First cardio session 🤣: Well didn't go... - British Heart Fou...

British Heart Foundation

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First cardio session 🤣

baly_2023 profile image
10 Replies

Well didn't go as planned and spent a good 10 minutes looking at the ceiling 🤣.

Pre heart attack as I've mentioned before did weights and exercise.

Today I went in and did the treadmill, rowing machine , several weight machines and then ' oohh I feel dizzy and very light headed'

The cardio rehab team spotted this immediately, lay me down on the floor and checked me.

Apparently my blood pressure had dropped a lot.

I spent 10 minutes looking at the ceiling and finally felt better. They monitored my blood pressure until it was back to normal.

The team were brilliant and told me not to worry, the medications can have an impact on how you respond to excercise and they've seen this happen a lot.

It felt like a bit of a blow to the ego as I went there thinking ' I've got this '.

So 4 things learnt today

1) The cardio rehab is very important as the experts are with you

2) The cardio teams are brilliant

3) Don't expect to be Rocky lol

4) I can do excercise and my heart won't slap me out of protest

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baly_2023 profile image
baly_2023
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10 Replies
BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28-

Hello :-)

I was going to ask if it was a nice painted ceiling they had :-)

Rehab though goes to prove it is the safest way to learn your limits with reassurance and how helpful it is

Sorry it did not go quite to plan but one thing is you are certainly learning a lot from all these experiences :-) x

baly_2023 profile image
baly_2023 in reply to BeKind28-

plain white so we're boring to stare at lol

but this is a minor set back and a great learn :)

I've probably not been eating as many calories due to being inactive since HA so not wanting to put weight on.

Next few days ramp up the calories, Thursday have a large bowl of oats and blueberries, have a solid lunch and then

I will be Rocky

rocky
BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28- in reply to baly_2023

Hello :-)

Not a great color really to look at but as long as it was clean :-)

Well I shall watch this space we have it on writing Rocky is on his way :-)

I think sometimes these setbacks are there for a reason so we can then move forward again but you carried on despite it all so I think you did really well :-) x

Noodlesalad profile image
Noodlesalad in reply to baly_2023

You certainly will😁

BaronFrankenstein profile image
BaronFrankenstein

I start cardio rehab on the 12th. One thing ive learned aince having a HA on Dec 12th is that you cant ruah your recovery.

I felt quite well in myself a week after the HA and thought id got this in hand and so i went to the cinema, did some shopping for veg after. We had a quiet xmas Eve and Christmas but i made the dinner. Went to see the in laws Boxing day and stayed over, they had loads of family come round.

Even though id been good and eating healthy since HA and not touched alcohol, been increasing my walking exercise, got up to half an hour by Boxing day, i had overdone it.

I started to feel generally unwell after Boxing Day. I was extremely fatigued, weak, getting breathless , feeling heaviness in my chest. This was worse at night, so much so inwoke up one night gasping for breath. I was getting intermittent shooting pains in my chest and neck and arm.

I called NHS 111 Saturday morning as i was worried and they sent an ambulance for me and i was backnin A&E having tests again.

Fortunately they said there was nothing untowards and it was probably just because my heart was still not recovered from the HA and from having a stent fitted. I was discharged 6 hours later after another blood test to make sure i was ok.

Anyway i felt a bit less anxious about it even though my chest still felt heavy at night.

Next day about 5:45pm i got a pain the got really bad in the centre of my chest and i thought i was having a heart attack as it was the same sort of pain id had on the 14th. However it wasnt accompanied by the pain in the hand and wrist like before.

I took my GTN as i was told and it subsided after the 2nd dose.

I felt crap after though. Really shaken and dizzy and fatigued. But at least the GTN worked.

I had my tea and went to bed at 8pm as i was exhausted. After a good nights sleep i felt much better and the heaviness in my chest has reduced over the past few days. I still get the odd shooting pain and what feels like a rushing sensation in my chest but i feel more normal again.

Whatbim getting round to saying is that you cannot rush your recovery even if you feel well. You need to pace yourself.

Rest up before you want to do your daily walk or some other activity then rest afterwards before you do something else. My mum always used to say do and bit, rest a bit.

Dont try and do too many things in one day or in quick succesion. As above, space them out with at least half an hour inbetween id say.

Ive found even talking for a long time or spending more than an hour doing stuff on my computer or phone can be tiring as well.

If i have to go upstairs i now try and think if i need anything else whilst im up there so im not making unnecessary trips.

Another thing is keep yourself warm. I get colder more easily now, especially my feet and ankles. Wear thick socks, or 2 pairs and some slippers in the home. My wife is getting me some lined ankle boot type house shoes for when im sat resting.

In summary be kind to yourself and allow your body and heart time to heal. Youve been through a traumatic event. Do your daily walks but dont be in a rush to build your time up. Even though i was reasonably fit and active ive had to learn to hold myself back and be patient.

Its frustrating but you must take it steady.

baly_2023 profile image
baly_2023 in reply to BaronFrankenstein

BaronFrankenstein everything you have said is absolutely true and I have even told people in our situation to take it easy, be patient, take it a step a time but I'm rubbish at listening to my own advice 😂.

You take it easy too and hopefully in a years time we Will all look back at this as some distant bad memory

BaronFrankenstein profile image
BaronFrankenstein in reply to baly_2023

Its difficult because for me once im feeling ok i tend to forget or maybe mentally blot out the memory of how painful the heart attack and the angina pains were.

That then leads me into false sense of wellbeing which then tempts me to try to do more than I should.

tangotese profile image
tangotese

So glad it turned out a positive experience

baly_2023 profile image
baly_2023 in reply to tangotese

apart from the looking at the ceiling bit - I would say it was fantastic

baly_2023 profile image
baly_2023

today was a success at cardio rehabilitation

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