So I have an unusual question for you all this morning.
In my family, I’m very close to my twin sister (she’s currently going through squamous cell carcinoma), my girlfriend, my daughter and her girlfriend and my son and his boyfriend.
Yes, a very rainbow family!
But every year we enjoy celebrating and doing lots together. One thing we have always loved to do is to travel to a scarefest for Halloween! Where actors and actresses are paid to follow you around and jump out on you. It’s fun lol!
I have always absolutely loved it, as have my family. We dress up for it and everything 🎃.
With me and my heart stent fitted last November (90% blockage in LAD) and having a mild to moderate leaky aortic valve, and my twin going through cancer, we realise life can be short and we deserve to have some fun!
We’re all trying to arrange what we’re going to be doing this year for Halloween and naturally the family have suggested what we all normally have done. And I really want to do that too.
But because of the heart problems I’ve experienced, I have no idea whether I should now stop doing things I once enjoyed such as going to a scarefest. I’ll be 46yrs of age in November.
Am I being too cautious by not going and should go if it’s something I want to do? Or is it sensible and recommended even for me to hang up my boots on this activity?
Yes, a random question but I’m torn. I’d love to know your opinions on this.
Huge thanks for reading. I look forward to reading your responses, Sal 🥰
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simplysal
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Thanks BeKind. It’s tricky as we’ve gone together to these scarefests together for over ten years. It’s so much fun and has become a tradition. I do not get that scared…..once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all 😂
They can’t harm you…..many who go for the first time may jump out of their skin lol! But we just now find it funny.
I think you know your own body best you could run it past your Doctors but if it doesn't bother you and just some fun personally fun can be the best pick me up x
Hi Sal. Good question but really very valid for lots of things. It’s obviously got to be a personal decision but if it was me I’m not going to know til I’ve experienced it again. It’s something familiar to you and you enjoy but are worried about if it will be different this time because of what you have been through. You have to get used to a new normal but that doesn’t mean you should stop what you do and be overly cautious. You know your own body and learn everyday new boundaries and thresholds. This is one of them. Go for it - you’ll never know otherwise. You have a great family who will understand your anxiousness and support you. And live in the moment as much as you can, within reason! Good luck and have a great halloween. 🎃
I love your response, full of wisdom! Yes my family adore me. They wouldn’t want anything to happen to me and yes, I’m learning about my limitations every day. It’s hard as on one hand, I want to now keep myself safe. On the other, I still want to enjoy life. Trying to find that balance.
You have just brilliantly encapsulated the huge variety of people, as my wife and I could not think of anything worse than going to a scarefest! However you and yours enjoy it so the question is, would attending be a wise thing to do? Some rides for example carry a health warning.
What about trying something that might be scary but is a bit more controlled, such as attending one of the "Escape room' challenges, en masse with your family?
Huge thanks for your message. Yes we do enjoy those too. We are not very good at it however and we always need saving after the 60 minutes is up. We aren’t great at problem solving in that way at all, but great suggestion 🥰
Yes I understand the ‘fight/flight’ response very well. I’m a counsellor so very familiar with the evolutionary aspect of our threat system and the physiological changes within the body when the threat system is activated. Yet letting go of a family tradition when I’m just I’m my mid forties is a hard pill to swallow. Yes I will ask my Cardiologist. That’s a great idea.
It’s fair to say that my body does not react to the scarefest in the way it used to, having gone so many times, I know the actors can’t harm me in any way. I no longer perceive that event as a threat. Instead we just find them very funny.
I’m trying to find the right balance to live freely but safely.
I wouldn’t say I’m ‘really confident’. If I was, I wouldn’t be writing here asking for advice. And I’m so sorry to say but I have taken your words I’m sure in the way they were meant I.e. the fact that I’m considering going by asking for advice here means I did not thank my lucky stars having not had a HA before being stented? I find this judgemental. Considering going to this Halloween event has zero relevance to how I’d felt post stenting and to imply as such is offensive.
Yes we’ve all had to compromise things in life since finding out about our heart health (I do it every day) but we should still be able to live a little and still have a bit of fun. This event was one where I questioned myself as to it’s safety, hence my post being written from a good and curious place.
I would go for it and show your enjoyment of it to your family. Not to go might shift your thinking to a negative slant to all future activities. On a neutral side, Halloween is one of many celebratory occasjons. There are 364 other days when you can whoop it up!
I had a MI and stent 5 years ago at the age of 40. I’ve since been to Halloween Horror Nights twice. As people have mentioned above I think it’s down to how you feel yourself. I was worried initially but after the first haunted house I realised I would be fine. I also enjoyed most of the rides. Just take it easy, you can always sit out a couple of houses if it gets too much.
Wow! A rainbow coalition if ever I 'heard of one!!
A worrying thought......should you be going to a "scarefest" with your heart problems? A fright just might do for you! I'd stay home with my partner and enjoy some "us" time....
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