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[NalaPup]

Hello there,

Just joined and looking forward to learning from this community. 👋

[Hidden]

Dear NalaPup

A warm welcome to you, I hope that this forum holds the answers to your questions, if it doesn’t there are plenty of members on here that can point you in the right direction.

Not only do I hope that you find it informative but also supportive.

So welcome to you and your first post,

I was sorry to read in your Bio that your have just lost your dear Dad to a heart problem and that has made you and your family worried about their own heart/general health.

This site is packed full of hints and help to make you all understand just exactly how the heart works and what is needed from us to keep it functioning the best that it can.

There are a lot of tests that are available and your Dr would be the first person to approach given your family history.

You are never alone NalaPup we are here to help.

Take care

[NalaPup in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Hidden for the warm welcome and words of support - I look forward to being a part of this knowledgeable community and learning from one another, beats going down some crazy worm hole on Google and being misinformed!

[Hidden]

Hello & Welcome

I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you are managing as best you can with your grieve

You are doing a sensible thing trying to learn all you can about your Dad's conditions he had so you can educate yourself as well as your family that is a very loving thing to do

I am using a laptop not sure what device you are using but on mine when I look at the right side of the page I can see near the top it says " Search posts on British Heart Foundation "

If you put in that box your Dad's conditions some old posts might come up which if you read them you might find helpful , I do this often when I am trying to find out things

Talking with your Doctor and seeing if there are any tests you can have that can rule out if you or your family are at concern might be an idea

My Mum died with a thrombosis and I remember feeling panicked of course we know it is to do with blood clotting and so my Doctor had a blood test done for me which gave them a good idea if I had anything in my blood that would say it could clot easily and thank goodness it was normal so always worth asking about any tests you could have as well as the routine blood tests we can have done cholesterol etc these can all indicate if everything is at a good level to keep us healthy , so you and your family getting those done annually maybe a good idea

Living a healthy lifestyle , diet and exercise all helps to and trying different recipes out with your family could be a fun thing to do together as well as going on walks together maybe joining a fitness class together , practical things maybe but all help to keep us healthy

I hope it will help you been a member on here and you can get as much information as possible to help you and your family stay fit and healthy x

[NalaPup in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Hidden it is really useful to know about that search field and I will be sure to do that and see what I can find or start a conversation about it if there is not enough on search. I have been in touch with the Cardiac Nurses at BHF who also advised that the cardiovascular risk assessment done by the GP is the first thing to consider and yes you are right about a possible annual check as my mum also has angina and will now struggle without dad to care for. I have searched her area and there are no groups so will look wider to see what she can get involved with as sadly I live far away and will visit her once a month.

[Hidden in reply to NalaPup]

Hello

What a lovely caring Daughter your Mum and Dad raised

I know you will get the answers and make sure everyone is as fit and well as they can be and I wish you al the very best in doing so x

[080311]

Hello and welcome to the forum.I am so sorry to read of your sad loss in your bio.

Educating yourself on the conditions your father had is a really good idea. As already been said you will find lots of information here on the forum. There are many different heart issues, among us. I had Aortic valve replaced and bypass. This was done by open heart surgery, but we have lots of different problems.

If you read lots of the posts many of us follow the Mediterranean diet recommended by BHF that’s maybe a good place to start.

Talking to your GP, is also good find out if any of your father’s diagnosis could be inherited. Have your blood pressure taken regularly. Check your cholesterol, all these things help keep a check on our overall health.

Again welcome to the Hearties family any questions just post and someone will be along to help.

Pauline

[NalaPup in reply to 080311]

Hello 080311 Thank you for sharing, I cannot believe the number of heart conditions that are being discussed here and how BHF and other charities are really invested in helping all of the community out through its research and things like this forum is wonderful. If only I was aware about it when Dad was alive however this will certainly help me become more informed with the right information and in turn the rest of my family and friends which I have to thank dad for. I love the idea of a Mediterranean diet and will be sure to look into that further as an avid vegan and thank you for all of your suggestions, had a call with the GP this afternoon and have set up a blood test and review in a couple of weeks time that will be a step in the right direction. Thank you for the warm welcome Pauline, really appreciate it.

[Ewloe]

Hi NalaPup, before my heart attack I believed my diet to be reasonably healthy. I exercised regularly, was not overweight, never smoked and only had a few drinks. But now looking back my diet for the gym and exercise stuff I did wasn’t really that heart healthy. I had a personal trainer who spoke about healthy diets. I was eating to have energy to exercise well and keep weight off. The advice from the personal trainer was to be wary of porridge as it contains carbs and not to have many nuts. And avocados were seen as high fat. There was no differentiation between good and bad fats. Protein supplements are often promoted as part of keeping fit. I did have protein bars and still do. As we get older we need to have a good protein intake. But now I don’t replace a meal with them. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that the phrase ‘ a healthy diet’ can have different meanings and we have to consider what our needs are from the diet. The BHF phrase a ‘ heart healthy diet’ and their advice is a good starting point. Good on you for looking into things like you are.

[NalaPup in reply to Ewloe]

Thank you Ewloe , I agree with you on so many conflicting views on good fats, protein and fibre intake and despite going to a gym myself with a PT I still don't feel that I get the right nutrition that my body and heart needs. I hope that this is a good place to start and look forward to talking about meal plans some day for a healthy vegan heart. Appreciate the warm welcome.

[RufusScamp]

Welcome. It's always good to know there are others who can share similar experiences. I hope you find the support you need. It helped me when I first had a problem, and now I hope I can help others by sharing my experience.

[Anon2023]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to read about the loss of your dad. There are some very kind and knowledgeable people on this site and I hope that they are able to help you as they have helped me. Take care. X