I’m just back from having my first (and hopefully last) stent. I went ‘in’ for an Angiogram initially.
Im not sure if I need to now adapt my lifestyle, I’m aware I need to take it easy for the first week. I am very anxious about doing things like gardening, lifting the grand kids…..and so is my husband.
Can I live a ‘normal’ life now? Will the anxiety lessen as time goes on? I’m 65 and haven’t even retired yet.
i had angioplasty and a single stent fitted to my left anterior artery (which was 90-99% blocked) on 22/04/2024. Following a four week period of taking it easy, I have resumed tennis and golf. Also, restarted two sessions per week on the spinning bike. Its normal to be concerned about after effects however, for many people exercise is beneficial. Allow yourself the right amount of time to recover physically and mentally. Very best of luck.
I had the same in April 2020. 3 stents. I’m 74 now.
Worked slowly through the rehab, then Couch to 5k. The anxiety takes quite a while to come to terms with. You learn to identify your chest pains - for me that means that digestive problems are short sharp pains, heart pains are dull and insistent. Pain after eating is usually digestive, chest aching on exercising is angina. Your pain may be different, learn to know it. After the first few months I’ve had no pain that I’d attribute to heart problems.
Getting fit after all this has been amazingly positive. I’d thoroughly recommend it.
It’s only been a week for you. The Rehab Team will soon be in touch!
Jon
such a pity that your cardiology didn’t give you information about this! My husband was given cardiac rehab and this included very good advice on how to increase your exercise and so on. This was nearly 25 years ago so I don’t remember the detail, though.
Why not phone the British Heart Foundation?
Hi I had two stents Dec 2022 and Jan 2023. I was 67 and up until chest pain had thought I was healthy. For the first 6 months I was very nervous and tearful. I have done everything suggested in rehab. Now go to gym weekly fast walking on treadmill. My diet was pretty much what they recommended. I have reduced my wine consumption! I feel more confident now after a year but still nervous about long haul travel. And no longer really trust my body. I think the worst thing was feeling abandoned back to GP. Mine is great but i often have questions which seem like time wasting. And trivial. You will get more confident Ladylivesmilktray, but it takes time. I am going to Colorado in two weeks to see friends and have just been warned about altitude when booking a rail trip. This is news to me so I have 2 weeks to find out about it. First call today to my rehab team resulted I them saying they couldn’t advise me🤷♀️If my heart centre can’t who can? Warm wishes to you.
A lot depends on whether you sustained any heart muscle damage prior to the stenting. If you did it would have been identified by characteristic EKG findings and positive results of enzymes that detect damage. If no damage, and the rest of your coronary arteries are clean,you'll be as good as new & able to resume a physically active lifestyle immediately ( within reason).
Muscle damage usually comes with heart attack. The poster appears to have undergone elective angiogram, presumably after angina symptoms, so hopefully all should be well in that respect unless there are other conditions undisclosed.
Yes, I had a CT after experiencing 2 episodes of chest pain; which identified a narrowing in the LAD and then an Angiogram, which gave a better measurement. The stent was inserted in the LAD after the Angiogram. It was a shock as I thought my heart was okay, apart from the two episodes of sharp pain, no other symptoms, although I do have PAD which often indicates narrowing in other parts of the body.
What you need to remember is that you have a progressive disease, there is no cure, so you need to do all you can to slow it's progress as much as possible. This will very likely require changes in lifestyle, depending on what your diet and current level of fitness/exercise regime is like, along with medication.
But it's not all bad news, you didn't have a heart attack and you are still around to enjoy life, which you must try to do rather than letting anxiety take over. For what it's worth I also had a very badly blocked LAD and had to have 2 stents back in 2018, but I am now regularly running to a decent level, along with a drastically altered diet and Medication (minimal though).
Make sure you get Rehab you will hopefully learn a lot and begin an exercise program you can build on, good luck.
Thank you Stentsandrun. I haven’t been told about rehab, is this something we need to chase ourselves? I am in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
I did rehab at Wycombe Hospital. Found it very good and the system seemed v efficient. Don't think it started until about 8 weeks after though from what I remember, though notification came through earlier than that. I didn't have to chase it but I would if you haven't heard anything.
It's something you are entitled to under the NICE guidelines. I personally found it absolutely invaluable for many reasons including getting back into exercise and general knowledge of heart disease and lifestyle modification, even though mine was not that bad anyway. Maybe they just omitted to tell you about it but if I were you, as they didn't, I would chase it up ASAP.
Hi again. I am in Oxford and had a 6 week online course followed up by a 6 week programme in a gym with exercise physiologists monitoring closely. You should get the same in High Wycombe. It usually starts with a one to one appointment with a cardiac rehab nurse who refers to the programme.
If you take no other advice, definitely take the advice about doing rehab, and keep the good work going once it's over.
I’m happy to take advice and will do anything I can to increase my chances of a healthy future. Everybody on this chat has been so helpful.
At 8 weeks after 2 x PCI, AVR and CABG I was told to lead a normal life. It has taken a while to get my muscles used to strenuous activity but I was pretty much back to normal at 3 months.
As my procedures were far more invasive I’d suggest you’d be back to normal much sooner than I was and that your quite understandable worries can be put aside. Easy to say but difficult to do for some.
Hi,Hopefully this will be all you need. You will feel tired and maybe a little weak for a good few weeks. I was told ne heavy lifting or housework for 12 weeks when I had my first stent. Just take it easy, baby steps. Rest when you need to and don't overdo it. Take care.xx
You should be fine. I imagine you are on some medication and sometimes these can create minor issues, but just listen to your body and give yourself time to recover from the op. I found myself worrying about every ache or pain in my chest but they always went away, so muscular or indigestion probably! You may be able to ring the hospital department you went to for some advice on lifting etc. I found the most difficult part was that you come out and there is no point of contact for follow up advice but I did get some help from the hospital and also did a follow up exercise course at the local cardio department. Good luck with it all.
Hi I had stent 18 months ago after angiogram. Still taking few meds but pretty much back to normal, running and cycling. Took it easy for 3 months after stent. In first year did go back to a and e couple of times with chest pain, but did a few checks and nothing wrong.
Bit difficult as if you have heart diesese especially, whenever you tell GP or 111 you Habe any chest pain they send you to a and e.
Overall though yes you can get back to a normal life and anxiety does reduce over time
It's curious that you felt bad enough to go to A&E in the first year? I remember feeling a bit flaky now and again and also having some odd feelings such as tingling sensations in my hands and arms sometimes, but over time all these seem to have stopped, which makes me think they must have been just in my head, although the tingling definitely wasn't. I still get it now and then but nothing like I used to, very odd. I have read that it takes time for the body to get used to things after having stents, not sure if that's true or not really.
I agree some of it may have been in my head as well. I Jane also felt far better since stopping beta blockers. One time I went to a and e cardiologist said I didn't really need them. Felt far better having stopped them
I dropped the BB's and ramipril pretty soon after being discharged as they were making me feel terrible during and after exercising, which was just brisk walking at the time. Still can't really understand why I was put on them other than I just had the "standard" prescription, nothing subjective.
Hi agree. I was on bisoprolol. Since stopping that haven't had any chest pain issues. Made my heart rate far too slow. It was dropping into 30's
Thank you, Andrew! Very helpful to me.
Hello, I had 3 stents after an angiogram. It took 2 weeks to feel 100% but if you are on beta blockers they will slow you down a bit. Can I recommend you go to rehab when it's offered. Try not to bend for too long, don't do valsalva if avoidable. Take care if grand children are young because any knock might cause a nasty bruise because of antiplatlet tablets. Really don't go mad for fist few weeks but gradually you'll gain confidence & things will return to a new normal. It's getting used to having a heart condition which takes a while. I wish you all the very best.
We have almost similar timing for stent, well in my case stents! Shocking as it was, narrowly avoiding a major triple by pass-operation. After resting for a few weeks and with assisstance from cardiac rehab, alongside daily walks. I was ready to start full-time work.
Well my employer sent me for assessment for a phased back to work program. I am now back to normal hours of work. There is much to say, just ask me the questions.
Thank you Sabine. It’s Day 2 and Im still feeling a bit scared to do anything which requires exertion, additionally I’m not sleeping too well. I’ve been experiencing niggly little pains now and again, I’m expecting that is everything settling down. I have PAD in my left leg (75% blockage in Femoral) with claudication, which poses some limitations, but I am committed to getting back to normal. I will start today with a walk on the treadmill and maybe alternate days with the elliptical cross trainer, luckily we have both in the garage.
You can,just take your meds watch your diet, and a wee bit of exercise
you’ll live a pretty normal life believe me. I had a stent in my artery when I was 34 yrs and I could run a half marathon in 5 yrs time. I would urge you to pay special attention to your diet. (Zero oil, no animal foods (inc milk and milk products) and less sugar ). Avoid any food temptations and exercise regularly, you’ll live longer and healthier life.
Thanks for your reply. No oil? Not even olive oil? It sounds like a vegan diet; not sure I could do that. This has frightened the life out of me.
Have made any changes to your nutrition? I tweaked mine after having Nstemi heart attack and quadruple bypass July 2023 . Angiogram showed blockages in 3 arteries that weren’t suitable for stenting. I cut out most ultra processed Foods ( condiments, ready meals , make my own breads to cut out sugar and reduce salt ) , cook all meals from scratch . Lean meats and fish , plenty of extra virgin olive oil , nuts (not salted , but mixed nuts roasted slightly in actifry 👌🏻) .
I’m loving my rebirth as I call it 🤣.. happened when I was 61. In the last year I have returned to yoga classes , ridden my motorcycle and passed my full license (bought a Harley Davidson) , we’ve become grandparents ❤️, work hard around our small holding , run 5k park runs , been camping at a 3 day music festival , living life to the full. One of my surgeons/consultants said “ go and enjoy life , you’ve got one job to do , keep your new pipes clear but enjoy a good steak every now and then “ I don’t miss out on much , I have a few beers over the week if I fancy , I have lovely food everyday but it’s in line with my health goals , I have the treats at the right celebrations and not everyday or over consumed.
Here’s to us and our fellow hearties for a long , happy and healthy happy life 🥂
Total Blockage of LAD ...
Anyone had LAD stents?
just had stent fitted
Stent in November now diagnosed with Leaky Aortic Valve
Severe Plaque in LAD
