I had a severe heart attack on Sunday 24thbkine 2024, I’m 33. This has stemmed from an undiagnosed hereditary condition. I have had a stent fitted less than 24 hours ago. I was discharged from hospital today. I feel like I’m grieving and I don’t know why. I’m crying so much on my own, I have a supportive family around me however the pain it has caused them is making me feel worse. I want to talk about it but don’t want to at the same time. My consultant said I am extremely lucky to be alive and I can’t handle that. I understand this will come across so raw and new but I could do with someone who has been through this before at a similar age as me. All this medication and life changing it’s so much and I’m worried I can’t handle it. My chest still has twinges and I’m being told it’s just the stent and the procedure that was done but I feel so anxious it’s another heart attack.
Scared : I had a severe heart attack on... - British Heart Fou...
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Hello 
I think no matter what age you are the way you have put how you feel I could relate to you and yes I am older even though we have members on here as young and younger than you that have been in your position but let me reassure you now they have had the right treatment like you have and are taking their meds as well as looking after themselves they are living life to the full and gone back to doing what they did before and more and eventually that will be you
The emotions you are feeling are normal you will be thinking why me as well as the fear it has created and it is such a big thing to try and process which takes time but cry let the emotions out it is early days but this will get better and you will not always feel this way
I think so many of us might have thought why me but as you may have observed especially at your age this can happen to anyone even footballers that are fit and healthy and about your age but they have gone back on back to playing football in some cases
But think positive that maybe your age was on your side and they caught you in time got that stent in to get the blood flowing nicely around your heart again
The medications can be very overwhelming especially the amount we have to take but as overwhelming as it seems tell yourself this is what is going to help keep my heart healthy and you will find a routine and it will just become part of your daily routine
You may find one of those little daily pill boxes you can buy might help and do your meds for the week so you know each day you have taken them as they are important
When you were told you were lucky to be alive it can feel like a shock to think you were that close but then I think the Consultant was just trying to say you are one of the lucky ones in a positive way but the way you are feeling at the moment you no doubt don't see it like that but again you will in time
I am really pleased you have a supportive family and if they were not feeling upset it would be strange they love you and no doubt this has come as a shock to them what has happened and you should not feel guilty they would be even more upset if they thought you felt that way they love you and want to support you let them in and let them do that it will help them as much as it will help you to
You will get twinges and strange feelings they have been into your arteries to put a stent in so it will take a while to settle down and you need to give yourself time it is very early days
When those that are younger see your post they will come on and reply to you and you will see you are not alone and how they are now getting on with their life's which I hope will help reassure you
Keep posting and talking on here whenever you need to and take this one day at a time till your gain your confidence back again and you will
Let us know how you get on x
Hi Adam,Im sorry to hear about your heart attack , 33 is such a young age.
It's going to be a big emotional shock and you will go through a roller coaster of emotions over the next few weeks and months.
BUT YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS - trust me, you , like me and so many others on this forum get through it and live healthy productive normal lives, but it takes time, patience, self kindness, rest, talking, sharing.
The pains, twinges you are getting are normal after a stent and heart attack, mine lasted around a month. And yes they are a bugger because your senses will be in a state of high alert for any pain or sensation in the chest areas.
This will subside and go overtime so please bear with it.
The medication (yeh we all hate taking them) are there to protect you, your heart so that it recovers. In the future you may not even need to be on some of them (but that's a conversation for then) at the moment take the medicines, they are very important.
Was your heart damaged significantly the echocardiogram results would have told you.
As the weeks progress you will be offered cardio rehabilitation. You will be probably have been made aware of this.
Please do take up the offer of cardio rehabilitation when it arrives, it's mega important for your physical and mental recovery.
It all seems like the universe is collapsing in on you at the moment and I feel for, but I felt exactly the same as you 7 months ago and now I'm living life as i did prior to my heart attack.
I'm back to work, I'm back at the gym 4 days a week, I enjoy a beer on the weekend, I go out and about with my family.
Please call the BHF Nurse helpline, they are so brilliant at listening and giving support or talk here as we will all try to help.
take care, rest and recover, you will get better.
hi adam2325
My husband had a cardiac arrest 2 and half years ago. He was lucky to survive but we had just got to A&E when it happened. He was 56 and physically fit and it came out of nowhere.
It has been a big shock but he is now doing fine. Back in work after 4 weeks. Would have gone sooner but I wouldn’t let him !
Take time to digest what has happened. Me husband also had therapy for ptsd as it is such a shock. Also make sure you to the cardio rehab as you will meet people in the same situation as you. My husband also felt guilty about putting me and our 2 sons through a traumatic time but we would rather he talked than bottle it up and I am sure your family will be the same.
Good luck with your recovery.
You are young to have gone through so much so quickly. You need to time to adjust to what's happened to you. Physical health problems can have a knock on effect on your mental health and vise versa. You body has gone through a great shock so quickly you didn't have time to prepare yourself mentally for what happened to you .
It's bound to hit you and crying is good because it's lets your feelings out. If you held your feelings in it will only hurt you more . And grown men do cry there is no shame in that. In fact it shows maturity. I am not being patronising but as one who thought I had to be brave after my husband died and not let me feelings out until bedtime I realise what a fool I was and hurt myself more. But at 45 what did I know about bone crushing grief.
Your body has gone through a lot quickly and you are grieving for the life you had and what your life will be like in the future. And it's frightening. People think grief is associated only by death but life has taught me there are many types of grief.
Give yourself time to heal and come to terms what has happened to you. Your body and mind has gone and going through a great shock. Plus you have scar tissue healing inside your body and your body has got to get used to having foreign objects in it. You don't think it has effected you mentally but it has. And no doubt you have thought you could have died and that is frightening. But use that fear to get you through each day.
It has taken courage to write on here feel proud of yourself that you have . You are a young man and have the rest of your life ahead of you . Be patience and in a few weeks you will feel differently and live your life to the full . And talk to your loved ones and be open about how you feel and you will find they will open up to you as they must have been frightened they would lose you for good.
Wishing you all the best for the future.
You’ve been through a huge, shocking event. Every emotion you feel is completely normal. It’s a lot to process. Our bodies have let us down in the least expected way and we feel vulnerable. It also feels unfair, wtf, why me? But with time these feelings and this period will just be a blip in your story. There are some positives…you’ve had amazing treatment, many investigations, you now know about your heart condition, you will continue to receive the best possible care and review.
Keep talking and get all the support you need. It might be difficult to discuss your feelings with family as you don’t want to burden them with worry, but perhaps you have a good friend that you could agree to be your listener and sounding board? As others have mentioned, make sure you do the cardiac rehab.
It will get easier and you will get through this. I had a much less severe HA 8 weeks ago and it was a huge shock aged 45 and fit and healthy. I’m lucky as my heart/arteries were healthy, but it’s still rocked me.
I can relate to that as something similar happened to me a year ago (it's tearful at any age)! However, I feel for you more, because your only half my age! But I will say this to you-you'll have to get tougher with yourself. I know it may sound ridiculious, but this is the new reality and the sooner you adjust the better for you and for all.
so sorry for u
I haven’t responded to messages in ages but I’m very reassured often by many of your very encouraging stories .
Adam I know exactly how you are feeling . I had a heart attack in swimming pool in 2017 . Immediate feeling of exhaustion having to get out . I drove my friend home and then attempted to ignore extreme tiredness by then walking up hill from my house to meet friends in park . To my shock , I couldn’t get a breath. I stood few mins ,recovered a little and slowly managed to doctors 1/4 mile . Soon I was bundled into cardiac ambulance and off to hospital to discover I needed 4 stents .no family history, not overweight, always been a swimmer ,rode bicycle and active . My shock unreal .
It was a big shock to my body in that I was very tired for about 5-6 months after . Went to rehab classes where I got t confidence back (try get to these ) they were wonderful and you are monitered as you exercise. This gave me amazing confidence as each step I took and each pain I had I thought I was taking another heart attack . I was very weepy and emotional also. This is very normal. I’m now doing 30-40 lengths in pool as opposed to 60 previously. Living normal life and very thankful to the lord for his cares and protection over me ,not forgetting that amazing rehab cardiac team who were wonderful. I was 60 , now 67 and living normal life .
Give yourself time,day at a time and you will get there . 👍
What you are feeling is exactly what I think everyone feels after a heart attack ; made worse because you are so young. It's he biggest shock anyone can have when you suddenly realise you are not immortal. Allthe changes and medication can seem overwhelming. You will be offered cardiac rehab in a few weeks- do take it up. Doing exercise under medical supervision is the best thing you could ever do for your confidence and do talk to people about how you are feeling. If you don't want to talk to family, ring the nurses listed on the main page of the BHF website. Your GP can also point you in the right direction for therapy.
Start the lifestyle changes one at a time. Don't try to do it all at once. Maybe start by removing things you know are bad in your lifestyle ie smok ing, alcohol and such; then start to think about your diet and weight if necessary . Rehab will help you with exercise. You are lucky lucky lucky. Your survived and have treatment so you can now start living again. It takes time to come to terms with it all. It's a massive shock. One step at a time.
Scary time, I was 49 and my attack came totally out of the blue.I went for counselling and they went down the line of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" took a bit to get my head around it but on reflection they were right, you had a problem and it's been fixed. Still hard to get the negative thoughts out of your head but you have youth on your side, so you can do it!
Hi Adam hey don't beat yourself I understand how you feel even though your 30 years younger than me , I get that but if it was 30 years ago for me I may not have been here, so just think of the positives as research and advance in medical stuff your in good hands and will have plenty of help and conversations on here it's great I'm pleased I found it, you'll be fine .
sorry to hear what you have been through. A near death experience. Is very traumatising. I had an out of hospital cardiac arrest on holiday two years ago age 43 (fit and healthy) and the chances of survival are 8%. If my husband hadn’t changed his routine and come back into the room when he did, I would not be here now. Everybody said afterwards “Do you have a newfound respect for life?”. I was petrified! I was scared to be alone, I still won’t have a bath in case I go under - it’s awful being faced with your own demise and it does feel like grief. People can minimise your experience too and say “at least you made it” but your brain has to process so much trauma. If there is any counselling as part of your cardiac rehab, I would take it. It’s still early days for you so accept your feelings and work through them. Don’t listen to the “should be grateful/lucky to be alive” - similar to grief, unless they have experienced it, they don’t understand. Take your time through this xxx
Hi Adam,
Sorry to hear this but everything you are going through is normal and will get easier.
I am 42 had a heart attack in February I have 3 young kids and I was so emotional thinking about my youngest 2 who are 9 and 7. I would think about them and cry to myself but then I would see them after school or when they came into my room to see me in the early days of recovery and would be happy I could see their faces and that their dad was still here for them. It made a mission for me to get fit and strong for them.
Things will get easier I have had so many side effects from medication and all sorts but I am slowly getting on the mend by the will of God. Just have hope and patience. Like everyone else has said use the cardiac nurses at rehab the trainers whatever support is available to you use it as it will benefit you.
The pains in the chest are normal I had them so many times in the early part of my recovery and it was normal remember someone's had a pipe near your heart messing around there it will be sore bruised etc but will clear up.
Emotionally you will get better but it will always be on the back of your mind the consultant said the same thing to me lucky to be alive as my left artery was completely 100% blocked. I don't get as emotional now but I do think alot about what if and what now and how life has changed for me but be strong my bro and you will get there if you need to talk message me directly.
I do think to myself I have been given another chance and I need to do all the right things who says I can't live for another 30 years I am sure there's many people who have had heart attacks and it's been 10 or plus years their still going and smashing it.
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