A journey through a heart attack and out the other side

A journey through a heart attack and out the other side

Author
Discussion

Trabi601

4,865 posts

94 months

Wednesday 15th June 2016
quotequote all
Have they given you a timescale on the clopidogrel?

I recall having a couple of months of it, but thankfully could stop taking it when I returned to work. It's nasty stuff and even the slightest cut will bleed for England whilst you're on it.

Good luck with the rehab - it was very strange when I was doing mine, as everyone else seemed to be in their 60s/70s! - and the music was targeted towards them. Not great when you're in your mid-30s.

But the cardio rehab nurses are excellent - they can help you sort your head out, too.

It's 5 years on for me - but I have made it my mission to raise money for them every year.

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Wednesday 15th June 2016
quotequote all
Cloppydog for a year. I have been warned about bleeding. Shaving cuts make me look like an extra from the chainsaw massacre smile

Edit. Next year I shall ride the prudential ride 100 for bhf. Need a target to work towards. They do good work.


I suppose deep down when this was all taking place, I kinda knew this wasn't my time. But it is a weird thing, in part I feel like I've let me down. Most odd. I know, coulda, shoulda, woulda does no good, but even then...

Edited by drivin_me_nuts on Wednesday 15th June 10:58

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Wednesday 15th June 2016
quotequote all
drivin_me_nuts said:
Having a heart attack hurts, a lot. But it's nothing compared to the pain of them sticking a canula in your groin femoral artery and then afterwards when they plug it.
Hmm, how about having a catheter forced through a urethral stricture? That nipped a bit, and they had to change the bedsheets three times due to all the blood. smile

Hope you get better soon!

motco

15,918 posts

245 months

Wednesday 15th June 2016
quotequote all
popeyewhite said:
drivin_me_nuts said:
Having a heart attack hurts, a lot. But it's nothing compared to the pain of them sticking a canula in your groin femoral artery and then afterwards when they plug it.
Hmm, how about having a catheter forced through a urethral stricture? That nipped a bit, and they had to change the bedsheets three times due to all the blood. smile

Hope you get better soon!
I met a chap who had a catheter while he was in hospital and he told me he was shuffling off to the bathroom to shower and he stepped on the tube... yikes

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Wednesday 15th June 2016
quotequote all
popeyewhite said:
drivin_me_nuts said:
Having a heart attack hurts, a lot. But it's nothing compared to the pain of them sticking a canula in your groin femoral artery and then afterwards when they plug it.
Hmm, how about having a catheter forced through a urethral stricture? That nipped a bit, and they had to change the bedsheets three times due to all the blood. smile

Hope you get better soon!
Thanks smile I had that years ago when I had a severe intestinal infection. Oh, but the pain was as nothing compared to the relief of being able to pee again. Life... it's the simple pleasures. smile

djmotorsport

479 posts

242 months

Tuesday 21st June 2016
quotequote all
Just back from a 2 week holiday so missed this - I know you'll get through this in your usual thoughtful way - best wishes from Jockland.

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Tuesday 21st June 2016
quotequote all
djmotorsport said:
Just back from a 2 week holiday so missed this - I know you'll get through this in your usual thoughtful way - best wishes from Jockland.
Thanks you, much appreciated smile

Wildfire

9,774 posts

251 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2016
quotequote all
Just seen his. Glad to hear you are on the mend.

Very wise words as well. Please don't ignore the signs.

About 2 months ago one of the guys at my martial arts class (aged 44) hot the floor in sudden cardiac arrest. I and one of the other instructors had to carry out CPR until the ambulance arrived (the students actually managed to flag a passing one down).

The paramedics had to use the defibrillator to get him going again and he was placed in an induced coma for 4 days.

Thankfully (and against the odds) he has made almost a full recovery and has made it home to his family.

After speaking to him, he experienced many of the symptoms you described in your first post.


Trabi601

4,865 posts

94 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2016
quotequote all
Wildfire said:
Just seen his. Glad to hear you are on the mend.

Very wise words as well. Please don't ignore the signs.

About 2 months ago one of the guys at my martial arts class (aged 44) hot the floor in sudden cardiac arrest. I and one of the other instructors had to carry out CPR until the ambulance arrived (the students actually managed to flag a passing one down).

The paramedics had to use the defibrillator to get him going again and he was placed in an induced coma for 4 days.

Thankfully (and against the odds) he has made almost a full recovery and has made it home to his family.

After speaking to him, he experienced many of the symptoms you described in your first post.
It's also worth knowing the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest.

Heart attack may lead to cardiac arrest, but cardiac arrest can happen due to other issues.

If someone's having a heart attack, there are 2 things you can do - find some aspirin, I was given, I recall 300mg by the paramedic. And secondly, get them to hospital as quickly as possible. CPR is no good for a heart attack. It won't clear a blocked artery. If the heart is still working, but in 'attack' mode, only aspirin (or GTN if the victim knows of their condition) will save them from further damage.

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2016
quotequote all
I now carry the GTN spray all the time. But also, I carry a 300mg asprin tablet in my wallet at all times.

I have also got these made up (I know a commercial link, and there are others, but I carried a carry a version of this as a wristband when I travel and dog tags all the time and cards in my wallet and my phone.)

Particularly as I travel abroad, if the same thing happens some time in the future, i'm hoping at least that those who would/could help me know my drugs and know my history. Same with my phone the ICE and personal page always show and there is enough detail on them to see innediately my drugs and also the things I should not be given. Personal choice and all that, but for me at least if gives me a (small) sense of peace on mind in this aspect at least.

(I first saw this mentioned several years ago on the pedal powered PH forum)

http://www.onelifeid.com

....

Week 3 post MI.

Now walking 1.5 miles a day, up hill, down dale. The ticker seems to be working smile The urge to walk more is hard to resist, but the guidelines on recovery talk about 30-40 minutes in the first three weeks (and nothing about cycling!)

Boshly

2,776 posts

235 months

Thursday 23rd June 2016
quotequote all
br d said:
For fk sake man!




Thank you Russ.
Get a room.......

biggrin

Russell sorry to hear your news but good to hear you're on the mend! We're all fragile but these bodies are amazing! Look after yourself and slowly slowly!!

I've had lots of stress recently but have made a conscious decision to 'let it go' I swear it was stress that got me last time so bks to it smile

We need a catch up soon, Brad when are you down next?

br d

8,388 posts

225 months

Thursday 23rd June 2016
quotequote all
Boshly said:
We need a catch up soon, Brad when are you down next?
Hi Bosh.
Have you got your name down for Ian's second meet and Goodwood run?
It's on the Supercar forum I think.

You up for this Russ? 30th July.
I can come and get you from Brighton if you like.

Boshly

2,776 posts

235 months

Thursday 23rd June 2016
quotequote all
br d said:
Boshly said:
We need a catch up soon, Brad when are you down next?
Hi Bosh.
Have you got your name down for Ian's second meet and Goodwood run?
It's on the Supercar forum I think.

You up for this Russ? 30th July.
I can come and get you from Brighton if you like.
No I haven't but I will do. What time is the meet? We could meet for an early breakfast at some where convenient and then tag on with them? Happy to meet at or just out if Brighton?

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
Date sorted. I'll meet up with Brad somewhere. I'm looking forward to it.

...


Right an update. Walking now up to 3 miles in an hour which isn't bad considering. Not a squeak from the ticker, but I do get tired and yesterday was a day off spent pretty much doing bugger all, until the late afternoon.

Appointment with the cardi team mid July. So, hopefully by then I will be in a stronger position heart wise when they plug me in for another ECG.

...

One thing that troubles me is the need for Statins. The more I read, the less convinced a) they do anything useful b) they can be a trigger for T2 diabeties and that concerns me more than another HA.

...

Walking today has also highlighed something else that i'd be interested to hear about in other HA peoples - and that's the somewhat unexpected thoughts that have come from this. It goes something like this, 'well ANYONE can have a HA and though there are clearly behaviours that increase the risk, even if I do everything 'right', it could still happen again. Or it might not. There' no reason at all to think it migh. I take all the meds required of me. But, If it does, so what. I'll just strap ito on and do it all over again. So what. I'm soon to be 50. I've outlived a great many and done a stack of things.'

I genuinely can't work out if this is just my brain processing what's happened, whether this is a form of 'fatalism' or if this is a good and healthy realistic balance of the current situation.

motco

15,918 posts

245 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
drivin_me_nuts said:
Date sorted. I'll meet up with Brad somewhere. I'm looking forward to it.

...


Right an update. Walking now up to 3 miles in an hour which isn't bad considering. Not a squeak from the ticker, but I do get tired and yesterday was a day off spent pretty much doing bugger all, until the late afternoon.

Appointment with the cardi team mid July. So, hopefully by then I will be in a stronger position heart wise when they plug me in for another ECG.

...

One thing that troubles me is the need for Statins. The more I read, the less convinced a) they do anything useful b) they can be a trigger for T2 diabeties and that concerns me more than another HA.

...

Walking today has also highlighed something else that i'd be interested to hear about in other HA peoples - and that's the somewhat unexpected thoughts that have come from this. It goes something like this, 'well ANYONE can have a HA and though there are clearly behaviours that increase the risk, even if I do everything 'right', it could still happen again. Or it might not. There' no reason at all to think it migh. I take all the meds required of me. But, If it does, so what. I'll just strap ito on and do it all over again. So what. I'm soon to be 50. I've outlived a great many and done a stack of things.'

I genuinely can't work out if this is just my brain processing what's happened, whether this is a form of 'fatalism' or if this is a good and healthy realistic balance of the current situation.
The corollary (coronary?) is walking around a graveyard and seeing people your own age lying in their graves. Frightens me witless! Mind you I'm on borrowed time, biblically speaking...

Trabi601

4,865 posts

94 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
It's perfectly normal to have it in the back of your mind that it'll happen again. I don't really worry about it killing me - I do worry about the amount of pain it puts you through before it finishes you off! I never want to experience that level of pain again.

I suppose I also worry about my wife and how it would affect her - it has made me a lot more determined to sort my career and progress at work, so when the inevitable does happen, she's in the best possible position for the remaining 40 years of her life.

But ultimately, you forget about it. Then you get frustrated you can't do some of the things you used to do. My running club friends and wife have to keep reminding me that it's a bloody miracle I can run at all, a bigger miracle that I can run a 28 minute 5km, and that I should be proud of that, not beat myself up because I want to run 25 mins!

jonesof63

947 posts

136 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
Here's to a speedy recovery and a long life Sir ! I'm 52, a boring individual in the main, I rarely drink, have never smoked, watch what I eat and walk ten miles a day over 3 walks.
Almost the life of a Monk you say ! So, I'm 53, I lost my Dad at 54, Uncles on Dads side of family at 55 and 57, and a Aunt at 52, non were chain smokers, alcoholics or abused their bodies, they were all 'hefty' all the males were 6ft2 plus and a minimum of 18 stones, it's clearly genetic. All died of huge heart attacks. `My b.p is always good as is my cholesterol, maybe i'm a ticking time bomb, so I enjoy life and cherish every day.

spikeyhead

17,222 posts

196 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Russel, hope you continue to recover, wishing you all the best

drivin_me_nuts

Original Poster:

17,949 posts

210 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
spikeyhead said:
Russel, hope you continue to recover, wishing you all the best
Thank you. My best to you and your lovely lady smile

...


Mortality... Sometimes a tickle from Mr Reaper focuses the mind on your mortality. Hey ho Mr death, I've met you before and you don't really scared me any more. Been there done that.

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think smile

marcosgt

11,011 posts

175 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Good to hear you're making a good recovery.

A friend of mine had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago at the age of 44.

He was a little overweight, but generally fit and healthy.

He initially put the pain in his chest down to an infection as his wife had one a few days before...

Like you he was lucky (his background meant he recognised the full attack quickly when it came) and is making a good recovery, but I noticed how shocked some of our other friends (some a good few years older) were (it was a shock about him, but I got the distinct feeling their shock was more about themselves - One bloke - who's in his late sixties and very fit and active - actually said he felt guilty! I told him to be thankful instead).

Anyway, get well soon!

M.