I had a Heart attack on the 22/11/23 & got home on the 24/11/23. I had 1 stent fitted & my heart got a lot of damage. I have had amazing medical support with a common theme of rest completely for a week, then driving & work can be introduced. At this moment in time that seems a long way away. If anyone has been through that first few weeks & has any advice or can share their experience I would find it helpful. I know every attack is different but any support would be welcome
Thank you
Tony
You should be on a waiting list for cardio rehab which will cover all aspects of your recovery including exercise. I suggest you contact the medical secretary of the hospital cardio team that are responsible for you to find out what is happening on that. In the meantime I suggest you talk things through with the BHF Heart Heartline nurse as below who should be able to give you advice specific to your situation since we are all different and have different requirements. .
bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
Otherwise this is the general advice of the NHS site concerning exercise. Note the last sentence.
Once you return home, it's usually recommended that you rest and only do light activities, such as walking up and down the stairs a few times a day or taking a short walk.
Gradually increase the amount of activity you do each day over several weeks. How quickly you can do this will depend on the condition of your heart and your general health.
Thank you so much for replying & the links & advice. I still have a picture of a HA stopping anyone who has one in their tracks. Hopfully the more I read & see of people making a recovery i will start to believe it. Thanks again so so much for taking the time to reply. I will give the nurse a call tommorw.
Hiya Tony, welcome to the club that none of us wanted to be in!
First of all, I'm very glad you're home and resting. You'll be feeling sore but the body is an amazing thing and you will heal. All being well, the damage to your heart should also improve over time. I assume you're on a happy cocktail of heart-supporting medication?
The first few weeks post H/A are very weird. Your body has been through a lot and your mind may not have caught up yet, but don't forget this has been traumatic. It's OK to need a little time to process everything. Do talk about how you're feeling - to loved ones or to us lot on here. Airing your feelings can help you process everything, and that's going to be important to your recovery and how you take your life forward from here.
I had a totally unexpected HA in March. I'd just discovered that I had a massive hole in my heart and the HA came the day after I was referred for OHS to close it. A clot snuck through my hole and starved part of my RV of oxygen, but it recovered fully before they went in to hack my heart about. I didn't have a stent as it wasn't a narrowed artery, but I did get the jolly angiogram. I spent the first day after I got home doing medical admin (bringing the various teams at different hospitals up to speed, ordering medication and pill boxes, letting my car insurance provider know (they didn't care!)) and then I was back at work (desk job, from home) the next day. If it helped, I blog about everything heart related and this was my first day home from the hospital after the heart attack: holeyunexpected.wordpress.c...
You'll get loads more experiences on here, but keep talking, take your pills, take it easy, and if you're offered cardiac rehab, jump on that because it will build your confidence back.
Wishing you well,
Zoë
Thank you so much for replying & the links & advice. I still have a picture of a HA stopping anyone who has one in their tracks. Hopfully the more I read & see of people making a recovery i will start to believe it.
Not at all! My cardiac rehab class is all full of HA survivors and some of them are scarily fit, put me to shame! You will get there.
Had a silent HA in May. I spent just over 5 weeks in hospital and I now have 2 x PCI, AVR and 1 x CABG as a result. I appreciate a lot of what I say may/will not apply but could help others so here we go especially as I was originally only going to have the PCI.
The first assessment in hospital missed a murmur due to a regurgitating valve hence a stay to recover from the PCI and also clear up quite a bit of fluid retention around my heart and in my lungs before the OHS. Whilst they had me opened up they did the CABG on an artery that was a bit awkward for a stent and which didn't warrant it yet, they called it preventative 'insurance'.
I tried driving at 5 weeks post op and whilst I was comfortable with it I waited for a further week. Insurance company not interested in being notified but they vary so check the policy wording carefully.
I had to take things easily to start off with but I quickly started walking 2 miles or more at a time. By the time I got to 3 months post op (and it would have been a lot sooner with just PCI) I was doing my local parkrun. I found exercise was key for me to getting better, plenty of aches post op but the more I exercised the less they've troubled me and I'm not bothered at all now. I now need to exercise for the positive endorphins! Cardio rehab was invaluable and can be as hard as you want to make it. Do talk to the team though, they encouraged me when I suggested C25k which is what led on to the parkrun.
What surprised me was I ended up on painkillers (Paracetamol only) for much longer than I'd been given to expect. I was keen to stop but stop too early and it is counterproductive.
I'm on a pretty standard cocktail of drugs, the only one bothering me is the beta-blocker where I am feeling the cold a lot more than before, just adding layers as a result at the moment.
Your comment about paracetemol struck a chord with me. For 6 weeks I needed the max dose carefully spread out. Then at that point I suddenly didn't need any more and haven't taken any since.
After my heart bypass i was told I could think about driving after 6 week check up. At 4 weeks in I thought they must be completely mad. At 5 weeks I was thinking....maybe.
At 6 weeks I was quite eager.
The first week or two are crucial. Don't do too much and follow any instructions then you will come through the other side.
Hi Tony
I was in holiday when I had my HA on 14th Oct ,had stent fitted in Spanish hospital . Was kept in hospital 4 days then told to walk and then rest . On returning home have now managed to get on cardio rehab course which is brilliant . I know how far to push myself in a controlled environment.
Mine was so unexpected I was a healthy 62 year old not been to doctors for 5 years !
Glad you are doing ok , time will fly past as you recover . Good luck
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I know what you mean, people would have looked at me as being healthy whereas unbeknown to me I wasn’t. In these early days it’s scary to think of doing some “normal” things but messages like yours give me some peace of mind.
Good luck with your recovery & thanks for the message.
Regards
Tony
Hi Tony I faced a similar situation and it was a total shock, and because of covid didn’t get any rehab. But from the experience of that I can say personally you can build on the lucky escape, enjoy something every day, know your limitations and as the 38 year old consultant told me who was back to running 10ks “ now live your life”
Hello Tony It always make me smile when I read i was " a Healthy 62 year old " clearly not lol. It's like I was a Fit and Healthy when I had a Heart attack , clearly again Fit and Healthy should not be in the same sentence. This is all -)
regards
I read it as someone who felt fit & healthy, someone who’s medical history aligned with this & someone that others looked at as fit and healthy. Clearly anyone who has a HA had health issues but that’s not the way I read it.
I am just pleased this & over people have taken the time to message.
Good luck on your recovery
Regards
Tony
You say your heart "got a lot of damage". The heart does take a time to gather its wits together after an attack, so it does go through a period of remodelling to accommodate the new situation of scar tissue, and possibly electrical impulse changes. It's extremely early days for you. Not even a week. Have they said something that has led you to conclude that any lower efficiency is permanent? Have they measured your current ejection fraction?
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. Current is 47% with a review in 6 weeks time. They are encouraging me not to wrap up in cotton wool & be positive. Like so many people in the same situation it’s a lot to get my head around. I have a video call on Wednesday to discuss recovery & someone pointed out the nurse help line.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.
Regards
Tony
Ok. You may be aware already but if not, don't run away with the idea that normal ejection fraction is 100%. It's a common misconception, and people are often devastated at being told their result. A range of 50% to 70% is normal for the general population
Thank you. With so much time on my hands my mind is playing tricks, as it speculates on what the coming weeks & months might bring. I have to hope that my 47% increases slightly when I re-test in 6 weeks but thanks for the reminder the no-one is 100%
Wishing you all the best
Regards
Tony
Hi Tony, I had a heart attack just over 5 yrs ago out of the blue. Stents fitted and 2 days stay in hospital. I was told the exact same as you. Rest and let my body accept this foreign thing in my arteries settle. I was so scared to do anything at first. Just 5 minutes walk a day. I thought that’s easy until I did my first walk, I was absolutely exhausted 😩. Once I went to the cardio rehab things changed for the better 😀. I could do more than I thought I could. I went back to work within 3 months. After a while everything seemed a lot easier. I am fitter now than I was before. Before my heart attack I thought I was quite fit. I always say to people the first 18 months are the hardest as any niggle or twinge you think it’s happening again. As time passes you will realise you can still have a great life . I wish you all the best..
Welcome to this awesome group 😀
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It is odd trying to re-set & not knowing what the limits are. I find it really helpful to hear other people’s experiences.
Wishing you all the best
Warm Regards
Tony
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