Right then bit of a long story so bear with me I'll condense it down, , I'm a 49yo male and in Dec 21 I suffered a mild heart attack! Didn't see that coming but warning signs were there! Three months prior starting in September I was getting odd back pains just below my shoulder blades it was quite random not big pain but a mild ache that sometimes went down both triceps too, felt like a mild kick in the balls type of ache, so I went to doctors in October and he fobbed me off saying its nothing but he did book me in for an xray, that didn't show anything so in Nov I started going to a chiropracter, after four sessions she said there's something wrong here it's not muscular or skeletal, so she wrote to my gp to organise an mri scan, so fast forward to early Dec and we were out for a walk about 1/2 mile from the house when I said I need a sit down and rest, I was getting worried then I was still getting this random back pain too, we carried on and I said I need to go home, felt OK when I got in and laying on the bed, next day I went to work, parked the car up walked 100 yards in and same thing out of breath etc, so phoned the doctors as soon as I could then a few hours later the nurse phoned back and said I gotta go down A and E today, not tomorrow but now as they are heart attack symptoms!! so drove home, only 10 mins away phoned an ambulance which said could take up to 5 hours! So my other half dropped me in, now I was all worked up and I was having chest pains in the car on the way in, got to a and e waiting room and it was there I had a mild heart attack, of all places! They got me in did a blood test and confirmed by troponin levels that I did indeed suffer a mild heart attack, had all sorts of tests over three days in hospital and cut a long story short one of my supply arteries was 90% blocked, had a stent fitted there and then, four months off work and big lifestyle changes to come and tablets for the rest of my life, took me a while to get my head around that!I blame it on BBC1 and BBC2, Beer, Biscuits and Chocolate , Bread, Butter and Cheese! And a bit of bad luck as the cholesterol blockage was all in the one spot, 48 years of eating sh1te basically!
Now I eat much more healthy but still have the odd treat but moderation is the key, I've cut down my alcohol consumption and now I'm only a social drinker. I've lost almost 2 stone and feel better for it, I took up swimming in Jan 21 and went from swimming 1 length to 64 (1mile)! I still go regularly twice a week swimming a mile each time, I do 6 mile runs although I used to run before and also I do 100 doorframe pull ups and chin ups 4-5 times a week, I'm fitter than ever now, I weigh 10.5 stone was in the mid 12s before. I also put a claim in on my life insurance on critical illness and 5 months later in May they paid out! That was a celebration I can say, paid off my mortgage and a nice bit of change too!
So to conclude if anyone has any abnormal back pain don't ignore it get it checked out!
Life's good now and it's definitely changed my outlook for the better.
So here I am writing this in Costa rica about to celebrate my 50th birthday next week!
Written by
Kev73
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Now that’s a journey ! I like the positivity. I’m 47 just diagnosed with coronary disease and Afib can relate to the butter abuse, still wasn’t expecting any dodgy plumbing or electrics, genetics let me down . Have a great 50th ! Enjoy.
Happy Birthday Kev73! Half a Century eh! Have fun on your holiday and well done on all the changes and healing your heart. It is amazing how they can patch us up and send us on our way. Have an amazing celebration! 🥳❤️🧚🏼♀️
Well done it's great to read such a positive post.
My HA was also described as mild although one of the nurses got a bit cross about that. She said they are all serious. I'd had warning signs before mine, they even think I've had an earlier one! Mine started during a swim with a slight ache in my left forearm which I initially thought was a muscle strain. I even carried on swimming for a bit 🥴. When i got to the changing room I suddenly felt incredibly nauseous and very tired. Recovered enough to walk home where I promptly fell asleep on the sofa.
It was only later in the afternoon with me feeling worse my wife called 111 who promptly sent ambulance. Luckily that arrived quickly and I was taken in to be double-checked. Blood taken and ECG done. It was only when the first test came back several hours later the HA was initially diagnosed and ACS treatment started.
Roll forward 7 weeks and I'm slowly getting back to normal. Complete diet overhaul, moderate walking and for the time being no alcohol. I've lost a stone already without really trying. I do miss my swimming, I was a regular swimmer and up to 4km a time. (Talking of swimming, my pedantic side knows 64 lengths is just under a mile, by about 9 and a bit metres 😃).
Anyway, enough of me. Thanks again for such a postive post.
I can relate to all of that Kev. Some warning signs only put into some sort of perspective following my HA, but nothing I should have really felt too concerned about. Reflection is good in recognising the journey you have been on since and the positivity you now feel. My life has changed for the better also and the feeling I had a lucky escape this time. Happy birthday and good luck. Maybe catch you on Strava!
Thanks for all your support, it has been a life changing experience and one I've adapted to, it was difficult at first, the HA itself didn't bother me so much but all the dietary changes took me a while to get my head around, but a year on there's things I don't really miss at all, I still have my chocolate fix though but not as much as before! 😁
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Embarrassing post HA problem
Post HA consultation 
Trying to cope after HA
5 and a half months after HA 
How my life as changed this year.
