Hey Everyone
After the happiness of Saturday and my parkwalk, I spent a lot of yesterday very breathless and tired. So I spent most of it in bed. In the evening I got a real bad pain in my chest, so I spent last night in A&E. ECG was normal so we don't really know what it was. I'm at home today I decided not to risk going into work.
I feel like I'm getting nowhere
V x
Hello 
Now then lets get some positives
A heart attack is a heart attack I accept that
But you did not end up with stents and no damage to your heart that is positive
OK not sure what meds you ended up with but again a positive because they are helping to keep that heart working as it should
You have come that far you managed to go on holiday !
You have come that far you have got yourself back to work !
You did Rehab that is a great step forward
So quite a few excellent step forwards there I think
Next step forward was the park run / walk
You did it !!!
However at this stage it sounds that it could have took a lot out of you maybe that was one step to much but again we can find a positive in you did the whole walk but it has took it out of you , had you never tried you would have never known so a baby step here is needed and the next walk you do maybe just a quarter of it till the day after you do not feel like you did this time and take this a little more slower as it could be that is what your body yesterday was trying to tell you
You have took no steps backwards just maybe ran before you had fully learnt to walk again as the saying goes
Take all those positives and put this down to you have learnt something from it all which again everything we learn about ourselves is another step forward x
Thank you.
It's just so frustrating
V x
Hello
Don't allow it to be you have to be patient with yourself
This is not a race who can get where and when the quickest this is a personal thing to each of us and you have been and will continue to do fantastic all in your own time
Don't get frustrated at this one thing but instead focus on everything you have done x
Hey
I'm just frustrated I'm not where I was. I want to be running again I feel like I can but then this happens
Sorry I'm now feeling sorry for myself
V x
Hello
I am 17 months past a triple Bypass and I am no where near where I thought I would be and if anything I get upset but I have slowly had to come to terms with this is how it is for me but I will get there eventually and so will you
The more frustrated you get the longer it will take and I would be over the moon to have got as far as you have got so quickly x
you’ve done brilliantly. Maybe your body just needs a wee rest… but have a few days rest; then get back out there. Just take a steady pace x
I agree that's what my therapist said. Baby steps. Try, push, if too much, back off re group, plan, have another go later. It is frustrating but you have done alot since I have been reading your threads and you should be proud. Possibly next time try the park walk run in small stages. It is a worry and the frustration and anxiety will be there until you build confidence. But you have to do some form of exercise. To build your heart muscle up and lungs so both work together more efficiently. But remember your efficiency will be different from my efficiency due to different problems. As bekind has said you have lots of positives. Now I have got to tell my brain my positives, trouble is my brain will not listen.
Hey
Thanks, I also need to listen to my brain when I tell myselfs positives
V x
Yes it is not easy. Iam currently at gym doing light cardio. I have to admit it is not easy when I have been at work and then try to do cardio after work. In some respects I don't have to look after school children. But I do notice that when at gym my heart rate is about 115 120 when doing stuff, but at weekends when doing stuff on the treadmill and bikes it does not go beyond 100. So definitely stress, makes a difference. The advantage with gym is I can do the work outs at my pace. So I might have a day like a weekend where I can push a bit, but I have to admit having been at work for 8hrs and then an hour at gym, yes it is hard.
hi don’t beat yourself up over this I guess your taking new meds that your body as never had to have before I found even the blood thinners I was taking gave me chest pain breathlessness and it is very worrying once chest pains start and the natural reaction is for alarm bells to start ringing I had to change my meds several times in my case to find ones that didn’t make me feel bad and also got anxiety for my troubles worrying about my health problems it’s a slow process and take one day at a time and I’m sure you will get yourself to a place you want to be and the good thing like me is no heart damage take care kind regards Andrew
HiSounds more like several steps forward, one step back.
Yoga helps me somewhat with this. It's teaching me to gently stretch, listen to my body, not worry that others go further, everyone is different, we are all unique, go further when ready, enjoy minor gains when they occur, accept the times when it doesn't go so well.
Good luck
Be kind to yourself. Sending a hug for good measure.
I am sorry that after feeling so delighted to have been able to do the Parkwalk you had this problem .
You’ve had some very good advice here. BeKind has reassured you that it’s not going backwards, that you have done amazingly well and your positivity is great.
You are very young and so your natural instinct will be to bounce back with the energy of youth and be looking for rapid improvements. This has shown you probably need to hold yourself in check for a while yet.
Don’t let your confidence take a big hit but maybe just take the next few walks or the next ParkRun slowly, don’t let yourself be tempted to do a bit of a jog again or up the walking pace. Go slowly and treat yourself gently. Build yourself up gradually and your belief that your body can do it again should grow too.
I note you are 24 and a history teacher so the impatience of youth is understandable. History surely teaches us to put things into context and take into account causes and consequences. Its still very early days and perhaps you need to scale back on your expectations whilst pushing yourself enough to take those baby steps?
Not sure a park run/walk was a very good idea but going half the distance might be ok and build up from there
Oh dear, you'll have been shattered yesterday, I hope you got a good rest yesterday.
I've not had a heart attack, but myocarditis, so I think the advice around exercise is different (none at all for myocarditis) - forgive me if I've picked this up incorrectly, but I think it's supposed to be built up for those on cardiac rehab, so maybe walking the route and increasing your speed gradually on that before jogging part way would help to build up your stamina again? I'm not sure if you've done anything else since your event.
I know that if I push myself now, the heart pain takes some time to catch up with me - rest is usually all that's required. While you've youth on your side, so your recovery is likely to be good, you're probably noticing things are taking longer than you'd like. You maybe need to work on accepting there are new limitations, while still gently testing them.
Please do not let this put you off, you've made amazing progress in a short time! Recovery isn't linear - and it's a good opportunity to learn more about yourself!
Hope you're doing better today x
Hi
Thanks for your advice. My heart attack was partly down to myocarditis from that Virus that begins with C as well as a little hole in my heart (not been noticed before but I've probably had it from birth)
We had been building up my cardio slowly at cardiac rehab. I think I walked too fast and the little run I did was just too much for my heart but I've learnt my lesson and I'll be careful in future
I slept most of yesterday and I don't work Tuesdays so I'm resting again.
V x
Ah ok, if you've had myocarditis as well then take extra care on exercising... that might explain the delayed pain following exertion, I get that too. Sounds like you've got good support with rehab!
Hello
How are you doing today ?
Hope you have managed to see you how well you have done and not been so hard on yourself
You may have seen it but there is a post someone exactly your age to that I am sure you could make feel better with your experience and diagnosis x
Sorry to hear that. Don't give up tho. Just take baby steps and be happy your doing something. I know I'll never be at the same level as before but still doing something just at a slower pace. X
Hey I agree with everything written.. you did amazingly and its still a big step forward. I had a issue where I pushed myself and ended up in a and e too ( didn't feel a big deal at the time it was later it hit me all OK though) Was frustrated that there seemed to be no cardio rehab programme on NHS and gp told me that too complex for the exercise referral programme..since I have found a personal trainer who has cardio experience and best money I ve spent....won't be able to afford it for ever but a personalised programme and someone to encourage, give me confidence has helped....just need some training buddies now to help keep motivation going and keep doing the small small steps. Be kind to yourself....you are.making progress....
Thank you
I'm lucky that I've been able to go to cardiac rehab it's been a big help. But like you said I pushed myself to much and thought I could run before I could walk.
V x
That horrible virus that shall not be named. Has alot to answer for. I have theories but might be too polical. Any way glad you are resting.
It certainly does.
I don't mind hearing your theories. You can message me them if you like
V x
Oh don't know if I should? I think the virus that carnt be named has caused increases in heart issues. A bit like some viruses that many people got when children. I carnt say my issue was made worse, as it is congenital, but due to my cyanosis, which is a by product of my congenital heart disease, would not have been helped from wearing masks. Again I carnt prove it, but if you try and do a physical job wearing a mask not fun. Especially when we had to wear the highest level masks when working together. It's like when the cardiologist says get your teeth looked at at 6 months, and clean your teeth twice a day, and if you have any worked done you need antibiotics. I showed the dentist this, when I had a filling and dentistry states you don't need the antibiotics?. I suppose you would if you had a tooth extraction? . But again there is no consistency. And you try getting a dentist, only way I got one was to wave my cardiologist letter under their noses. I think we as humans will be struggling with this virus, that carnt be named for many years.
I'm sorry to hear that. Have you had a chance to talk to the heart rehab team of your GP about this?
Hey
Not yet, rehab is tomorrow but I'm going to try and call my doctor later
V x
Hi @Valentina98, so sorry to hear that you were feeling unwell after the park run! Well done for completing it, what a huge achievement after only recently suffering a heart attack.
Looking at your posts, your heart attack was only 3 months ago which may feel like ages but it can take quite a while for the muscles in your heart to heal depending on the severity of the heart attack. I know it’s difficult being young to pace yourself but as the cardiac nurses put it to me and my husband, this recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.
It will take time and at the beginning you may unintentionally over do things until you become more aware of your limits. You won’t be limited forever though, especially if you give your body the time to heal! So please take it easy, spread your energy out and before you know it you’ll be able to do more and more each week.
Wow Valentina, how you're coping with heart disease at 24 I can only guess. I can distinctly remember just how difficult and intense and exciting life at 24 felt and having heart disease thrown into the mix must be traumatising to say the least. So, for what it's worth I would like to offer my advice. Having read your previous posts I would take heart as others have said up until your Park walk/ run you've made great progress. I felt pretty down and depressed after my Bypass last September. Prior to my operation I didn't take any medication at all I played tennis three times a week + table tennis. Out on my bike most days drank and enjoyed dining out. Suddenly, I had tubes sticking out of me everywhere, had to sleep on my back for six weeks and due to the medication 💊 everything tasted vile 😫. For quite a while I wished I had never had my Bypass and just carried on and taken my chances. However, now I'm back on court, enjoying the odd glass of wine 🍷 I'm slowly coming to terms with my condition even though I still have off days after playing tennis just like you have had to endure following your Park run/walk but they're becoming less as time goes by.
I'm sure this will be the same for you and in a year from now you'll be back to your old self and lapping any oldies like me on your Sunday morning Park runs. Hope everything looks up for you in 2023. Best regards Denis.
Hi Denis
Even I don't know how I'm coping. Sometimes I feel fine like on Saturday I felt well enough to run a little bit when I should have walked now I feel 10 times my age. I've even considered giving up teaching to reduce the stress but all I've ever wanted to be was a history teacher.
I hope you are right about this time next year. I'm hoping my September I'll be okay as I've a 10k run booked.
V x
You can battle two steps back! You have been a lot further back with what has happened to you. Two steps back happen all the time, even in 'normal healthy' life. What matters is parkwalk this coming weekend, whether it's walking, running or volunteering. You need one step forward again now - doesn't matter if you have another two steps back yet again next week. You will pick yourself up, dust yourself down and go again. Always one step forward.
Back step
Moving forward. 
