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[Indianchief]

Hi iv recently been diagnosed with haveing a heart attact has been not easy to process this information as yes i had mild chest pains and numbness in my left arm for a few day priyer to addmiting myself into A&E spent 4days in hospital and was disscharged with 5 differant types of medication and a stent the nhs staff i ow my life to (Thankyou!X)thay where all so kind, careing ,i was disscharged on sat 7th may i live alone and have feelings of anxiety light pains in my chest and experiencing pulpertations in my chest and no days are the same had a few days good going for walks talking and reassuring my family that im fine but really feel iv got a lot of questions on what im experienceing and how to move forwards following the right way to do it feel abit lost ,this normal and part of the process? i feel a little lost with it all, not really knowing what i can and can't do? but rest, i was reasonably fit before this gym and swimming heathy life style but cigarettes i battled with im please to say iv not touched a cigarette or vapp since being disscharged ( 4th may 2022) im on nicotine patches but still haveing cravings now and again witch is a battle, the reason for joining i live alone as iv said and thought I'd join for anyone whos been though this and can shed some light on what I'm experiencing is normal? and any advise welcome. Thankyou!.

[Hidden]

Hello & Welcome

When something happens like this I think we have all felt the same it is such a shock and it leaves most feeling anxious for quite a while till we build are confidence up again and you will but this is very early days and it will take time

I think you should be honest with your family and friends if you are struggling now is the time to get all the support you can

While in Hospital did a Rehab nurse come round and see you and give you her contact number ?

Hopefully they did and I would suggest if not phone the ward you were on and ask

Use the Rehab Nurses to ask questions or worries you may have they are very supportive when you have been discharged as well as they usually do Rehab classes which you could join but it is a little early at the moment but good to know where they are for when the time is right and when they run

Members will give you some great advice on here with so much knowledge that as you get more replies you will not feel alone and you will know you have somewhere you can come and talk

Keep us updated how your recovery goes x

[Indianchief in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou! yes thay did come and talk to me but at the time i was still trying to take in what had happened to me and i had to tell my family when i got out saturday as i couldnt take in what was going on with me and my concerns for them on what i was about to tell them. ile call them monday Thankyou!!

[Hidden in reply to Indianchief]

Hello

I understand I did not take anything in either but if you phone the ward you were on they will give you their number

Hope you manage to make contact with them x

[Chappychap]

Congratulations on stopping smoking, I've been there so I appreciate how brutally hard it can be. But it's worth the struggle, it really really is. Because stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can to prevent another heart attack.

Deaths from heart attacks have halved from the 1970's to today. Yes, there have been some significant medical advances, particularly in stenting which can literally be a life saver for many heart attack victims. But the biggest reason behind the decline in heart attack deaths is probably the dramatic fall in smoking (both active and passive smoking) that's occurred over the same period.

The hard fact is that anyone who smokes has chosen to stay with 1970's lethal levels of heart risk.

So, I say again, congratulations on quitting. That's an absolutely massive achievement, and you deserve to be very proud of yourself!

Good luck!

[Indianchief in reply to Chappychap]

Thankyou! for message means a lot takeing it day at a time its getting easyer and i feel that i ow it to all the doctors and nurse's at the nhs for fixing me bsck up again (Thankyou! x ) . Thanks again🙂

[Qualipop]

A very very normal reaction. The worry is even greater when yo live alone. YOu shoudl eventually be invited o cardiac rehab but in the mean time I suggest you take your discharge letter to your g P and ask him to translate it for you. MIne was like a foreign language but my GP was brilliant; he explained everything, how much damage had been caused, what each tablet was for, he likely effects; what I could and couldn't do. Are you getting help with the smoking from your GPO's smoking cessation service? Contact them . You get free patches and support from a nurse.

[Indianchief in reply to Qualipop]

Thankyou! qualipop for you message really kind of you to take time out your life to drop me a message ile look into what you have suggested and help .Thankyou! again i hope alls going ok for you 🙂

[isobelhannah18]

It's very normal. I had led a very healthy lifestyle for about 35 years so there wasn't anything I could change and I felt very lost and very anxious for several months. Every twinge was another heart attack! I gradually calmed down with the fantastic support of the cardiac rehab nurses and this forum. Both answered lots of questions and provided support. And as I found out on here there are no stupid questions! Well done on stopping smoking.

[Indianchief in reply to isobelhannah18]

Thankyou! its doing me good to hear this, and easy to go into oh wow is me thing im normaly leval headed but processing has been a little hard rang the nurse today had a long chat got some answers your right very helpful and put my mind in a better place .Thankyou! for your message and understanding very kind of you to message me very greatful x

[Gilling45]

I understand totally, had a heart attack January and angioplasty. I spent a few weeks having palpitations and reactions to medication but are settling down now. If you have been offered cardio rehab take it, it really is helpful not only teaching you exercises but also answering questions and meeting people who feel the same as you. I am also on patches went from 25 a day to 2 a day still get cravings though. I still have wobbly moments but everyday it gets a little better. Good luck always here to listen.