I had a cardiac arrest in April 2021 and a stent was fitted ,due to the pandemic my rehab was phone calls every couple of weeks and I now realise what I have missed.I recently contacted my GP to ask whether there is any chance of getting on a face to face course and she was not hopeful .I did contact the original rehab team who told me to contact the G.P. so back to square one.
I am extremely lucky I am virtually unscathed take a 6 tablets daily and can walk without any problems,but medication and exercise were not explained to me and I feel a bit in limbo.I am willing to pay for rehab but want a reputable practitioner.
Seasons greetings to you all
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Travel13
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It is indeed disappointing and frustrating for you and the many others who missed out on cardio rehab due to the pandemic. However my understanding is that is offered to get people up and running again shortly after they have had a heart 'event' and as time goes by some of its necessity and relevance diminishes, especially if the individual is making good progress without it. So arguably given its over 18 months ago, you have perhaps passed the point where you would get significant benefit from attending. But even without it you would have received some form of condition monitoring by the cardiologists which does , if my experience is anything to go by, form part of the rehab courses, and may have even been discharged back to the GP for ongoing medical care.
However there are online courses run by the BHF noted below, and if you have any specific questions about your situation you could contact the BHF Heart Helpline nurse.
Finally there is plenty of other information about lifestyle changes covering diet and exercise on the BHF website some of which will be covered by the face to face courses, all of which should be noted and adopted where appropriate to reduce your heart risk going forward.
Unfortunately I have not seen anyone face to face other than excellent nurses at the hospital where I was treated regarding the emotional distress of the event .
I will reiterate I am lucky but still struggle with the lack of physical care .
I did access the BHF website and did do the exercises.
Face-to=face Cardio Rehab was an important turning point for me and for many others on this forum. Everyone did their very best with the on-line version, but it can't compare with the face-to-face experience.
Being there in person means that when one person asks a question it triggers other questions, so people came away with a deep and profound understanding of the health challenges they faced. The exercises are much more motivational in person, and we had our heart rate checked before and after exercise which meant we were then given personalised exercise and heart rate targets, information which still forms the basis for my exercise regime today.
Preventative medicine is the poor relation of the medical world, and Cardio Rehab is one of the rare exceptions of resource being invested to prevent future heart attacks and strokes rather than patching up the problem afterwards.
I do hope you manage to find a place on a course, I'm sure you'd benefit enormously. Good luck!
Although GPs might find it difficult to refer you to hospital level 2/3 rehab they should be able to refer you to rehab within the community.
This varies in where you live but can be a class like rehab or gym sessions guided by a trained professional. The times of these also vary so can be difficult if you still work.
It's worth asking as something might be better nothing.
I had my HA and stent at the same time as you. I had no support on discharge from hospital not even a visit to my GP. Had one phone call from a rehab nurse and a few calls from the fitness guy. Despite repeatedly telling him I had a bad leg and couldn’t walk very far (I was waiting for a hospital appointment on the leg)he just kept insisting I need to go for a walk every day when my allotted time for rehab was up The calls just stopped. I didnt realise it at the time but I was very depressed at the time too.
A year down the line I change my GP was referred to a local hospital and talked to a cardio nurse had some tests to check everything was okay, and as a result changed and lowered doses on some of my meds. I’m doing really well now
I’d get in touch with PALS ( patient advice and liaison service) at the hospital that your cardiac rehab team who called you .
I’m 7 months on and have done the full rehab program and now on stage 4 at the local leisure services team. It’s different to pre Covid rehab but still invaluable.I ,like many , need the reassurance about what I can do exercise wise and safely . Such as no being advised to do yoga or Pilates.
And to be honest, due to not being seen by cardiologist since leaving hospital I have more questions now than in the early days.I would like to ask the original team these .
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