What to expect in the future after a heart attack?

Monica, I had a similar experience to your DH.

The cardiac physio tried to get me to attend the gym classes and initially refused to listen, that my RA and COPD made that impossible. She made me feel quite stressed about it and that I was being difficult.
However, my RA consultant intervened, so they stopped insisting.

The team also accepted that there was no need to see a dietician, as my diet was actually very good and my heart attack was not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
Nothing would have prevented it.

However, I recently found myself an in patient in the cardiology unit of a large Glasgow teaching hospital and my experience was totally different.
Staff were so supportive and praised me, despite my limitations, for having done everything I could to stay well, including maintaining a healthy diet and trying to take walk ups, albeit a few steps, and down the corridor, while an in patient.
That is the appropriate approach to support and encourage patients.

*cabbie( Rehabilitation is the one area where we were let down. Admittedly DH had his problem during COVID so the weekly classes at a local hospital were all closed and everything was done by phone.

But, as I have recounted DH had a successful operation followed by a severe hospital acquire infection that left him with a damaged lung. The Rehab people had an exercise regime he was expected to follow and which he could not possibly follow because of the lung damage and that muscles in his legs were wasted following eight weeks too ill to get out of bed.

When he said he physically couldn't do the exercises because of his other health problems, they just didn't listen or try to adapt the rehabilitation to his needs and just kept unbraiding him for not going outside in freezing conditions with a very recently damaged lung to do his daily half mile walk.

In the end he just stopped answering their calls and set about his rehabilitation in his own way, as told in my previous posting.

Cabbie, why don't you chase up the cardiac nurse?
After my first heart attack, I received my rehab letter two days after I was discharged from hospital.

I believe there is a rehab programme but we have not been given details. A cardiac community nurse is supposed to be getting in touch but has not done so yet. Our GP is great but it is hard to get appointments, so DH feels somewhat abandoned.
He is coping well with his new meds.

Glad OH is OK now.. Still early days. Has the Hospital got a Cardiac Rehab program? They are classes often at local Leasure centre or hall run by trained Cardiac Nurses. Some sponsored byBHF.
They give advise on diet, excersis, healthy life styles.
Please ask, my Trust has held them for years.
It will also give him confidence, as he will be others in the same boat

Cabbie when you looked at the BHF website did you see the link to join Health unlocked that's where forums are and I found many people my age 64 and older . I found them very helpful and supportive as I was also born with a hole in my heart. Which was found when I had echo followed by a bubble echocardiogram.

There is also a link to find if there are local support groups in your area.

Thank you, MOnica and Marydoll.

I have had two heart attacks in the last four years, one right in the middle of lockdown, when I was sheilding. That was scary, as I was CEV and no-one knew what to do with me. I was out of hospital in 48 hrs, because the risk was too high for me to remain there.

I have been told that my condition is unsual and difficult to treat, because I have a healthy diet, low chlorestoral, clear arteries and no leaky valves. Unfortunately my condition is caused by my RA affecting my heart. It is a cruel, systemic disease.

Heart conditions, do affect your confidence and limit what you can do, but it has not stopped me from doing things until recently, when I had a spell in the cardiology unit. Life is very problematic at the moment, as I cannot tolerate many of the heart medications.
However, I am resilient and stoic, which the doctors have told me has played a huge part in me lasting so long.
I even flew to New York after the first one although the insurance was extortionate.

RA and COPD, along with other conditions are very life limiting for me, but I still lead a reasonably normal life, because I won't let this get the better of me, if I can help it.
You have to cut your cloth to suit and make the best of the good days.
I haven't been out of the house in seven weeks, except for medical appointments, but I still have hope that things will improve.

What really helped me to come to terms with my prognosis was cardiac, psychological counselling, which was part of cardiac rehabilitation. Initially I resisted this intervention, but it totally changed my mindset. I could share the fears I had, without upsetting my family, who were very understandably scared of the future. (as was I)

Cabbie has your husband been offered this? If not he should ask about it. It is standard here after a heart attack.
Clinicians can only do so much, I feel that it is also up to me to do what I can to keep going.

I echo the advice to check the BHF site. At the moment, I am taking part in research funded by them. It's too late for me, but hopefully will help others in the future, as they are trialling a new drug, based on the research.

I hope things improve for both you and your husband.

DH had a heart attack and triple bypass followed by a hospital acquired infection that nearly killed him. he was in hospital for eight weeks. It was and remains the infection that has caused him most problems because he has been left with a damaged lung, that and that his breats bone was split for the operation and hasn't knitted together properly as it should have done.

having said that within weeks of coming home he had ordered up the builders to start building our extension, six weeks in he was slowly climbing short ladders to inspect the work, and do some. 18 months on, he is how back to where he always was where driving and everything else is concerned. His limitations, are that he struggles walking even slightly uphill and on stairs and cannot lift anything heavy. But he is doing DIY, fixing the car.

Cabbie let your DH be the judge of what he thinks he can do, let him push himself slightly to find where his limits are. DH has Type 2 diabetes but no arthritis/

Thank you for all the information and kind words.
DH manages his diabetes extremely well, has been doing so for years, but of course his meds have changed. He is very disciplined about blood sugar testing and injections etc.

Truth to tell he did very little walking before this, so I am not expecting much change there. Staying home so much has made me lazy too, physically, though I am on the go a lot, and busy with paperwork etc. DH does not really do friends and is very self- contained. So am I, but I do enjoy contact with others and I am missing that, so it was good to get back to choir again.

We were told in hospital that his heart is very weak and that surgery is too risky, but they said it was too early for a prognosis, so that leaves us in a state of uncertainty. I am proud of what he has achieved so far but as I said, he is very determined. He says it is too soon for visitors however.
Our children are very busy and have their own problems so aren’t able to be around much.

Has he has an echocardiogram, which will show how much damage has been done to his heart? A follow up appointment from the hospital would then be able to advise on a follow-up plan.

I'm T2 diabetic and have had a heart attack. The first thing I would advise is getting HbA1c under control, if it isn't already. The GP should be asked to prescribe a metre and testing strips - if you can't get them on prescription, it's worth buying them. Diabetes is, as I'm sure you know, a major risk factor for heart attacks.

I assume he's been given statins, blood thinning medication and blood pressure medication.

Exercise is important, but take it very easy to begin with - just a few minutes a day at the beginning can be tiring. I had a cardiac rehab programme - I don't know whether they're still available. I think it started after about six weeks. Even walking around the house will help.

As far as diet is concerned, my personal recommendation is low carb and healthy fats, which has worked for me and has kept my blood glucose down and also improved my triglycerides and raised my good cholesterol. I cut down on full fat cheese, of which I used to eat a lot, and red meat.

My father had a heart attack aged 57. It was a long time ago so treatment wasn't anywhere near as good as now. Angina and, more often, the claudication in his legs stopped him walking very far. However, he went back to work and came with us (and my mum) on holidays abroad - something he'd never done before. He was a good patient and lived, with ups and downs, until he was 74.

DH had a heart attack 11 years ago, fortunately not too bad and a stent has made a big difference. The last month or so we've both been undertaking some rather heavy work as part of one of our hobbies. He's paced himself but not felt any ill-effects.

So... that, I think, is the answer. Let your DH pace himself. for example, go for walks but plan them so that there are places to rest and so that you can turn back before he gets tired. Increase the distance gradually.

It's not the end, or even the beginning of the end, just the start of a new phase of life. Don't stop doing things, just adjust how you do them. I hope, with time, you'll get back to something more like normal.

Cabbie, it is early days and you are obviously feeling very insecure. I would say not to fuss too much over your dh, try to take a bit of a back step but in the meantime, do make sure that you take some time to prepare your own safety net wrt paperwork and so on. This is something which is good housekeeping anyway but really important to help in the future, for either one of you

My dh had an enormous shock when told that he had heart failure in a big way, his face fell and he looked so dejected. I told him that I would not stop him doing anything, that he must decide for himself and the smile came back

Onwards from then, it was simply a day at a time and not too much forward planning, apart from the paperwork, which was a joint decision and a good one

Don't be surprised if he gets very low in mood, his confidence in life will have been shaken. It may take a while to recover that.. most health authorities also have exercise classes for people post Heart attack so it might be worth having a look at those, he would also meet other people who have experienced something similar to himself.

Diet and gentle exercise are both very important things to look to. He mustn’t sit around and do nothing and he must be aware of diet due to being type 2.
Very good advice already given.

Thank you Whiff, that is encouraging to read.
I have looked on the bhf website, Sarah, but most stories seem to be about people much younger and /or healthier pre- heart attack so don’t seem so very relevant.
Nobody discussed diet with him in hospital. DH adds a lot of salt to meals which goes against everything I have read and believe. He also has a lot of dairy, especially milk. His only concession is to cut out full fat milk and accept semi- skimmed. He already eats an otherwise healthy diet because of his diabetes.
We have now got a gardener as DH accepts that he wont be able to tackle that for a few months at least. He is not one to talk much, especially about his health, but he is on the one hand very determined, and on the other, rather pessimistic.

Yes, I second the suggestion of looking at the BHF website. They give excellent advice professionally - and there are good forums if you want to chat with others. I use quite a few of their recipes. I too cut out salt completely, virtually stopped drinking, made better choices re foods, etc. I lost weight too, and in many ways feel I’m healthier now than before.

Cabbie glad your husband is home with you. When my dad had his heart attack my mom tried to wrap in cotton wool. It just made my dad feel worse as he through he was useless. Dad had diabetes type 2 and arthritis in his knees .
He stopped putting salt into anything he ate . He used to eat loads a left over
from his army days when he was in Burma ,Indian and Egypt. He never smoked and gave up drink for 6 months . Cut down on red meat and cut the fat of everything. But after 6 months of this he decided he wasn't going to die . This was in 1995 he died in 2007.

Mom wouldn't let him drive long distance so they went by coach on holiday but only in England or Wales she wouldn't go abroad incase he my needed a hospital.

He was put on wafin which he hated as it gave him a bled in his stomach. But dad had an ulcer . They gave him a different blood thinner and was fine. He hated mom keep watching him . I had a word with her and told her not to stop him doing what he wanted as he knew when he had enough. So he still did the garden ,went for walks and they still went ballroom dancing 4 times a week. He drank but it was his home made wine but only a couple of glasses a week.

He got a cook book for people who had heart attacks and decided he could good healthier meals himself. He was a hands on granddad and ran after my children and my brother's.

There are forums on the British Heart Foundation which I found helpful when I was diagnosed with paroxysm atrial fibrillation. There are forums for people and family members who have had heart attacks and they are full of helpful advice ,support and friendship.

It was only the last 2 years of my dad's life that he had to slow down . But he was told that the fact he was malnourished as child and army food plus have an ulcer when he was 28 made his heart worse. He was 80 when he died in his sleep.

No idea if this is helpful at all. There may be a local support group near to where you live . The BHF website will be able to help you .

He has had one phone call so far and a further one due in March. No guidance yet from them.

Is he having continuing support from the cardiology dept? I imagine they would be the best placed to advise on what to expect in the future.
I hope you are both able to continue to get out and about.