Heart attack
Author
Discussion

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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My Wife had a heart attack earlier. She's in hospital right and I'm at home with the kids worried sick.
She seems ok(ish) now. What happens now? I know they have to do tests to establish what the damage is but can anyone put me at ease and tell me how they were OK afterwards

nick19

43 posts

160 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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Hi, firstly hope your wife is on the road to recovery.

I'm 50 and had a heart attack about fifteen months ago. Led a fairly active lifestyle, BMI ok, no family history of heart disease, so a little unclear as to what caused the heart attack.

I was fortunate in that I was at home one evening and started feeling very unwell. I called am ambulance and within 90 minutes was in A&E having a stent inserted into my right coronary artery.

Spent just under 48 hours in hospital and then back home feeling absolutely fine. The tests they conducted showed minimal damage to the heart. Now take a little cocktail of pills every day but other than that, no impact at all on life.

For me the biggest challenge was about three months later and I started to suffer from health anxiety. I had a course of CBT and that worked and haven't looked back since.

bexVN

14,696 posts

240 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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I don't have any expertise to offer you I am afraid but I do know many people go on to be fit and well after a period of recuperation.

Must be a frightening place for you right now, especially with your children but she is in the right place and will be home before you know it I'm sure, look after yourself a be positive.

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
quotequote all
Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. She's just phoned up, sounds very tired but ok.
She sounds very similar to you before the attack. She's got a very stressful job and my situation doesn't help (I'm disabled) and although she's coped well before I do think this is the root cause. They're going to do a further test tomorrow with a stent used if necessary.
The kids are tricky as it's difficult to make them understand but not worry them.
We were meant to be going to Scotland next week but since she can't drive for 4 weeks, and I can,t drive that far, it looks like that'll be off.

Wacky Racer

41,264 posts

276 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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My brother, (Eight years younger than me) had one two years ago...a complete shock.

After three to four weeks rest he returned to work and is as right as rain now, but has to take various tablets for the rest of his life.

He stopped smoking at once...(I nagged him for 20 years to stop)...rolleyes

Good luck, and make sure she takes it easy, especially for the first two weeks...smile

nick19

43 posts

160 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
quotequote all
As Bex said she's in the right place which is the main thing.

Ultimately they may never be certain what caused the heart attack and whilst I was initially very frustrated by this I learnt to accept it.

I wouldn't be overly concerned if she's feeling tired now, it's a very stressful experience for all concerned and I felt tired for a week or so after being discharged.

I wouldn't have fancied a long drive for at least a couple of weeks, but getting away at some point may be good for all of you. My wife and I had a week in the Lake District about six weeks after my heart attack and it did us both the world of good.

Also, am sure the Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse will talk to your wife soon. I found them very helpful in answering all the questions I had, and a source of lots of useful information.


55palfers

6,361 posts

193 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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I had HA five years ago at 55. I was driving at the time and parked in a tree! Ruined my CL500 too.

Spent three weeks in hospital (over Christmas!) then they sent me home to wait for a triple by-pass.

Went back to work after 3 months and got the op 6 months later. Scary stuff, but all went well. Came home 5 days after surgery. Thank you NHS and QE hospital.

Still on the green side of the sod!

Hope you wife makes a full recovery.

Countdown

49,276 posts

225 months

Sunday 20th March 2016
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Good luck - hope everything turns out ok!

nick19

43 posts

160 months

Monday 21st March 2016
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Hope you had some positive news today.

oldbanger

4,328 posts

267 months

Monday 21st March 2016
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Hope things are looking a bit better today

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
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She's still in hospital waiting to be "on the list"" to have the dye thingy where they can see what damage may have occurred and if a stent or whatever is needed.
Tired and fed up but hopefully she'll be out maybe today but more likely tomorrow.
Good news, the holiday company are letting us rebook our Scotland holiday.
Bad news, her Mum is coming up to "help" me frown


Countdown

49,276 posts

225 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
Glad things are looking up smile

What with Utd beating City 1-0 it must have been a pretty awful weekend, all in all....... biggrin

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
Tbh, I did watch it but it didn't really register smile

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the kind messages though everyone (except for reminding me of the score at the weekend smile )

Edited by stuartmmcfc on Tuesday 22 March 07:46

Wacky Racer

41,264 posts

276 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
Thinking about you (and your family), everything will be OK, chin up mate...smile

Pep's on the way..biggrin

castex

5,168 posts

302 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
Get well soon Mrs mmfc and good luck to all of you.

Countdown

49,276 posts

225 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
quotequote all
stuartmmcfc said:
Thanks for the kind messages though everyone (except for reminding me of the score at the weekend smile )

Edited by stuartmmcfc on Tuesday 22 March 07:46
beer

Hammer67

6,439 posts

213 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
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Not much to offer bud, but my thoughts are with you and your family. All the best. H67.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

206 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
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Positive thoughts from me!

What actually happened on the day it happened? Pains? How long before getting help? Can you get a copy of her ECG from at the time? What medical history does she have? (I'm a Paramedic).

stuartmmcfc

Original Poster:

8,775 posts

221 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
Hi Jumbo,
On Saturday afternoon she was out in the garden planting when she started to get very strong palpitations combined with a feeling as though her chest was being crushed by a stone. She came in and went for a lie down and tbh I thought she was simply having a break away from the kids etc for a minute. I went to see if she wanted a cup of tea after about 20 minutes and found her looking very pale on the bed. She'd called the ambulance and when they came they ran through all the checks and somethings were ok but there was something obviously not right so they took her to the local hospital. The palpatations and vice feeling lasted 50 minutes.
We've got a copy of the ECG and she's pretty healthy and not overweight but her father and his side of the family have a history of heart problems and she has a very sressful job (she's CE of part of a worldwide business) .Apparently this showed there was nothing obvious but there were a couple of areas of concern.
At hospital they took further tests and there was a very high reading of a type of enzyme in her blood which indicated that something had happened and they said she'd deffinately had a heart attack. (I'm sure you know far more detail than me smile
Since then further tests ( an Echo test in particular) have put the initial diagnose into question and she is still hooked up to wires in hospital frown . She's still waiting for the angioplasty (?) and is not yet on the list but t,hey are hoping they might do a further list tonight to help clear the in patient list and if so, she might be able to come home tomorrow.
I hope so because there's loads of ironing to do wink



Edited by stuartmmcfc on Thursday 24th March 10:41