scared

[Evie52]

Hello everyone

I had a mini heart attack yesterday am stuck in a room on my own in hospital thinking the worst. I have been told it’s nothing to worry about. But I am worried

[Nanny1971]

aww don’t worry I have been there you will be home soon enough xx I was having weird thoughts when I was in that there was gonna be a zombie apocalypse which made me not even want to go to Loo lol seems funny now but the dam hospital gave me weird dreams it didn’t help when some weird guy kept walking in my room thinking it was his I was telling my kids to get me out of here before I kill somebody lol 😂

[Evie52 in reply to Nanny1971]

I know what you mean it’s pretty weird here

[JaneBrown55 in reply to Nanny1971]

It’s probably the drugs giving you dreams they did me , also report the incident to the ward sister and they will keep the man away

[Wingnutty in reply to JaneBrown55]

I had some absolutely mad dreams after my open heart surgery which was blamed on Tramadol. Better the mad dreams than excruciating pain though.

[Etzel]

Don't panic you will be fine, I had a mini at 46 and bar a collection of pills and yearly check-up's it was over 10yrs before I needed to go back and that's to do with my valves not the actual heart attack,

[Evie52 in reply to Etzel]

Oh blimey I hope your ok now

[Badger1966]

Yea your mind goes into to overtime thinking the worst , trying to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind , causing us to go panic mode , holding it together to reassure ourselves we’re be all right. At the time I thought what would my mother say , then told myself to do slow breathing exercises, Get yourself back on track , positive vibes , stay strong, listen to what your body is telling you ,

Regards badger

[Evie52 in reply to Badger1966]

thank you so much for reply. It’s such a shock I’m active and eat healthy. I will get back on track

[PadThaiNoodles]

Hang in there. It does take your brain a bit of time to process it all.

[Wargame]

you’ll probably get stents or at worst bypass surgery you’ll get though it your in the right place

[Sharpglo]

I would think most of us have been in your situation. There is not enough done, zilch I would suggest, for heart patients to receive an initial counselling when admitted. Particularly with heart failure. It is such a shocking event. That’s all I will bore you with other than to say you are in the best place to establish what’s caused this and now deal with it before it got past that. All the best.

[Kersteman in reply to Sharpglo]

I agree with regards to counselling. It was my husband who had a heart attack and we both felt that there was no help at all post event and post surgery.

[Shazzy46 in reply to Kersteman]

I totally agree.

[Murderfan58]

You are bound to be worried but you are in the best place . They will no doubt test you for everything and put you on medication you need and advice about what to do and what not to do . But it doesn't mean your life is over .

It's not the same but when I had jaundice in 2017 and told on discharge 5 months later by my gastrologist I should have died as people with my bilirubin levels normally did die. It was my wake up call my life had to change . And I did change it . I thought about what I wanted . It was only 3 things move house ,lose weight and get fit . Well moved over 100 miles from where I lived ,lost 7st and fitter at 66 than I was at 55.

I know it's not easy but try and be positive that you will get the help you need . And you will beable to live a full and happy life .

I was born disabled but only had my diagnosis in 2022 aged 63 as it's rare plus found out I was born with small hole in the side of my heart 2020/2021. On medication for both . No cure for my disability as it's a mutant gene but lived with it for 63 years before finding out what it was . Had 3 major operations and 2 minor ones all with a dicky heart. But still alive and kicking and growing older but still loving life and trying new things.

Hopefully you will post and let us know how you are doing. 🤗

[Quesswho]

Hi Evie firstly remember Positivity will always beat Negativity. So be strong. Secondly you only had your episode yesterday, you need not only to give yourself time but the Doctors also, just take your time nobody thinks anything like this will happen to them. You are in the best place. Sending 🤗❤

[Nelson71]

I had a heart attack aged 43. I had a complete blockage in one artery which was sorted out by a stent. Had 20 years of good health since. Kept regular exercise, ate well, drank moderately. I’ve been well monitored every 12 months. It is very worrying the first 12 months as you think you’re going to be an invalid for the rest of your life. The rehab course helps build up your confidence in your body so definitely go on that. Good luck for the future

[Wycliffe123]

This was me 3 weeks ago. I only went to hospital with indigestion and suddenly it’s not that at all. I’ve never stayed in hospital it’s very hard. I had a stent fitted and continuing My recovery at home and feeling better everyday. Wishing you all the best and hope you get home soon.

[phollers]

As you can see, you are not alone. It’s a huge shock when something like this happens and your mind will of course react and send very unwelcome thoughts to you. Rest assured, if the highly qualified, very diligent and wonderful people who are looking after you say that you are fine, then trust in their judgement. They see these things every single moment of their working day. Start to make plans to leave, I can assure you, you are going home soon, probably with a bit of medication to help, but also with a follow up plan, which may even be, “we’ll see you in a year” which means they will check up on you a year later because they know you are good to go.

Put your mind at rest and rest your body too. Think positively and go and enjoy your life.

Peter

[Survivor1952]

I had a silent heart attack in May 2023 at the age of 70. I had no idea, 4 days later 2 stents went in and I felt immediately better. When they did an echo before releasing me they found another problem and I ended up with AVR and CABG in June 23. I'm on a cocktail of tablets for blood pressure and cholesterol but that isn't a problem.

I now run 5k every Saturday, do a gym class with cardiac intervals once a week and, this week, I've moved 800kg of stone chippings from my drive to my back garden in about 2 1/2 hours without any issues at all.

What I am trying to say is that life can, and does, go on normally even after quite serious cardiac issues.

[Redactrice in reply to Survivor1952]

That is inspiring. Well done you.

[TheBesty]

If you still got a pulse, enjoy yourself.

If you don't have a pulse, you won't be around to worry about it.

👍

[Stent2024 in reply to TheBesty]

Love that reply . Bit whacky but true

[Billett]

At your age you will be out as if nothing happened did you have a stent fitted or is it going to be controlled with medication a d when you can ask about cardio rehab that will be one of the best things that you will do on your road to recovery good luck but dont worry

[andybarn]

the hospitals are really good at treating heart problems so i am sure the doctors will sort you out and you will be home soon. That was my experience!

[Redactrice in reply to andybarn]

Apart from Afib.

[TAVIshock]

Know exactly how you fel. As will everyone in this forum , Don’t fret, and enjoy as much of every minute as you can…..

Best wishes

Tavishock

[momander]

Of course you are worried!! It's only natural. This is your heart. Fit people can have heart attacks too!! You will probably ably be put on medication now. It does take a wee while for your brain to process it. Did they say why they think you had one? Is thereca history of heart problems in your family? I've had 3 heart attacks and a double cabg last January. I feel great now. My reason is genetic I my mother's side of the family. All the females have had heart related issues. I wish you well, and a long happy life. Take care.

[Mke41a]

hey Evie, I found it an incredibly scary time and it’s taken me about 8 months to feel relatively ‘not scared’ … for the first 2 months after my stenting, I’d go to bed at night not knowing if I’d wake up again. Fortunately I’ve had some very good mental health support (NHS) which has really helped. I found the hardest thing to do was admit to a nurse that I was scared as no one else on the ward seemed to be, that helped.

[dg2024]

I've been there too. My ejection fraction more than halved last may owing to myocarditis. At one point I thought the worst. But that's what our minds do to us. We catastrophize. But as of yesterday I took part in small hill runs as part of hospital cardiac rehabilitation. From intensive care to hill running is a remarkable improvement. My message to you. The heart is incredibly resilient and you are in the safest place. I'm sure you're being monitored also. Try to relax and focus on getting better rather than expecting the worst. You will get better. The doctors know their stuff and trust them.

[Bowser1966]

Hi try not to worry you're in good hands I had a mild HA on Aug 16th burning in my chest, went in for a blood test they said I'd had a mild one Triponen level 76. Ended up with stents but other artery is 10cm blocked so on the list for mini cabg bypass, minimal evasive op. I'm 60 and was quite fit and healthy. It was all a big shock when they told me.

[WhenImSixtyFour]

Hello Evie. Pleased be assured that as strange and bewlidering as it is to experience a heart attack (I had mine in June of this year at 63 years old), you are in exactly the right place to be monitored and, if needed, treated if anything further happens.

Once you return home, I would recommend that you are kind to yourself and simply accept whatever your recovery looks like and however long it takes. I was thinking that I would be back in work after a couple of weeks off work, when in fact I am now four months down the line and still in recovery. The best piece of advice that I was given was ‘listen to your body’ - if you need to rest or sleep, then just do it. Try not to overthink things or to become impatient if your recovery takes a while. Your body knows what it is doing and you need to trust it and become a passenger for a while.

All of us on here know what you are going through so please be reassured that we are all still here to offer you support. Slow down, be patient, and read / watch / listen to all of those books / movies / podcasts that you have been meaning to!

Best wishes

[Cairnview]

I’ve had two NSTEMI heart attacks ( mild) and two angiograms no stents required I just keep taking the meds

[Gooner1947]

How do we know if we're having a heart attack?

[Redactrice in reply to Gooner1947]

Search "heart attack symptoms" on this forum (at the top of the page with the magnifying glass icon) or google it. Men usually have the classic symptoms but not always. Women's symptoms may be different.

[Shazzy46]

You're bound to be worried but you're in the best place. You'll get the best care. ❤️

[Qualipop]

Of course you're worried. It's a heck of a shock but don't worry;they will sort you out. I was exactly the same 6 years a go yet strangely I didn't feel worried at a ll until I got home after having an angiogram and two stents fitted the next morning. As you are iin a room on your own, you will have your own nurse looking after y ou. Talk to her. You will probably be put on a shed load of tablets, most of which will eventually be stopped and you will be sent home under the care of your G P. Cardiology departments are notorious for not giving you enough information so make sure you ask. Ask about damage, how it will affect you, what you can or can't do and especially what each tablet is for. YOu may get side effects from some so talk to your GP ; they can all be changed. I had 7 to start with but now only 2. just aspirin and a statin. It's not a death sentence; the sky hasn't fallen. It's simply a warning and you will get advice on how to change your lifestyle to prevent it happening again. You're one of the lucky ones. If you are offered cardiac rehab in a few weeks do g o to it. It will do wonders for your confidence.

[EastchurchTwentyOne]

Hi Evie I had a couple of minor hear attacks (ignored by me..) almost 2,years ago. I was very scared, immediate admission , stunted the next day and another 6 weeks later. In some ways the shock was the worst thing about it all. I felt really fit apart from the chest pain, no breathlessness or lethargy. Two years later I am a stone lighter and in a better place mentally. As others have said the support is minimal. I have noticed a stark difference between my discharge support and that received by friends who have had successful cancer treatment. It will take time but you will recover, feel well and face the future positively. At one point I never thought I’d ever feel myself again, I think it took a year to regain some confidence in my body. You will get there Evie xxx

[Col650]

I had heart attack 3 years ago this week..I was told I'd be alright....I had a lot if anxiety for several months...but I've just left the gym after a 1 hour workout..(I go 5 times a week)..will take the dogs a good 5 mile walk this afternoon...I'll enjoy a pint or two of guinness this evening. I'm sure you'll be ok. Look after your diet, drink in moderation, dont smoke or vape, gradually build up your fitness levels. They were right, I am ok. Good luck.

[bee2]

Its normal to be worried, hopefully you will get some answers soon about how they will proceed. An angiogram maybe? I actually prefer being in a room to myself as long as there is a view out the window.

[MWIC]

Of course you’re worried but honestly try to relax it’s important - 3 years on from mine and all good - keep positive, relax and very best of luck ☘️☘️

[Tlyna]

My brother had two before the Army told him he had no choice anymore, he had to retire. He was in 32 years. After that he had 3 more over the years, has a few stents and it still going strong. He went to work for some years at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama so still working for the Army and finally retired in 2020 when the pandemic was really going. He travels a lot since he retired and is still enjoying life. He has had to cut down on his heavy yard work but that is about all he has really changed. You will come through this too. Change in diet, meds and some habits such as he did but you can live a decent life. His first one was back around 2010 and all of his were before 2019. He's a Type A personality so had a very hard time slowing down and not trying to do everything himself.

[Jedi14]

Your reaction is quite normal. In a few days time they will carry out various tests, after which they will know better and tell you.

[Ron0325]

Evie52, its only natural to be worried, but your in the best place, i had a cardiac arrest whilst climbing in the French Alps, i woke up in a hospital in Switzerland !!!! A triple bypass and 2 years later i am still climbing... My advice is stop worrying, have rest and let the experts take care of you xx

[AAJJTt]

”Worried” an absolutely, totally normal reaction. However, take some comfort and reassurance that you are in the best place and they’ve told you it’s nothing to worry about.

It will take sometime to understand your position and come to terms with it though. I was in the same position over 5 years ago, active and healthy person and had a “mild” heart attack - NSTEMI type II, while indoor climbing; it took actually took me a few hours to figure out it was happening.

Anyway, long story short, I was “ok”, slight LV impairment, angiogram could not see any root causes. About a month later diagnosed with PAF and they think a thrombotic effect from that might have caused the HA.

Initially I was cautious and anxious about life there after. However, I went straight into cardiac rehab phase 3 & 4, which I unequivocally recommend and have never looked back. I still run, cycle and climb weekly and attend some rehab sessions. My LV dysfunction has gone and I live a normally and happily - working and holiday around the world. Take all my meds and attend the annual GP heart check - BP, lipids, blood, etc.

It may look a little bleak now but stop worrying, take each day at a time and your confidence will build. Of course, listen to the guidance of your care professionals.

[A246]

Hello, it is normal to be afraid with a heart problem my dearest. Try be assured that you are in good hands, the professionals are looking after you. We are all here for you too. Best wishes.

[Evie52]

so many replies thank you everyone for your support and kind words. Have got some tests on Monday so hopefully some answers