It's been a bit of a week with a CT Angiogram on Monday, told I have moderate CAD (in addition to an ASD that needs OHS to close) on Wednesday; then this morning I woke with chest pain, ambulance came out and after a coronary angiogram a brisk doctor came to see me 9 hours later to say I'd had a heart attack.
I am so thrown. I cycled 15 miles yesterday on my commute. I'm 38. I am utterly blindsided and terrified.
Chest pain persists and I've been told I'll be here for at least the weekend.
The small plus is that the clot was in a less important artery but I'll be a few weeks until we get told how bad the damage is.
Help!!!
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LadyZ13
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The hospital is the best place for you to be right now and keeping you in over the weekend is a good way for them to monitor you.
I had an NSTEMI at the beginning of January 2022 and I was 29 at the time. I had no blocked arteries during my angiogram.
The pain will persist, as did mine, but the severity of it should ease as each day passes.
In terms of the damage, a myocardial perfusion scan is often conducted with dobutamine or a different stress agent, depending on how you react to the dobutamine to determine the extent of damage on your heart. A CMR with perfusion is also a test that uses Adenosine and can also determine ischaemia to the heart. I have had both, and I am still waiting for my results for the second test.
I know it’s hard, but try to think of it as the worst is over and you are now on the path to recovery. This is what I told myself when I had mine last year. Also try and rest as much as possible. I know the machines are going off all the time at the hospital and it can be hard, in between nurses coming in to check your BP, take more bloods, and administer medicine.
Wishing you the best of luck and let us know how you get on.
Really not sure what I can say other than that your youth and fitness are on your side and that I am praying for a full and speedy recovery for you.
Hello
So sorry to read your post and what has happened and totally understand the shock that you must be feeling
Stay in the Hospital for as long as they want you to they will sort this out and give you the right treatment
You are young and would never expect this but you also kept fit which as already said will stand you in good stead of a good recovery
Wishing you all the best and let us know how you doing when you can x
A warm welcome to you, if it ever was to happen to you be it better now while your young and fit enough to ride the journey.
You will get though this and you are certainly not alone, as you pass down your treatment you will find and see that this 'illness' affects all age groups I am sad to say.
Stay calm, stay interested { as you are } in your body and ask those questions, keep asking until you are happy that you understand the answers, write them down.
Then if you need us we will be by your side every single step of the way.
A tunnel will only seems long if the journey is compared to the brightness of the light at the end of it.
Whatever you do stay in hospital until proper treatment has been suggested and if at all possible carried out. Best to stay in a week than become an out patient as you will be out of sight out of mind
Hospital is the best place for the moment and so is Papworth. I had an ASD closed last August and was 100% better in 24 hours - I shovelled snow yesterday and I'm 72! Good luck!
Thanks everyone. I have so many questions and the doctor who visited my ward yesterday was quite abrupt and constantly looking at his bleeper so I didn't feel at all reassured.
Having geared up for OHS am just finding it really difficult to reconcile this additional complication. Can't believe I'm going to have to go through cardiac rehab twice in the same year. I'd just got my head around the situation, got a lovely new job and was enjoying normality before the big op.
As mentioned, we don't know the extent of the damage yet but can the heart recover/ replace the damaged muscle, or are you now in for a life with a sub-par ticker?
If your heart attack has caused no damage to your heart muscles then they can give you whatever treatment needed and eventually you will go on to lead a normal life with a few adjustments like medication
If it has caused damage to any part of the muscles in your heart then that will never come back but with Rehab and lifestyle changes and eventually with the exercise the rest of your heart will compensate for any muscles that may have got damaged
I was told this and led to believe it what I have said but obviously I can only go on what I was told others may have been told otherwise
You always find at the weekends there seems to be less Doctors and they can look in a hurry during the week in Hospital the Consultants seem to have that bit more time to talk with you so hopefully in a day or so they will answer your questions
You could maybe mention to a Nurse you have so many questions you need answering they maybe able to answer some of might put it on your notes
I know it is not the best pace to be but stay thee wait till all the staff are there next week and they will sort this out
I know you might have felt dismissed yesterday but try and look at that as a positive that the Consultant had not got many worries over you and was looking at their bleeper because they were expecting someone to bleep over a patient that they were really concerned about
One of the things I admire about you, Hidden is that you have the goodness of spirit to see the others person's perspective . Thank you for helping me to see what might have been going on for him.
I'm not sure I'll be in much next week and there's a doctor's strike Monday but absolutely hoping someone is able to run me through the findings.
When I had my NSTEMI, they didn’t seem massively concerned either and I do believe that’s mainly due to my age and having no cardiac risk factors at all. It may be a similar case with you as well, especially if your troponin was not very high.
There are two types of damage caused as a result of a HA I believe. Reversible ischaemia - the heart can restore itself back to its normal function or, irreversible ischaemia - the damage on the heart cannot be reversed.
A myocardial perfusion scan and a CMR with perfusion or heart MRI can determine whether you have any ischaemia, and if it falls into the category of reversible or irreversible ischaemia.
Not to alarm you of course, 22k would be considered in the very high range and I’m sure the doctors have explained this to you. This could suggest why your chest pain is still continuing, as it will take some time for those troponin levels to come down.
In the mean time, I hope you’re resting and the doctors are hopefully treating you with the upmost care and attention.
Yes, I was aware it's pretty severe, and thanks for making the link to the ongoing discomfort. It's nowhere near the intensity of the tightness and nausea that saw me brought me into A&E, but more like the aftershocks? I was so unlucky to have a clot pass through the ASD and really really hope that's it and once the hole is closed that's me sorted for the foreseeable future...
Your heart has been through a lot therefore, it will feel bruised or you may experience some discomfort for a little while longer.
The main thing is that you are feeling better than when you went in and the pain can be managed with medications until you have your operation to close your hole for the ASD (atrial septal defect). Hopefully it’s not too long of a waiting list for surgery and they prioritise you for it once your body has recovered.
Pursuing private healthcare for myself has been more so for my congenital heart defect side of things as opposed to vasospastic angina. The myocardial bridging (MB) seems to be the cause of it so it makes sense to have that investigated and there are not many at all in the NHS that have heard of an MB, and the symptoms which arise from it from my experience.
My doctors were not willing to make referrals to other hospitals for my healthcare through the NHS as they are quite dismissive about my MB, despite it causing symptoms. Hence, why I have had to pursue the private route.
Unfortunately, I am completely self funding as I could not find a health insurance provider willing to cover me, even on a premium.
I am pursuing a second opinion, plus the testing recommended at the moment; however, it’s all within the private sector.
I have not mentioned the research study to my private cardiologist yet as I have not had the opportunity to see him. I will see him this coming Wednesday and suggest it to him, including my local hospital team to obtain their thoughts on it.
I have used the PALS service before on one occasion. I think this is something I will have to look into again after finishing my private treatment to see if I can be referred to an MB specialist on the NHS.
My MB and vasospasm were both diagnosed abroad, and despite providing the evidence of everything found there in the U.K., they still seem somewhat reluctant to carry out a thorough investigation into my symptoms which is disheartening, but probably explains partly why they have been dismissive too as the NSTEMI didn’t take place here.
In my case I'll get exactly the same surgeon and same facilities as I would had I been referred on the NHS. We've been paying into BUPA for decades - though yet to confirm our cover definitely meets OHS as a cardiac intervention. If I go via NHS it'll be 12 months or more. Private, I'm hoping a matter of a few months tops. Having just had a heart attack solely due to the unclosed hole, I'm not prepared to wait longer than necessary. I also recognise that (cover permitting) this is a privilege not open to many, and it doesn't sit comfortably.
I think the doc was brusque because he wasn't concerned- not in an ill-mannered way- but because you are young and fit and healthy.You've had some kind of cardiac event and they are going to investigate it.
I had a NSTEMI in 2011 but mine was from severe coronary Artery spasms not a clot.
My experience over the years has been that others who have had a stent (not sure if you had one)? Did very well in fact alot better than with my condition and could exercise well after recovering from the HA. Everyone is different but that is was what I have seen so life hasn't finished its just on hold. Cardiac rehab is very good and gives you confidence I went on to heartbeat in my area. Which is a further 9 months of badminton and circuit training. I met a new friend there and is now a bestie! I think of myself as lucky I survived my HA and think as positively as possible about everything. Good luck with your recovery be kind yourself and allow others to do the house etc.
Hello LadyZ13 - so sorry to read what you are going through. I know exactly how you feel. I had a heart scare this time last year and went on to discover I have moderate CAD. My LAD is <50% narrowed along with 2 small branches and unfortunately it was one of the small branches that became blocked in October last year so was told I’d had a HA and would need a stent. The branch was too small for a stent so i was prescribed the “normal cocktail” of meds. Physically you will bounce back from your event, like the others have said you have youth on your side so your body is more likely to recover but no doubt that won’t sound like any consolation right now as you may be thinking “I’m too young, it’s not fair, why me?” but like you I have struggled mentally, considering myself “too young” for all of this and I’m 20yrs older than you but I thought I’d done all the right things however, genetically it was inevitable I was going to end up with heart disease. I found being in hospital sad and quite traumatic being surrounded by ladies coming to the end of their lives and thinking “will that be me?”, “will I get my old life back”, “will I just get back to feeling normal” I felt I would have accepted my diagnosis had I been in my 70s or 80s but perhaps not. Age is just a number and at the end of the day we probably all have the same feelings no matter what age - young, old and anything in between and although we think these things happen to old folk, this forum proves it doesn’t! I tend to overthink everything but we have to put our faith in the medics, procedures and the medication and like a lot of the fellow hearties have said, you will improve and get better. You sound like you’re in one of the best hospitals, try not to overthink- difficult not to when you’re lying in a hospital bed but hey how you feel is absolutely normal - this is all new to you, it’s not fair, you’ll be sad, probably scared but this is raw and as I say how you feel is normal. Take one day at a time, do what the docs say and you will regain confidence in your body. It’s taken me 4 months to turn the corner and although I’m still not 100% with happy positive days - I see and feel small changes each day and they are for the better. Spring is around the corner and getting back home, going through rehab is just another little bit of your journey to get you back to how you were but be patient it takes time. Be brave, be strong but talk about how you feel to the nurses, family, friends, us and don’t bottle anything up. Sorry for the long reply but I wish you well and am sending big hugs. ❤️🧚🏼♀️ xxx
Thanks for the advice Milkfairy. I know the answer to some of what you suggest but not others and I'd never heard of MINOCA before. I think I already have some blockages. I think I need to read up!
When I had a hert attack and stent fitted I was given an echo scan before i was discharged and told he result ( ie how bad the damage was) right away. Mine hit right out of the blue too. I only had indigestion so I know what a shock it is. Please don't worry;they will do an angiogram ASAP t o find out exactly what happened and set yo u up with medication. Think of it as a lucky warning that allows you now to prevent it happening again.
Does anyone have experience of how long the chest pain takes to ease? I think yesterday's pain was about a 7 and it's probably a 4 today. What can I expect in terms of when this diminishes?
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