Hi everyone, its a year since my heart attack and physically, apart from the usual cocktail of meds, I'm doing OK.
Emotionally I've started feeling a little shaky however and I've heard that it could be down to something called "anniversary trauma". The subconscious starts feeling vulnerable around anniversaries apparently.
I was just wondering if this was common. Has anyone else felt this way? Any tips?
Comfy x
I believe this feeling is common (though I’ve not heard it in exactly those terms). For example, I mourn something that happened to me on 19 January 1987 and that time of year will be coming up soon.
in my case the “trick” is to acknowledge that this thing happened, that you have recovered from it, that the human life is composed of good bits and not so good bits. Think about the blessings that you DO have
Thank you x
Hi..its a year just gone for me too and I can understand what you are experiencing. Whilst I celebrated with a couple of days doing some special things and feeling blessed to be here...I certainly have some underlying niggles. Stopping my prasugrel has made me feel a little unease. I am a little more vigilant to feelings in my chest area ..a bit like I was when I first had the HA. I also feel a bit more "aware" of feeling "what if it happens again" .
I didn't know about anniversary trauma so your post was interesting to read.
What I do know is Whilst there may be a few raised feelings, I am so so lucky to be here and looking back over the year at photos I have seen sunrises and sunsets, celebrated birthdays and weddings, got to say goodbye to someone who also had a similar experience but who sadly didn't survive. I have had adventures and met some wonderful people on my journey post HA who have enriched my life further.
I look through photos of each month to see all the lovely moments I have had. This outweighs any niggles. But I also accept there are some feelings there..I don't push them away and hopefully in time they will ease just like they did last year.
I wish you a happy Christmas and New year full of smiles and moments to cherish x
You too x
I’m coming up for mine in January , so I dread what I’ll be like . Anxious and paranoid enough as it is 😱
I'm not normally anxious. I just find it curious that I have felt a bit unsettled recently. Take care of yourself. Have a lovely Christmas 🎄
You too
YES. My husbands anniversary is 26th December. The first one we spent in A&E. He was definitely feeling unwell but this was caused by his (and mine) anniversary anxiety. The second anniversary he also felt unwell but we were aware of what it was and tried to stay "in the moment" This year will be his third so I am hoping that this year we can sail through it. I'm so glad you posted because I thought it was only us! All the best to you and your family.
Definitely not only you. Take care x
Spooky , anniversary trauma surely can’t be a thing …🤦🏼 On the exact day of my nstemi heart attack 13th July this year , I was celebrating my rebirth ( had quadruple bypass surgery) loving life , working on my small holding with my wife when I got stung by a hornet .. went into full anaphylactic shock. Had a community responder , paramedic and 2 ambulance crew treating me . I was on the cusp of passing out , oxygen levels had dropped to 60, blood pressure to 60/40. The paramedic said “I think I’ve been here before?” I said “ yes , you have Ryan. Exactly a year ago you treated me for a suspected heart attack and I’ve always wanted to thank you for insisting that went into hospital with you to get a blood tropinin test done as the ECG showed my heart to be fine , if I hadn’t gone I’d never known I’d had a heart attack and had quadruple bypass surgery “
He couldn’t believe it 🤣🤣. He thought it would have been easier for me to thank him over a beer..
Not only did I need my paramedic but when they took me into hospital I met the same doctor that did my blood test and gave me the news about my heart attack . I got to thank him too, he did two blood tropinin tests because he wasn’t sure about the first one . It came back with a score of 74, the second one came back 402 and confirmed my heart attack. The doctor couldn’t believe it either . What an anniversary 🤦🏼🤣🤣
Mysterious world we live in.
What an incredible series of events. I’m pleased that you were able to thank everyone! 🤣
Very much understand. I've just had my two year anniversary of OHS following a heart attack. It took a while to realise why I was feeling extra vulnerable and having a resurgence of memories of that time. What really helped was talking about it to friends, and knowing that other people had had similar 'anniversary emotion'. It subsides again. We so often feel guilty for having some feelings because, yes, we're still here and there is much in life to celebrate. But these feelings are real and important. They rise for a reason that is, I think, in a strange way, part of the mind and body's healing process, and acknowledging and sharing that you are having a wobbly couple of days is healthy and helpful. Mental health after medical trauma is often the aspect that gets least support - so congratulations for being up front about this subject and sharing how you are affected. Take care x
Thanks. I'm glad it passes because it's not a nice feeling. Take care x
Hi, Comfycousin1,
Congratulations to you on achieving one-year post HA! ❤️🥳🎂 That is a major milestone and deserves to be celebrated—especially since you say that you feel pretty well. Perhaps not a blow-out type of celebration—but maybe a reflective type of day that includes sharing that milestone with family and friends.
It has been 2 years and 9 months since my HA. I know that I still worry about having another one, but I am also extremely happy to have had these extra years on Earth.
The first-year anniversary, I played it very subdued—didn’t want to draw attention to it. That first year had been tough for me. I think that I was usually stressed and scared most of the time; I felt like rubbish for several months following the HA; I had to have cataract surgery on both eyes (I have a huge eye phobia.). The first eye surgery was just six months after the HA, and the second one was seven months after; I had completed one of those home colon cancer tests and sent it off about four months after the HA. I expected everything to be A-okay with that test. The results came back as “cancer,”. I scheduled a colonoscopy ( had to wait nine months for it.), and the doctor was able to remove four pre-cancerous polyps. Anyway, you get the idea—it was an interesting year.
I did talk about the one-year anniversary with my doctor. That coincided with my annual checkup. For me, it was helpful to acknowledge that I had a terrible thing happen to me—BUT it also brought some blessings in a weird way.
I was able to set some new goals for myself. I am still working on those, but that’s okay. I lost about 40 pounds since the HA, and I have kept it off. I do still need to lose much more. I’m a work-in-progress. 😊
I do feel stronger now than I did two years ago after the HA. I try to not worry as much as before, but I have anxiety disorder, so I will always have to deal with tons of worry and anxiety. And I still have fear of having a second heart attack and possibly dying.
Overall, my HA was my “wake-up” call. I’ve lost some weight, learned much more about my health overall, made some positive lifestyle changes (like eating lots of fruits and vegetables), and I think that I am much more grateful.
Anyway, do take time to “celebrate”, or acknowledge your anniversary. It is important to who you are already, and to whom you are becoming. Blessings to you! 🙏
Thank you. Blessings to you too. Have a lovely Christmas 🎄
Hi,
It’s interesting that you mention the anxiety around your one year HA anniversary.
Last October, we were just home from a holiday in Brighton when I had my NSTEMI. One year to the day we were back in Brighton and I was definitely conscious of being anxious. I think it’s a very natural response to a life changing event but would expect the anxiety to lessen over time.
Best of luck
Thank you
I’m approaching the date 4 years ago that I went to my GP on Christmas Eve morning, she requested to see me after a phone consultation . Completely unknown to me I was seriously unwell and she called an ambulance immediately , I was rushed to hospital on blue lights and sirens and needed a week stay on CCU . I had a very close call and I have since struggled with my emotions , being rushed in and spending Christmas week in hospital , not realising I was so unwell , it was lucky I went to see my gp as it saved my life . It comes back to us when we approach the anniversary of something traumatic , for me it’s still very clear in my mind when those thoughts creep in it’s like watching a replay of events .
Yes. That's it.
Happy 1st Anniversary Bypass!
an anniversary 
Fourth anniversary 
Post-AVR: 1st Anniversary
Sad Anniversary
