How do I know if I'm fixed? Calling all runners!

[Vsaway]

Hi, I'm a 59 year old male who's been running (Half and full Marathon) for about 12 years (previously a regular swimmer and cyclist). I've always been fit and lived what I thought was a healthy lifestyle, never smoked, little alcohol, avoided fast foods, minimal red meat, mostly chicken and fish. I did however eat a lot of carbs before and after runs - carb loading, and had regular biscuits and cakes with afternoon tea!

Training for a half this year I started to have issues, palpitations after runs, excessive recovery times , Then I had a couple of serious chest pain sessions that I put down to post covid symptoms and ignored, but finally resulting in a third when my wife took me to A&E. The outcome was diffuse Atherosclerosis and a double heart bypass on 07/07/23. Recovery wasn't straightforward, infections, effusion in the chest and pericardium, but that all got sorted within about 8 weeks.

I want (need) to get fit again. I was offered the rehab course but then not permitted to attend as I still experienced chest pain when I exerted myself - this was at week 10. I've tried seeking further medical advice but it's difficult as the services are so stretched and I feel all they want to say is don't exert yourself. For someone who has been as fit as I have that's like saying live life in black and white when you've known colour. I'm not ready for black and white.

Anyway I've started going to the gym, walking on a treadmill (built up to 2 miles - slight incline - 3mph). I've tried to jog as well, 200m then slowly further to 500m. Walking is fine, jogging less so. It just feels wrong in my chest. The minor surgical point pains I can ignore, but the tightness inside my chest behind my sternum is very off putting. I can push through it and I haven't died yet

The issue is I have no idea what to expect at this stage (16 weeks), Is this normal? Should I keep pressing on? Is there another fit person out there who knows exactly what I mean who can say I had the same and it went away as the months rolled by? I realise I'm out of shape but it doesn't feel like being out of puff, it feels more fundamental, like the pump isn't up to it. Should I just run out of puff? Did this deeper feeling hold you back at the start, but go away - or did you never have it?

I'd just like to talk to another fit person who came back from where I am today.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please help - I feel totally on my own in this.

[ChaiWallah]

Hello Vsaway, I've only just seen your post and I guess that anything I say is well past it's 'use by' date but in case it's of interest, here's my experience.

Like you, I don't like inactivity. I begin to feel as though my system is getting gunged up if I don't have a lot of exercise each day. I've always enjoyed running but had to stop for 6 years because of chronic pain around the ball of my foot.

Like you, I needed CABG - a triple bypass 18 March. It's now 17 weeks since my operation. I took up running again 4 weeks ago because - what with all the bed rest before and immediately after my operation - the lingering aches around the ball of my foot disappeared! I'm following the C25K (Couch to 5K) programme and - aside from a slight strain in a knee tendon that required one week's break from the programme - everything's going well.

Unlike you, I'm a bit older - 70 - and I've had no post-op complications aside from issues relating to blood pressure (BP) for which see below. 6 weeks after the op, I was walking 4-6 km a day and feeling comfortable.

I was able to get back to cycling 8 weeks after the op following discharge checks with the cardiologist that showed my sternum had healed well. (I have a sit-up-and-beg style bike which avoids pressure on the chest. Probably wouldn't have been given approval if my bike had racing/drop handle bars). I started on a cardiac rehab exercise programme 9 weeks after the op following assessment by cardiac nurses.

Regarding my BP issues, I found that as my fitness levels increased, I needed to get my BP meds reduced. You probably know that as fitness levels increase, one's heart rate tends to decrease.

Each time my fitness levels went up by around 15+%, it felt as though I was overdosing on the BP medications: I would feel light-headed verging on dizziness, unnaturally fatigued and extremely sleepy - particularly in the 1-2 hours after eating. I had been prescribed Amlodipine 5mg, Bisoprolol 1.25mg and Furosemide 80mg (along with various blood thinners) when I left hospital. I am now on only 2.5mg Amlodipine and 1.25mg Bisoprolol + blood thinners and lansoprazole.

My advice to you is to listen to the cardiac specialists before you begin a running regime that stretches you beyond your current routine and listen to your body when you begin the new regime. I guess that's what you have been doing anyway and I hope that you are running as well as ever now you're a year on from your op.

Let me know how things have gone if you've got time. I'm about to get back to the 4th week of C25K and hope to be doing to 5 - 10K park runs when I get to a year post op.

Best wishes

[ChoochSiesta]

My history is very similar. Physically fit and active. Then a doctor recommends that you need a heart bypass! However, about 3 months after the bypass I felt back to full fitness. Just to add, if you are uncomfortable in any way, don't ignore it and carry on. I kept getting the advice "listen to your body".

[Snowflake01]

Thanks for bringing this post back into discussion. I'm about 4 weeks post bypass and starting to think about getting fit again.

Currently walking 1 mile twice a day and will be building on that until Cardiac Rehab starts at 6 weeks. I'm hoping to go from there with exercise and running etc.

As examples, what are people's experiences of getting into or back into Parkrun post CABG?