and at least be advising you, coordinating other departments to contact you, and providing the care you need, that is what a community matron does.
Until a recent shake up in the team here, my OH had the best matron you could ever imagine and "got things done".
Hi Trulee55, wow you really have been through it & you are a survivor, you have stared it down and beaten it back, brilliant. Time will now allow things to come into focus and perspective, I remember JohnH100 offering me the same reasoning after my HA in Feb...your heart's had a really good service and MOT. I recall my Registrar telling me on discharge that this is the lowest point for my heart and things will only improve moving on.
Both very sound and reassuring advice and most definitely true. Good luck and get on with enjoying life.
Hi Trulee55Your story reminds me of my own. I had HA at home in 2017 and went into Cardiac Arrest as the ambulance man helped me out of the house. Emergency angiogram, 5 stents and home 3 days later. On the way out of the Catheter Lab the nurse said to me something along the lines of 'we have fixed your body, now you have to to fix your mind"
I had angina two weeks later and spent another night in hospital after calling an ambulance. (Now you have a CA on your record they will always take you to hospital)
It took about three weeks to start walking any distance again, I just built it up slowly starting on the flat and introducing hills as I got stronger. By April I was able to walk Kinder Scout!
I made a good physical recovery and was able to walk , cycle and play sports again. But I became more anxious and got stressed easily.
The Rehab course started after about 8 weeks, I chased it through my GP after I had heard nothing. It is helpful , not least in starting gentle exercise and also in meeting other people who have had a HA.
Years later I still cannot lie in bed on my left side. They did not report breaking any ribs with the CPR but they certainly did something!
More recently I have struggled with Unstable Angina and that has certainly made the anxiety worse, it is a vicious circle as the anxiety feeds the angina and vice versa.
Like you I felt somewhat abandoned by the health service especially during lockdown when the only way to see a consultant was privately or via A&E.
I was interested to see reference to a Facebook group for people who have suffered CA, I will join that too.
When I left hospital I just felt grateful to be alive, and as the years go by you forget what you have been through and tend to expect more and more of yourself and your health. It is perhaps worth remembering how lucky we both are to be writing these words!
I was told that the survival rate for a CA out of hospital is about 10%, in truth it is better than that when you have a trained ambulance man beside you. But it is still not a high number.
Not surprisingly, when you have unexplained chest pains you will feel scared and anxious. It would be odd if you did not. I don't know that there is any way of avoiding this, we just have to learn to cope with it.
My only advice is to take things slowly, and in time your physical and mental health will improve and things will return to 'normal', or more likely, a new normal for you.
Hi Trulee, welcome to the forum. I had a SCA at home 8 years ago. After 9 days on a ventilator and a month on hospital I made it home. Give your body and mind time to heal. I ended up having CBT and then EMDR therapy and found this helped me so much. You need time hun and you will get there x
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