Scared 😳

[Teztickles]

So here I am two weeks after being told I'd had a heart attack. I'm now home but feel so under prepared for it. Every single twinge is sending my imagination into overdrive 'is it another one's?.. I had no real symptoms.. a bit heart burny, a lot of wrist and elbow bow pain and intense jaw pressure (for want of a better way of describing it).. something must have alarmed hubby cos he called an ambulance ... No one seemed to bothered either in the ambulance or hospital but after 5 hrs and very little monitoring hubby asked what was happening, a repeat blood test and suddenly I was in resus being monitored as all my bloods showed heart attack. I spent nearly a week in hospital but was sent home after an angiogram showed nothing untoward - no stents or surgery needed. I'm told that this is great news. But now I'm home. I've been referred to cardio rehab (no idea how long this will take??) but other than that I've had no real advice - not even when to return to work or normal family routines. I'm getting a lot of palpitations and general uncomfortableness in my chest area and I just don't know if this is normal or not. I'm taking a while koad of new meds and don't really even know what they are or what they are for. I'm just so scared. Apologies for the long post... Thank you for reading xxx

[RTCLP1]

Hi, There are many Hearties on here who were just where you were when they had their heart attacks, including me (I'm 10 weeks on). It's a very supportive group. From my experience, the first few weeks were really hard as I was discharged and told my GP and the Cardiac Nurse would call to discuss rehab, but that didn't happen until the 4 week point, and I/my wife and I felt really alone and unsure about what was normal or not. This is where this group can be of great support. Also, go to the British Heart Foundation website and call the BHF Cardiac Nurses, they can be a great source of help and advice. The website has lots of good information on there, too.

I'm on a whole host of medication - given a big bag when I left hospital without much of an explanation. My surgeries Practice Nurse explained it all to me, plus the Cardiac Rehab often offer additional sessions, including one of medication - they are worth going to, especially if you'd like to ask questions.

[Teztickles in reply to RTCLP1]

Thank you so much for your reassuring words. I really appreciate the time you have taken and will certainly be looking at the BHF and other things you've mentioned. 🙏🏻🫶🏻🙏🏻🫶🏻

[DWizza]

Do you have your discharge notes ? It should explain the what, why and how to your situation. What the problem is , why and how it is to be treated . The medics in the ambulance and hospital treated you accordingly, your ECG showed that your heart was fine and then you had troponin test that confirmed your heart attack. What were your troponin scores ? The doctors would’ve told you and it will be on your notes. You will need your notes to confirm and back up any life insurance claims that you might need to make . The notes should also have contact details for the various departments involved including rehab . I do hope you have this information. I base it on my experience of having nstemi heart attack , identified by two blood (tropinin) tests. My first came back at 74 and the second 402 and confirmed my heart attack. If the paramedics that attended to me at home hadn’t been insistent that I should go in for the tests I’d never have known. They did ECG at home and said everything is fine with your heart, whatever has happened has passed but we would like you come in for the test. I was in hospital from 1pm and sat in a corridor for most of it until the test results came back at 23:30! I ended up with angiogram, no stents and transferred to another hospital for quadruple bypass. Wishing you well on your rehab 👊🏻❤️

[Hrty]

Hi - most of us can empathise with your experience. When I had my NSTEMI two years ago I wasn't in any great pain, just felt a bit unwell. Wife made me call 111 and whilst talking with them they dispatched an ambulance which turned up really quickly. Did ECG, BP, Oxygen readings etc. Didn't seem overly concerned but decided I should be taken in to "be on the safe side". Walked to the ambulance and with the hospital a short drive away the longest initial part was having to wait in the ambulance as A&E was busy. In the end they set up a "Halo" area, which was basically a waiting area manned by ambulance staff, and then walked round to A&E after a bit of a wait. Initial handover done, bloods etc, and then sat in A&E for hours. I was bored rigid and threatening to go home so my wife went and asked what was happening. This was after about 4-5 hrs in A&E and around 6 hrs from when ambulance arrived. After checking my notes on the computer she was told that my blood test "wasn't right". At that point I was wheeled into a room, a second blood test taken and Echocardiogram carried out whilst the Dr casually announced that I was having an ongoing heart attack! He may need to work on his bedside manner :-). I was then wheeled into the trolley RAT bay for my Clopidogrel "bomb" and heparin injection and then for what turned out to be a long and sleepless night waiting for someone from the cardiac team to come down. I was allowed to walk to the loo, "just disconnect the monitor if you need to", and wasn't in any pain at all. Wasn't overly concerned as I took the line that they'd be fussing more if it was "serious". Couldn't sleep because I got the noisy demanding patient in the bay opposite ( I had some very unsympathetic thoughts during the night). I was eventually taken to CCU around 6:30 am and after settling down I was told I'd be left alone to get some rest. I got a few minutes before the lights all went on, breakfast turned up and the nurses and Drs started their rounds :-).

What is it with hospitals, as soon as you nod off they wake you up! Anyway I had my angiogram later that day. Turns out I had some blockages in minor arteries (thankfully my main ones were clear) but they decided not to stent but treat with medication.

When I got home I found it really difficult. Had to sleep with a light and the radio on and became very chest aware (something I suspect many of us experience) and even had a couple of trips to hospital

Hopefully you'll be offered rehab classes. Whilst the exercise start off quite light they did, in my case, increase the intensity and wouldn't discharge/graduate me from that until they felt I was ready. We also had a very useful session as part of it to cover what causes HAs, diet, meds etc. Being with others who had been through similar and had the same fears was really helpful and the nurses and physios were brilliant.

Sorry for the long post - all the best for your recovery.

[Furryears]

Hi I totally get how you are feeling 3 years ago I suffered a HA, long story short woke in the night thought I had indigestion took some gaviscon and it just wouldn’t pass

Thankfully hubby put the light on and said my face had gone a really funny colour after a call to 111 and ambulance came and I was having a HA blue lighted to hospital and straight to resuss tried to fit stent but they couldn’t so straight to theatre for a bypass this was a scary time to say the least I was 59 and so so scared keep talking to the health professionals ask them what is next.

I went on to cardio rehab exercises, and have had any funny turns checked out if you think something is not right go get it checked.

I wish you all the best in your recovery, keep talking we all get scared and coming on here and sharing really does help

🙂