Heart attack

[Bluecat223]

I had a heart attack in 27/12/24 last week I arrested 5 times and was rushed in to theatre for a stent my right artery was blocked my 2 other arteries were clear I am at home now recovering I am very emotional and keep thinking back to the 5 times I arrested it's really playing on my mind don't get me wrong I am so grateful to be given a second chance I am 51

[pastapot]

Hello, sorry about your experience, a very similar thing happened to me on 01st September 2024. I am 62. Since then it has been a struggle, emotionally and yes the same thing, grateful to be alive but traumatised by the fact I almost wasn't. I am now having troubles with drug side effects but also still feel very emotional and sometimes at a loss. I am hoping time helps to heal for me and also for you. It is very early for you and important to recognise for yourself what a trauma you have been through. 😊

[BeKind28-]

Hello

I am so sorry what happened it must have been so frightening and I know these things to start with are a very big life changing experience but one with time gets easier

You are going to be very emotional and your mind will keep going back to what happened this is perfectly normal after what you went through sometimes for many of us we physically feel better but mentally it can take us longer to deal with what happened and all these emotions have to come out to help us heal and move on but you will it is early days you need to be kind to yourself and give yourself time

I hope you have some support and family and friends let them know how you are feeling and use this Community with members that understand to help you while you need it

Let us know how you get on x

[yellow731]

Hello and welcome to the club , i was 50 when mine happened ,and i was like you worried etc , but glad at a 2nd chance , and ive took it ,just remember youve had a full mot on the heart they know what what you got the meds ,you will attend the rehab , and its all going to be ok

[Bluecat223 in reply to yellow731]

Did you feel better when you attended the rehab i just need people to speak to who have been through the same thing so glad I found this forum

[mcc19and64 in reply to Bluecat223]

Hi Bluecat223. l didn't get a rehab referral but just like all matters cardiac related it's up to you to manage it.I "pushed" for rehab and got it and what a difference it made physically and mentally.

To be with other cardiac patients and sharing their experiences.The care and support of the rehab nursing team.The education on exercise,diet and relaxation. All of these have helped immensely.

Hopefully it will for you too,please let us all know how you get on.

[yellow731 in reply to Bluecat223]

Hi mate i attend rehab and was a great help the 2 nurses know there stuff diet etc they pushed me into doing exercises without them i wouldnt of done much my course was 6 weeks i ended up staying 6 months !! and still pop in , i was 17stone gym dodging takeaway eating heavy smoker/drinker , now im a gym freak and eat healthy , its a slow journey you will have ups and down but you will get better and life does get better , and if you need to ask anything we are all here on this forum to help each other

[Skiffrower]

I haven't had the same problem as you but can relate to worrying how things will pan out. I found the cardio rehab really useful in giving me confidence in what I could do. Mine also included discussions about drugs, diet, the heart itself as well as exercise but the best thing about the class was talking to other people .

[Sanmo]

I arrested 4 times, my wife fed me aspirin immediately on the first sign of the HA and performed CPR at the first arrest, I was defibrillated when the ambulance arrived and then arrested and defibrillated another 3 times in the ambulance. In the ambulance I had the beautiful dream of every happy event in my life from childhood to adulthood before slipping into total blackness. I really struggled emotionally with this for some considerable time, it was visible to everyone, the rehab nurse spoke to me quietly one day and asked if I would like to speak to someone about it. She arranged an appointment with the cardio psychologist. The appointment was very soon afterwards and that was an unbelievable meeting, unloading everything in a manner I've never done before, I was always the strong quiet type, god did it feel good, very very emotional, but good, so good I sat in my car afterwards and cried like a baby with a mixture of happiness and relief. That was a massive turning point, still had the occasional wobble but they were few and far between and not deep and destroying. My dream stays with me today, but no longer eats away at me, as does the memory of the intense and explosive pain of a successful defibrillation.

Ask for a referral, it will be one of the best 'cardiac' treatments you'll receive.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Sanmo]

Omg I had the same defib at home twice then in ambulance on the way to hospital i felt that one it was like an explosion going off in my head then arriving at A&E to have another one to then coming back and asking where my mom had gone she has been dead 2 years then another in the lift on the way to theatre it messing with my head it's been a week today since it happened 🥲I have cardio rehab on the 29th of this month so will ask to speak to someone

[Sanmo in reply to Bluecat223]

I explain my defibrillation pain as akin to a landmine exploding inside my head. I should also have mentioned the NHS Silvercloud programme, it's a self help programme that helps you track your progression back to mental health which in turn gives you great encouragement, I accessed meditation and relaxation sound tracks through it, it was a superb tool that helped me overcome the anxiety that most of us suffer after our event. Just Google NHS Silvercloud.

[Bingocaller]

hi

I know that feeling so well after 2 heart attacks I kept getting flash backs all the time , I did find going out in the fresh air helped me just walking round the garden it does get better in time ,your body is healing all the time , I do hope you feel better soon and look forward to all the things you can do that you enjoy .

[Goonerboy6661]

the cardio rehab clinic you should be invited to should be able to assign a councillor, helped me a lot when in a similar position after my heart issues.

[Casualvisitor]

Hey Bluecat,

I was 54 when I had my heart attack ( just over a year ago).

It's a life changing experience both mentally and physically but it's something you will conquer over time.

It's very early days for you yet so I would rest and recover, get educated into your diagnosis but don't google as it causes more anxiety.

Give the BHF nurses helpline a call when you need info or feel low they are great and also take up cardio rehab when it's offered, it's the most important thing for the road to recovery.

Recovery is a gradual process, you will have highs and lows but keep looking ahead and tell yourself your still here and it's not a race.

wish you the best

[Bluecat223 in reply to Casualvisitor]

Thank you so much 💗

[Misstibbs]

Hi Bluecat what you are going through is expected, it’s one hell of a shock BUT it will change, importantly live you life every day none of us know what the future will bring Take care best foot forward 👍

[PeterACross]

Hi Bluecat

I’m 53 and had my heart attack in October 2024, mine was a series of chest pains over a few days, which my GP then referred me to A&E and it was discovered I’d had a heart attack. I wasn’t suitable for a stent and ended up having a triple by pass and a replacement heart valve.

I did see other guys in my ward who did have stents, who were in and out of hospital in a couple of days, much like yourself. While it’s good to not have a lengthy hospital stay it’s also a shock mentally and hard to process what has happened to you in such a short space of time.

I went home a week after my operation, at first I was very emotional and I couldn’t get out of my head what I’d been through and the trauma of being in intensive care. However, this has faded away over the 3 months since my operation and it doesn’t pray on my mind like it did do. I was lucky to have made a good buddy in hospital, a guy in the same ward, we’ve kept in touch and it’s been brilliant having someone to talk to who knows what we’ve gone through. I have my cardio rehab course starting next week and I’m also starting back at work.

It’s slow steps, a journey, lots to process physically and mentally. I know it’s an old cliche, but with time things will get better for you.

[Turnipgirl in reply to PeterACross]

I had blood clots in the lungs back in 2017 and I found the psychological side of things a lot harder to cope with than the physical side of things and I was 41 at the time!

I physically dragged myself up to a and e as I was frightened when I had symptoms unusual for me and got kept in overnight and then sent home after dinner the following day along with a prescription for Xarelto taking 2 tablets a day for the first few weeks and then just the one after that.

I can remember being worried about going home and having another episode of clots in the lungs or a massive bleed on the tablets and got reassures I would be fine and I was but it was a nasty shock though when that happened!

Thankfully I haven't had another episode and I made a full recovery.

[Furryears]

Hi Bluecat223 I was 59 when I woke in the might with what I thought was heartburn I was actually having a HA, I was blue lighted to hospital straight into resus, they tried to fit a stent but had to carry out an emergency bypass, I really struggled for months after, I was put straight into HF, I had a very rough year while doing my rehab, the nurses picked up on this I struggled to string a sentence without breaking down i started to see a psychologist and after a few months learned some coping mechanisms and used them whenever I woke in the night or through the day when the fear took over.

Reach out for professional help go speak to your doctor or the Heart nurses and keep talking.

Take care 😊

[Turnipgirl in reply to Furryears]

With things like heart attacks initially the symptoms are mild and you don't think anything of them until the crisis happens and things come to a head!

With myself before the crisis when I dragged myself into a and e I had had leg cramps for ages and short of breath and hadn't thought anything of them until the crisis happened!

How are you and the dogs getting on?

[Furryears in reply to Turnipgirl]

We are doing ok, for a long time I was in a bad place couldn’t even walk the the dogs but I sought the help I needed and done as I was told, I still get very tired and on those days I rest.

We have beagles any my goodness how they pull with some extra training I can now assist with walking them.

I have just spent a fabulous New Year in the Highlands with my hubby and my brother and his wife, had my dancing shoes at the ready 😉

How about you ? X

[Turnipgirl in reply to Furryears]

I'm doing great thanks for asking and this morning has been an extremely productive morning catching up on job application and doing French and a job interview on video at 10.45am which I went away from feeling I had given it my very best which is all you can do really!

If it doesn't come to anything I won't be heartbroken over it!

After the interview I had a walk out which I enjoyed as it gets rid of the stress out of your system as interviews can get extremely stressful!

One of my friends has got an extremely spoilt beagle called Poppy who was 5 back in September so is still a pup!

The rest of the day here will be a quiet afternoon in as I feel I have earned it after all I did this morning!

[Furryears in reply to Turnipgirl]

Busy Busy good luck with the job hope it’s good news

I have had a really busy day also today started with a 4 mile walk with the dogs then taking down all the Christmas decs and finished with making a big pan of lentil and vegetable soup I’m going to be relaxing for the rest of the day

One of my beagles is 5 and the other one is 7 both still very mischievous 😉

Have a good evening x

[Lezzers]

Hi bluecat

I'm very sorry you've had such a traumatic experience, a heart attack is bad enough but a cardiac arrest takes the trauma & worry to a whole new level.

If you're on Facebook I can highly recommend joining a group called sudden cardiac arrest UK, link below, lots of help, support & guidance for you there from those who've had a CA , are caring for someone who's had a CA or have carried out CPR on someone who's had a CA. I believe the group has now been officially made a charity & are affiliated with SAD's and cardiologists who are dedicated to improving the outcome, health & MH issues suffered by those who've gone through this experience & will be able to guide you through how to get the help you need including DVLA requirements. The group is highly regulated & friendly and have been known to arrange meet ups with other survivors as it's incredibly beneficial to talk to others who know exactly how you're feeling, there is a meet up being arranged for this year. Having been to one previously, I'd say go if you can, we got to talk to cardiologists, heart device manufacturers, cpr training, we were even shown round a cath lab & talked through what goes on there. Good luck 🤞

facebook.com/groups/SuddenC...

Ps: it's my husband who had the HA &CA, he was only 42yo!

[Bluecat223 in reply to Lezzers]

Thank you so much I have requested to join the group 😊

[Lezzers in reply to Bluecat223]

Brilliant , feel free to ask all and as many questions as you need to. Good luck

[Jedi14]

Hi there Bluecat223, I had similar experience and ended up with 6 stents! It's been a roller coaster of recovery.

What I found most useful was the daily monitoring and recording of my BP etc. There were several tearful moments, but we live in the age of modern technology, meds and a second chance has been afforded to us. It's up to us to adapt to the new diet and meds and limited activities. Take it in easy manageable stages.

After almost 2 years I feel, I am "settled", on lowest meds and discharged recently from Cardiology until something new happens to me... then the cycle will restart from the GP.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Jedi14]

Hopefully nothing new happens and you can live a long and happy life i am just struggling at the moment with what food to eat as I have no appetite

[Jedi14 in reply to Bluecat223]

Not eating, in these times is also a blessing. You can use it to your advantage to help lose weight.