3rd August I had a full on heart attack out of the blue, stent fitted and send home to recover. Within 1 month I was back walking and at the gym but I couldn’t have done all this without the Rehab team. While at first I was very sceptical about the cardio rehab as I own a gym and have been very fit all my life I didn’t factor for the mental side of this.
Purpose of my post is to those who are considering the rehab and to reassure you that it’s an essential part of recovery. While I found the actual exercise easy at first it allowed me to see that I’m stronger that I think and beat my anxiety. The team were amazing from my initial dismissive feelings at the beginning to the end where they were pushing me hard to show me I’m OK now! I loved it. They can fix a broken heart but you need to fix your own mind, with help .
Please take the opportunity to attend every class as it will help you.
Written by
LiamHam
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thank you, yes I’ve emailed them to say a massive thank you. Honestly they have been amazing
Hello
I am so pleased you have done so well in your recovery and you have got the message across just how much Rehab is important and helps you get on your feet again
I feel I have missed so much I suffer with chronic agoraphobia and so could never go to Rehab classes which I think has caused my recovery not to be as good as an experience to those that can access it
I know there are online things but it is just not the same as been there and having that reassurance that is something I need
Hope you keep going from strength to strength and lovely to see such a positive post about how much Rehab helps x
I have begged and begged for this to be a possibility but where I am there is no one that comes out to your home my Doctor and Surgeon have even tried looking into it for me as one of my main problems is confidence so that one to one would be such a positive thing for me to help gain some back again as I have lost it all
I get so frustrated as I know resources are stretched in everything now a days but having a triple Bypass and feeling you have lost out really is upsetting
I often think I cannot be the only one that cannot get to Rehab so why is there nothing in place for people like me
I so envy you all on here when I read your posts about how much Rehab has helped you especially for so many that need that confidence and just wished I could have the same x
There is a session online I found it on YouTube. The same exercises.
in reply to
Re the agoraphobia-note I said the not yours-it’s something you don’t want in your life as it is so restricting. Some people advocate CBT but I couldn’t relate to that. Could you explore the possibility of twilight sleep sedation in order to leave the house to go to rehab therapy? Hypnotism too has found to be helpful for some- it’s really a wonderful beautiful world out there which is leaving you behind closed doors. I know leaving the security of home must be hard but try to see it as a means to an end-and you will be returning to your safe place. Wear dark glasses to help shut out the open space you fear. Good luck!
in reply to
Hello
Thank you for your suggestions they are very much appreciate and I get so sad knowing what I am missing out on
I have now been agoraphobic over 20 years I have had CBT etc to no avail
The word we cannot mention which is the virus that started a couple of years ago has not helped as part of my fear is germs outdoors so that really has not helped either
I am really sorry to hear your problems, not least because had agoraphobia myself after developing AF. Germphobia too. Awful and restricting. In my case I managed to see a psychotherapist privately who used hypnotherapy and after eight sessions over 4 months I was much improved. Her explanations of the subconscious roots of my problem were really helpful. Not a quick fix as you have to work at it and practise at home, but it worked for me. Hope you manage to get help.
I once saw a hypnotherapist some years ago now I took a friend with me as I a so anxious and he could not put me under as he said my anxiety was to strong but while he was trying we heard a noise and because my friend had been listening and watching she had gone under !
Thank you though for suggesting it and I really and so pleased it worked for you x
Oh thank you😊. Sorry it didn't work. But it sounds like your therapist worked differently from mine. She stressed she would never attempt to hypnotise at the first two sessions as she needed to get trust. The first two sessions I wasn't "under" at all. I heard most of what she said ( which was soothing - about relaxation, the reasons for my particular anxiety, and breathing techniques). Then I went home with the recording on my phone, listened every day at a set time while relaxing, doing the breathing and the visualizing. And then I did drift off. As I said it took 8 sessions with work in between. It maybe would not work for you, but I didn't want anyone to get the impression it was about being "put under" it was more complicated involving psychotherapy and a lot of talking as well as the hypnotherapy. There were a lot of issues I needed to address. I am so grateful I did it. I hope you find help that suits you.
Hi. Well it sounds to me that you are doing very well :). The psychological part of it is the worse. When I had my Bypass to replace two Valves, I had NO Rehab whatsoever except for a couple of Phone Calls and the Leaflets that were given to me on Discharge! This was smack, bang, in the middle of the Pandemic!! Many days I thought, I can't do this!!! I did though and you will too. Just be as strong as you can and ask for help when you need it!! A Positive Attitude is everything :). Best of Luck 🤞
We’re you on Lipitor when you had your heart attack? If so how many mg? Had you had a recent heart calcium test score or a Heart PET scan in the 3-5 years before your HA?
Thank you for writing this and I am so glad to hear of your determination to overcome the anxiety. I have been diagnosed with a heart condition and take all of the medication prescribed. As I haven’t actually suffered a heart attack then no further help has been offered in connection with the profound anxiety which affects me every day. It is a very lonely place.
I feel reassured that the help you have received has benefitted you so much. Thank you for addressing the terrible weight of anxiety and anguish which is sometimes overlooked.
Too true LiamHam. I mirror you by 12 months. The hospital teams fixed me physically and the rehab team mentally. It’s been a tough journey readjusting but I’m truly thankful for them. A year on I can look back how far I’ve come. I realise lots of people don’t receive the same care and it’s not fair - so I also really appreciate what I had and to make the most of it. Good luck with your continued recovery 👍
Lovely positive post. Sometimes, whether we like it or not , we all need a bit of help. We also don't always take on board the effect it can all have on our mental health, especially the huge shock of going from healthy and fit to having a heart event. So pleased for you and the way you aren't dealing with recovery and also hope this is inspiring to others . Thank you for your post and all the best in your new journey x
My hubby was the same - very sceptical at first, had the be pushed to go to the first one. He was disappointed when the course finished!
Sadly he was unable to complete the course after his bypass surgery several years later - he had just started and then had a stroke . He often said he wished he could rejoin at a later point when he had recovered more from his stroke.
It is really good for the people on this forum to read stories like yours, so many thanks for posting. How we recover after a heart event, both physically and mentally, depends on many factors. I believe that how we were physically and mentally before an event has a large bearing on how we cope afterwards and I think your story confirms this.
I was one of lucky ones referred to by thatwasunexpected. The effect of having stents was, for me, apparent almost immediately. The improvement in my metabolism provided by the improvement in blood flow resulted in me losing 6kg in a week. I felt much better physically. Even while I was still in hospital I found that I could stand chatting to a fellow patient for an hour - gone were the nagging back pains that I would have had before.
Realising the physical improvements was a very positive experience. Looking back it was more difficult for my wife to cope with what had happened. I love hill walking and she was very cautious about letting me go up the hills. Thankfully I have a very good friend that often goes up the hills with me and he helped me considerably. It was a bit of a shock to him when we realised that he was the one that needed to take a break on the ascents rather than me. Another positive for me and something that helped my wife too.
So, keep looking for the positive signs. You appear to be heading down the right road, so keep looking straight ahead to the future.
Post HA 13 months now. 44 years old at the time I had a STEMI. I couldn't agree more with Liam. It was good mentally to be around people who were in a similar situation to me even though they were a lot older. I'm still going through a very bad time mentally. Good luck Liam.
Well said, that mental support was what I desperately needed after my HA. Sadly I didn't get it. I'm in a wheelchair and they refused and kind of help. It would have done wonders for my confidence.
Oh yes. I saw the rehab nurse just once and she immediately said I wouldn't be able to do it; didn't even give me chance to try- just assumed. When a year later I happened to get the manager on the phone she was furious and said I shoudl have asked to see a different nurse but I wasn't told that or given the chance. she did tell me about an exercise group for wheelchair users but they were not cardiac trained so I said no. IT was having someone present who understood how things were affecting my heart that i had badly needed. Our health authority just doesn't do disabled.
I'm glad you got benefit from the rehab. I had my HA in May 2021 and unfortunately my rehab had to be done at home due to covid. I do feel this has impeded me somewhat as I probably needed pushing. Anytime I try to start exercise at the minute, I become scared/anxious and it soon puts a stop to that. It doesn't help that even now, 18 months later, I still seem to get 'sensations' in my chest, fingers on left hand and left side of jaw. I've had a couple of voluntary hospital attendances since with everything fine. I've now decided to push my GP to give me a proper check over so I can confirm it's not cardiac related which I hope will spurr me on to start doing more exercise. I hope your recovery continues to go well 🙏
that all sounds good you obviously worked hard at it and got a lot of support , some of us have had no rehab support at all even after trying to get it , i have had to go to a private sports physio to help me , long story i did post it a while ago
I had exactly the same out of the blue, stent fitted sent home with a bag of meds. Unfortunately this was mid pandemic September 2020 & had no help, no explanations not even advice on each tablet what the do and why etc. The depression & anxiety I still suffer some days is unreal & I still can’t book a face to face appointment with my GP so for me I have just given up!
Generally speaking it would seem that support before and after any form of cardiac surgery varies considerably through out the uk; unfortunately the restrictions imposed during the pandemic didn’t help, particularly if you had anxiety issues. I had a mitral valve replaced in September 2020 in Cyprus where we have lived for 10 years, apart from doing my own research before the op I was given no advice about rehabilitation. My stay in hospital was much longer than expected due to post op complications and on discharge I spent 5 weeks in a medical centre having daily physiotherapy, to rebuild muscle loss having been bedridden for so long. Once home I continued treatment with a local clinic (against my personal doctors advice, because of ongoing risk of Covid infection) and rehab exercises from the bhf on YouTube.
that’s fine if you can get any rehab I have still had none
I put my sorry story of trying to get any support on a while ago and it still goes on
I had a telephone appointment to discuss fitting a diffibulator on 5 th , phone rang while I was on a call so I quickly explained and cut off my initial caller to answer hospital , I tried to answer and they cut me off , no message , no number
So want back through to hospital and got to Cardio appointments, they said because I had not answered call I had benn discharged from the hospital , have you ever heard of anything like this , it’s madness
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that’s not good at all and I hope you found some kinda help 
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