Hello All,
I had a heart attack 2.5 weeks ago at age of 41. I have a healthy lifestyle with no predisposition for the heart attack.
I still can feel my heart and it does not feel right since the attack. Does anyone here knows when / if this feeling goes ever away?
Do I also ever stop worrying about having another heart attack?
When I will be able to go back to my exercise and run 5K/10K ? If ever?
Anyone with similar experience and advice to share?
Thank you 
I had a HA last June and had a couple of stents fitted to my LAD.The day after the procedure I told the nurse that my heart still ached.
Within an hour I'd had an ECG and an echocardiogram done.....both gave no cause for concern.
I was told that the angioplasty procedure had caused trauma, hence the ache and that it would take a while to "feel normal".
I could feel my heart every day for around two months before things felt as normal.
You should get details of a cardio rehabilitation course, jump at the chance, it will restore your confidence.
For the time being take it steady.
The maxim that I used was not to push myself beyond the point where I could hold a normal conversation....but I am a bit of a rebel!!
Be careful on the hot days we will hopefully be getting.....I did too much on a hot day last year and it wiped me out for 36 hours.
Best wishes.
Thank you very much John for your advice
Don't worry. It all gets better with time. For the first few weeks after my heart attack, five years ago, I even found it difficult to walk a few hundred yards. I then did the cardiac rehab course followed by Couch to 5K. I now run a 5K every Saturday and have two 10K races booked for next month.
Hi I had a mild heart attack age 49 last October. Your heart has been through a trauma. For a good few months after I felt aches in that area, some of which were probably anxiety driven, with the worry of something happening again.
If you are on a cocktail of new medication, like I am, this will take some getting used to.
There will days when you feel OK and days when you just need to rest. Listen to your body. Cardio rehabilitation taught me to go slow to be begin with and then to slow down again at the end, warm up and wind down after any exercise, walking up hills go slow to start with, don't race up them or start off walking too quick. This has helped me.
I did feel very alone in the beginning. I think there's not enough information/support for younger people who have had a heart attack. I was the youngest, only female in my cardio rehabilitation, no disrespect to anyone, but when I entered the room of all men all in their late 60s/70s I just wanted to cry. Why me?
There's lots of support on here and lots of people who are back to the exercise they were before. Give it time, listen to your body, its early days. Take care.
Thank you. I do find it very difficult, struggle mentally and physically as I was a very active person before the heart attack. And yes, everyone at the hospital was twice my age… and when I was discharged I did not receive enough information about what to expect and how to live going forward, just “you will be contacted by cardiac rehabilitation” and that was 1.5 weeks ago and still nothing. I signed up for online one and keep educating myself.Thank you for your advice, and sharing your story, it did make me feel better
Hi Jo. I had a STEMI at 42 last August. No pre-conditions. Complete shock. Almost completely blocked right coronary artery. Mentally it hit me afterwards and took me a long time to come to terms with it. Physically it took me a while to move forwards from the massive tiredness and all the meds. I thought I was relatively fit (I obviously wasn’t) but set about changing my lifestyle which I have kept up with 10 months later. I went through cardiac rehab in Oct/Nov which was amazing in terms of boosting my confidence, giving me a structure back and then generally looking after me (it was at a retirement village but I got past that and set about working on what I was able to do). After flying through it (I was allowed 2 min jogging intervals…!) and my post assessment I undertook walk /jogging at 5km using the maffetone low HR method which strengthened my heart and lung capacity from Nov. By March I was running quicker and longer and I can now do almost 15km pretty reasonably at a good pace with a manageable HR. It’s taken time, I’ve persevered and got further than I ever thought I would. There is hope. It takes time physically and mentally. I think about what happened ever day. It affects my decision making. But I’m alive, I’m getting through it and looking at the positives. Good luck. You will get there too ❤️🩹
And yes, I still feel every niggle, some discomfort. You just have to try and get on with it. 2 1/2 weeks is nothing. Take it a day at a time and don’t get frustrated by it or think too far ahead.
Sorry Jo. Just realised you posted this a month ago. I hope you are still progressing well with your recovery.
Hello Chris, thank you for your massage, made me feel better, hopeful. I am only starting my cardiac rehab in a week time 🤞 I am feeling better now than I felt a month ago but I can see it will take a while to be back to my usual physical activity… I hope you keep on your recovery, all the best ❤️🩹
There is a kinda PTSD after a major hit.I havent talked to a single person yet that didnt have a fear of something.Listen to the doc, if a med doesnt work there are others. i had been on a great nutrition plan and weighing 115 hit with a quad bypass. How did info get missed?Genetics and lower exercise needed. every bodies body is different. Stress is EVIL!takes time to figure that out.Best wishes....
one year follow up from heart attack
