40kms heart hike complete after CABG surgery!! A Good news story :-)

[MarmiteB]

Hello lovely ones!

So a few of you know me know now, I had a 2xbypass (CABG) aged 34 in January last year, as a result of severe coranary artery damage caused by vasculitis. I am back to being signifcantly better than before my op and have been getting fit by hiking with my faithful dog Marmite.

On Saturday I did the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge! It is 24.5 miles (40km) and 1,500m of ascent which is very nearly a marathon distance whilst climbing higher than Ben Nevis and I did it in 11:40hrs - you need to do it in under 12 hours for it to "count"! It was really hard in places - it took me back to my breathless days of having to really gasp but the difference is that I was hiking up a mountain not walking up the high street. To any one reading this who is going to need a CABG please hear me say this: It's not as terrible as your imagining and f**k me, it'll be worth it!! To those who are recovering: It's hard now, really hard and it will get better. You will turn several corners and everytime you do, you will look back and think wow I couldn't have done this xx weeks or xx months ago. You will go back to a point of fitness that you have forgetten you ever had.

There was a tough point on the second moutain climb which was the "easier one" that I started to get tearful thinking about the difference that my surgery has made and that before I wouldn't have even contemplated doing anything like it, especially in 2021 when my angina was really getting bad and would be triggered by just a warm bath or a large meal. I am so incredibly greatful to everybody in my recovery to the many health care professionals that looked after me, and continue to do so, my husband, my family and my friends. I'm incredibly grateful for all of the love and support I have in my life, including you guys, you've been here every step of the way even if I just read your posts or comments without replying. So thank you fellow hearties, your support means more than you know xxx

p.s if you are about to have or are recovering from CABG and you want to talk, please do message me, I'd be delighted to chat through anything with you xx

[MarmiteB]

I've just seen all of the blo*dy spelling and gramma mistakes in this...sorry Mrs Lewis!! I'll put it in a spell checker next time!!

[1234_6]

Congratulations on your recovery and on your massive acheivement of completing the 3 peaks challenge! Well done. Both deserve a big celebration! Thank you for sharing your recovery story as inspiration to others going through the same condition/s and for offering time to talk with them if needed.

(Your story is also very inspirational to those of us who don't have the same condition too).

Best wishes.

[MarmiteB in reply to 1234_6]

I’m happy to talk to anyone on here that needs an ear, or to ask a question or just generally chat

[Heyjude31]

Wow! Absolutely brilliant!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[MarmiteB]

Aww, no, he’s to old now. His max is about 15km really, bless him. Shame I couldn’t have had him meet me about a 2/3rds the way in!!

[Czech_Mate]

Great achievement. I think even Mrs Lewis should be proud of you.

Oh, it's years since I've been in that area. Hope you had reasonable weather.

Cheers

[Hidden]

Dear You

The perfect uplifting post for a wet {cold} bank holiday Monday.

Had a little tear { good one } as your post opened the flood gates of memoirs of my time doing the exact same walks and climbs.

It was a great happy time for me and one I repeated a lot in my walking { when did it become hiking? ] days.

So thank you and I am really so pleased that you knew just how far to push yourself to enjoy one of natures finest walks.

Take care and long may your recovery continue to go from strength to strength

Love to Marmite

[MarmiteB in reply to Hidden]

haha, very good point! I think walking becomes hiking when it’s super hilly/you do it for more than an hour and you knackered afterwards 😀😀😀

[Jennywren2953]

Wow a big Congratulations, and thank you for sharing it. I am having open heart surgery to replace a Tricuspid valve next Monday and although we don’t have the same condition, and I’m nearly twice your age, it was inspiring to hear what you have been able to do after surgery.👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Thank you🤗

[MarmiteB in reply to Jennywren2953]

Oh the very best of luck for your operation, I’m certain your in very good hands! Phew, I bet your trying your best to stay calm. Something I did for being in hospital, if you can, take your own pillow and blanket to be nice and cosy xxx if you want to chat, just message me xxx

[Jennywren2953 in reply to MarmiteB]

Thanks so much, yes it’s not easy staying calm,

I’ve got to ring the hospital today so I’ll ask, hopefully I’ll get through it. Many thanks Jenny

[Hidden]

Congrats and well done you x

[Chappychap]

Congratulations on your truly massive achievement!

And thanks for such a motivating and life -affirming post!

[MummaSoap]

Wow - what an incredible and emotive post! It made me cry with happiness for you!!

Congratulations on your amazing achievement, sounds truly deserved and well done for your determination; well done to Marmite too for being a faithful companion in times of adversity and now success too 😁😍

I feel so inspired by you!

[Cee-Cee1]

What a brilliant, inspirational post to read first thing in the morning, Marmite. Thank you for sharing your story, it'll give hope to an awful lot of people. And - many, many congratulations on your amazing achievement! Carol x

[MountainGoat52]

Brilliant news and many thanks fir sharing! Congratulations on completing the 3 peaks which is no mean feat for even those without any cardiac issues. Keep up those walks and enjoy the hills They are extremely beneficial, both physically and mentally. 😀

[LSCE]

well done. thanks for sharing your story. Inspirational.

[PilgrimsProgress]

Well done... Can I ask - do you know what the Ejection Fraction of your heart is.... ? and are you on Beta-blockers..? -

No doubt there are plenty of folk on the forum (like me) with impaired tickers - but who still maintain significant athletic and sporting aspirations that would challenge someone with a normal heart, let alone someone with a heart condition

But not everyone is in a directly comparable situation - and some might feel it's hard to draw inspiration or relevance from a personal account without knowing how directly your experience is that similar to their own.

[MarmiteB in reply to PilgrimsProgress]

Hey!

So, my EF is good and I am not on beta-blockers anymore, I only have about 6% of my heart that isn't getting the blood that it needs - in other words, my operation was a success! I am very lucky and exceptionally grateful for that. Thank you Mr Culli! I am likely to have trouble in the future due to blood vessel damage throughout my body but I will cross that bridge when I come to it and in the meantime be thankful for the here and now!

[Plum53]

Well done and thank you for such a reassuring post . Glad all is going so well for you and wishing you every happiness going forward.

[Bondstreet1]

Thanks for sharing your uplifting and inspirational post. It’s great to hear such positive outcomes from an operation that can causes a lot of anxiety. Thank you!

[Qualipop]

What a wonderful post. S|o pleased you are doing so well.

[Swalecliffe88]

YEAH Marmite as a fellow CABG x4 Heartie your message was brilliant. I clap you enormously for your achievement and mirror everything you said to those waiting ops or just had ops. Treatments nowadays still sound scary but OMG do they work, if you give your body the time and wherewithal to heal. Good health and Good luck x

[MarmiteB in reply to Swalecliffe88]

Oh wow, CABGx4, don't see your kind of op very often! How are you now? How many years post op are you? How did it go?

[Swalecliffe88 in reply to MarmiteB]

Oh had op at the age of 60 back in 2015 so 9 years ago next month now. Had Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest last Sept so that has put my fitness back a bit. But will work on it slowly again. I don’t give up easily haha. Sadly will never get to your level as hips a bit worn out, LOL but was walking 2-3 miles daily, and often up to 5 At weekends. Nothing compared to you though and that is why I so admired and liked your post as we need to show people that heart disease is not the end of everything, but can even be the start of a whole new life as I didn’t do this sort of walking before. Always having been slim and fit from bringing up a family with a four bedroom house to keep clean. I never did this sort of fitness exercise. I love to see good news posts as I remember being so scared of op and with no forum like this then, felt so alone during recovery. Now we can show people how good life can be. All the best x

[MarmiteB in reply to Swalecliffe88]

Thank you for telling me your story! I would walk before but to no where near the level I do now, you're right, having this kind of incident will encourage people to do more than before. Well done on your walks x I have actually already booked to do a marathon walk along the Jurassic coast with the same friend in July

Girl Power!

[Swalecliffe88 in reply to MarmiteB]

Jurassic coast such a beautiful part of our country. I live on the opposite coast and walking on these beautiful trails makes walking a pleasure and not a chore, along with my little dog who my daughter bought me, so that I didn’t feel like Billy no mates on my walks LOL. Good luck with your next venture x

[MarmiteB]

Haha I know what you mean about being billy no mates, despite my dog Marmite - in the areas we know well, myself and my dog have rather seperate walks! He comes to check on me now and again but is mostly bustiling along in the woods that line the trails haha!

[Swalecliffe88]

I have a Cesky Terrier what do you have. Sounds like mine goes off on her own trail quest and checks in periodically to make sure I am following her !!