Hi all I hope someone can maybe enlighten me, as I feel left all by myself.
I had a heart Attack 25th June this year. I had to have a long stent inserted and I feel fine now.
The whole thing was a blur, chest pains, hospital, procedure, bed rest for 2 days then home.
So HA Tuesday home Thursday. I’ve got all my tablets and I’m comfortable with them. I was also told not to drive for 2 weeks. But that is it, no “we will be in touch” do this for a few weeks. I had to ask for a sick line from my doctors and they asked me how long for!!
So can I ask. what do I do now? I do have bloods to be taken in 2 weeks but apart from that nothing. No rehabilitation no diet.
Thanks in advance
PS I’m in Scotland
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I am sorry to hear about your recent heart attack but glad you are feeling and doing well
Usually you would be offered Rehab which really helps but sounds like the Hospital have not been very helpful regarding after care which I would contact them and ask if they do Rehab classes
As for going back to work that can differ from person to person depending what job they do and how quick they recover
Were you not even given any contact numbers for Rehab Nurses ?
Did they not say you would have any follow up appointments either ?
Your after care seems dreadful and I believe more should have been offered and you need to speak with your Doctor and see if they have anything on their system and what their view to when you will be fit enough is
BHF have very good Nurses which I will put their contact number on that could help you as well as a link to healthy eating which I hope you might find helpful
I have also put you a link on to where BHF have lots of good advice and what you should be eating , recipes etc that I hope might help to
Let us know how you get on
Heart Helpline team on 0300 330 3311 Mon-Fri 9-5pm
Sorry to hear about your heart attack, reading your bio , we are not to far off in age and both on the surface of it led active healthy lifestyles.
I think that comes as a shock and I wondered why me? how come? and that's natural.
After my heart attack, I was sent home with a a bag of tablets, a whole load of booklet and leaflets and that's it. I heard nothing for 4 weeks until I received my cardio rehabilitation letter ( please do it when you get it offered).
The BHF Nurse helpline and this forum was the place were I chatted about my worries, concerns, lack of understanding of the whole situation and it helped MASSIVELY.
I was told to take a minimum of 8 weeks off work, I extended this to 10 weeks.
My best advice is to take each day as it comes. There will be good days, some rubbish days, some of it due to physical symptoms and some mental. Take the medicines and build a routine with them.
Rest , rest a lot, read books, watch movies, do anything to pass the time but rest and remain positive and look forward to life.
Diet? if you had healthy lifestyle and diet then continue as you did .
It hits us hard, but I'm 7 months on and back to the gym and normality. So be patient with yourself.
Hi Baly that appears similar to what I received. Thanks for responding, Ye an absolute shock, even when I was going into the hospital having the HA I still thought they’ll chuck me out with indigestion. Good advice and kind of what I’m doing. Cheers again
A lot of what you have written is exactly how I’m feeling. I’m looking forward to getting back to “normal” but have to accept rushing it isn’t the answer. My HA was in my RCA and still have disease in my Circumflex Artery, they reckon this will be sorted with medication.
Liked reading how you have got through the last 8 months and this will asssit me on managing my expectations. Cheers.
You should have been contacted by Cardiac Rehab by now! They will be your best guides to activities and other Q&As.
Meanwhile walking 10/15 minutes a day is a good start. Once back at work your employer should be sending you for "phased back to work plan assessment;"with the companies doctor.
After my stents, I stayed at home for the duration of the cardiac rehab program which was an hour a week online program with 6 sessions. So with that in mind I was of work 6 weeks!
Hi Jedi, thanks for taking time to answer. Ye I feel that I’ll be making a couple of calls tomorrow. My biggest worry is I really do feel ok and want to get out walking a bit more. The most I’ve walked is about 1/2 mile, I did this ok, although did nap for 2 hrs afterwards.
I just don’t want to overdo it as well as not do enough. Thanks again.
Hi, My advice is build up gradually. I had same concerns as you about over doing things. I had 4x heart bypass and needed to let ribs repair after surgery in January but started walking straight off, building up gradually as I felt tired a lot initially. I started 'softly softly' weekly circuit training session with cardiac rehab club - run by nursing staff - after 8 weeks and got back to walking 10,000ish daily steps by April. From June I've been back at doing 2x weekly 'normal' circuit training classes and been doing some cycling. It's taken 6 months to get back to pushing my heart rate to peak [Im aged 53] and feeling safe to do so. Hopefully you'll also get back to where you want to soon. Good luck
Hi Nicknack, thanks for taking the time to respond. Glad your “back” on it and it’s working out for you. I know there isn’t a correct answer as everyone is different. The responses I’ve had are interesting and good info, which makes me more positive, so I’m thankful for that. Thanks again, good health
That's exactly how I was treated after my heart attack 5 years ago. JUst discharged with no information and passed over to my G P who thankfully was wonderful. He "translated" my discharge letter for me; explained what had happened and why and t old me how to go from there. I wrote down any questions I had so I didn't forget. AFter about 3 weeks I got an appointment with rehab. I saw the nurse who handed me a big pile of books and sent me away after refusing to let me t ry rehab classes. (I', in a wheelchair and she just assumed I wouldn't be able to do it). She was as much use as a chocolate teapot. Ring the hospital about rehab then try to get to see your doctor with all your questions. Hospital follow up after a heart attack is awful. They just expect you to get on with it . The cardiac nurses on BHF are also really helpful.
Basically they fix your plumbing and expect you to know what to do. You've been given a second chance so now make any changes you need to make with diet, exercise, lifestyle but work on them one at a time. A gentle walk at first just the length of yoru house, slowly building it up. Take someone with you at first. Then look at y our diet. The BHF main website has loads of recipes. I cut out completely cakes, biscuits, anything fried or takeaways. Cook from scratch. I cut down on red meat and increased chicken and fish and massively increased vegetables. I lost 2 stone without even trying. LOok at whether you smoke or drink a lot and t ry to stop or cut down if necessary. And do try to g et on that rehab course. It will do wonders for yoru confidence. Take it steady. Allow your heart to heal.
Follow-up aftercare seems to, rather unfortunately, vary greatly dependent on where you are in the Country. I saw the cardiologist the day of my discharge and within two weeks one of the rehab nurses telephoned me to explain what would happen and booked me in for my initial sessions. I can't fault the care and aftercare I've received so count myself very lucky. Do you have a contact number for the Cardiac Team at your hospital, if so I'd give them a ring and ask about rehab. Recovery can take a bit of time as there will be ups and downs along the way. Attending weekly rehab classes and getting used to exercise in a "safe" environment as well as chatting with fellow hearties can be a massive help. I now attend what the call Phase 4 rehab twice a week at my local cardiac rehab centre. It's basically the same as going to the gym, in fact I could have done it at one of the local sports centres, but I really like going there as I bump into some of the Drs, Nurses and Physios from the hospital from time to time. Like the gym I have to pay but it's done wonders for my health and mental well-being.
All the best for your continued recovery and hopefully you'll start to receive some proper care and ongoing support soon
Thanks Hrty for your message. Ye I’m going to call on Monday. I think reading all the posts and responses that I’m expecting way to much to soon. Maybe just have to be Mr patient for a while.
I’m sorry that you recently had a HA. It just gobsmacks you. I had a HA two years ago in March 2022. That day, I had washed 1-2 loads of laundry, worked in my yard cutting vines from a fence and trimming a small tree, put my trash out on the curb, etc. Normal day. That evening, I was lying on my sofa and watching television when my HA started.
I called paramedics, and I ended up in the hospital with lots of testing, and being told that I was having a HA. I had no idea what to think nor how to move forward with my life.
When I was released from the hospital, I had a handful of new prescriptions to fill, an appointment one week later with my GP and a scheduled heart test two weeks later. No doctor told me what I could do, what I should not do, or what I should eat. I felt all alone and just adrift.
For me, I started trying to read everything that I could find about heart health, heart attacks, diet changes, etc. I wanted to know what had caused my HA and how I might avoid having another one. I was still feeling rubbish—very weak, heart racing if I just got out of bed to walk to the bathroom, aches and pains, etc.
My first actions/changes were to my diet. I was very weak so I needed small meals throughout the day that I could easily prepare. I started with breakfast and lunch. I would start my day with fixing a plate that might include a handful of blueberries, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a banana, and a toasted English muffin. Two years later, I still basically eat this same breakfast. Sometimes, I substitute cooked oatmeal for the muffin, or maybe a whole-wheat cereal.
For lunch, I would have something like a small dish of cottage cheese or a Greek yogurt with blueberries, a handful of raw sugar snap peas, a handful of cherry tomatoes, perhaps a few bites of roasted chicken (the already fully cooked, bagged roasted chicken-/small bites). Again, I stayed with raw vegetables as much as possible with small portions and about three hours following breakfast.
My first action (that helped me to feel more in control of the situation) was to read about healthy foods and to positively change my diet. A side effect of this change was that I lost about 34 pounds over time. I have to admit that I do not eat totally as healthy two years on. I sometimes have a slice, or two, of pizza or maybe a hot dog.
I eat very little meat—sometimes a piece of chicken or turkey. Not often. I do use more types of beans in recipes.
I eventually joined this forum, and that was helpful for me. I could read other people’s experiences, learn new information, and get support. That was very helpful! I also continued to read about heart health and I ask my doctors lots of questions.
I also read about the importance of exercise so I started adding short walks into my daily routine as I began to feel a little stronger. I would seriously recommend getting outside each morning into the fresh air and sunshine. This action will also help with your sleeping schedule. Getting outside in the early morning will help to set your Circadian rhythm so that you will feel sleepy at bedtime.
I apologize for such a long response, but I really resonated with how you were feeling after your HA. Give yourself kindness, patience, and time. It does take time to heal and to get stronger. I wish you the best in your healing journey! ❤️
Perhaps I should add that I am in America, and I was not offered any type of cardiac rehab. I definitely think that would be a great help to you. I don’t think that is routinely offered to heart patients here. Plus, I did not go home from the hospital with an armload of pamphlets. I totally felt adrift. I guess that is why I started doing my own research into how to move forward after the HA.
Thank you smitty in your response, I’m glad you’re doing well 2 years in.
The only response I really remember about my diet was it wasn’t bad at all. I have a family condition which is causing cholesterol to be stored how it’s stored. They did say the medical name but I can’t recall what it was.
I do know there’s a change coming, once I call tomorrow I may have a better idea.
Thank you for such a kind response. Plus, I apologize for droning on about diet—I think that I was just trying to explain my process following my HA for gaining some knowledge and control over a scary situation.
I am so sorry about your genetic connection with high cholesterol. I have read about that from others on this forum. Fortunately, in my case, taking Atorvastatin and changing my diet has helped to lower my cholesterol levels.
I hope that you soon get the information and tools that you need to make the progress that you want. Best wishes! ❤️
My advice is to just take it easy no strain on your body to let internal healing take place. Don't complain that you haven't got any other advice yet as that may come in later on. Do some easy walks and eat healthily.If your blood tests are in two weeks there's plenty of time to find out about the future.
Sounds just like me. Try not to worry at all, it’ll all be fine in the end but the wheels of rehab grind slowly. I’m in Fife and was taken to Dundee. Communication between 2 health boards was awful and GP receptionist said “We don’t do heart attacks” so I was floundering a bit but all came good eventually. Just pace yourself, eat well, exercise as much as is comfortable and take your time. The shock will just be sinking in now. 8 years on I’ve had no problems, never needed the GTN spray and can lead life as normal.
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