Staying healthy physically (and mentally) post heart attack

Welcome @thankful,
Your message is a perfect way to start. You're definitely in the right group. Let me introduce you to a few Hearth Health members to start. Please meet @cynaburst @HeartPatches @wangs @Sensation @ronbee @billmichalski who know about the ups and downs of staying fit and heart healthy. There is definitely a mental component to it along with motivation and plain old determination. It can help to have a support group like this when the going gets tough, like the frustration of a darn machine telling you there's no improvement when you've worked so hard. Of course, you know that you're doing the right thing with exercise and diet, but it sure would help to have that confirmed by the echo.

Have you seen the discussion that @gramps64 started? "How do I begin living a healthy lifestyle to benefit my heart?" https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/this-is-now-the-second-time-in-the-past-3-12-years/

I am a 52 yr. old female with low cholesterol, low BP and no family history of heart issues. I awoke a month ago with numbing in both arms and a burning sensation in my upper chest and back. My husband called 911 and they put me in an ambulance where I promptly coded also experiencing a Widow Maker. The miracle was that this happened with 5 paramedics standing over me and they were able to get my heart started again. I am having alot of anxiety as well, emotional stuff and being very jumpy. I call it the "day my heart attacked me", because I realized I am upset and disappointed in my body. I feel as though it really let me down and I'm working on trying to pay attention to my thoughts and changing them. I have heard that there is not only a PTSD type reaction that is common when something like this happens but also a physical reaction in the body that can contribute to some depression and anxiety. I start cardiac rehab next week which I'm hoping will lift my spirits.

@pboaen - I know exactly what you are going through cause almost the exact same thing happened to my 56 year old husband. Did you get a stent? Are you now on Plavix and a bunch of other drugs that you were never on before? That is exactly what my husband has been through lately, and he feels the same way. He has now completed a few months of cardiac rehab and is beginning to acclimate to his new normal, but it has not been easy for him.

My body started to rebel on me when I was in my 30s, so I can also relate. In my mid 30s just after my son was born I had a benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma which caused me to have hydrocephalus and I lost all of my hearing in my right. Then, in my 40s I had to have open heart surgery and get an implantable defibrillator which has since been replaced twice. Then, I had melanoma twice (but caught it very early). I guess I am telling you all this because unfortunately, this is the curse of middle age. There is hope, however. You will learn how to deal with your new reality and move forward. There is however an adjustment period, and yours has just begun. Coming into groups like this one will help you get your bearings as you move forward.

Welcome, and we look forward to getting to know you better.

@pboaen, I want to encourage you as you begin the cardiac rehab program. For me, although I was familiar with all of the workout equipment, I had real concerns that I would trigger another HA. What I found was very competent people with a great understanding & compassion for what we all had been through. Wearing a monitor & knowing that someone would be monitoring me all through the routines added that extra measure of confidence I needed. I wish you all peace & confidence you need to take the next steps in recovery!

I also found cardiac rehab very helpful after my open heart surgery. My husband has found it helpful as well. I recommend.

Greetings to my new friends! I'm looking forward to our discussions and hope I can add to them as well! I look forward to your continued support.
Be well, @thankful

@colleenyoung - Colleen, has there been any posts associated with Chelation Therapy or EBTA supplements regarding cardio plague, etc.? We have some friends that there farther began this therapy over 15 years ago after suffering 2 heart attacks & receiving 3 stents. Now after all this time his cardiologist tells him that he has the arteries of a newborn? The little amount of research I have done (Even Dr. Weil) does not give it high marks?

@thankful You're right query the effectiveness of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation therapy for the treatment of plaque and heart disease. @jordanm posted on Connect about chelation therapy with respect to Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), but there hasn't been a discussion about it with respect to heart disease yet.

Here's some information written by the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/expert-answers/chelation-therapy/faq-20157449
http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/cardiovascular/results-trial-assess-chelation-therapy-tact-study-presented
The effectiveness of chelation therapy for heart disease has not been established, even after a large clinical trial (TACT). Furthermore, there are serious concern about the safety of this treatment for patients with heart disease.

PS: @thankful, you may wish to join this thread
What are the best methods for removing plaque from the artery?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-are-the-best-methods-for-removing-plaque-from-the-artery-what/

Cynaburst & Thankful, My hat is off to You both. An allergic reaction that got me to the hospital a couple of years ago discovered I had a blocked artery at 80%, after the stent things have moved along. You are not "damaged goods", I also experience problems with weight control and exercise that I am addressing. I am grateful and in my case it has had its effects mentally, I am less tolerant, I have stress and I don't sleep well. After the stent I took plavix for one year, started to get black and blue every time I bumped into something. Had a talk with my cardiologist and was taken off of it. My ECG have been the same, "no change". The medicines I take are irbesartan 300,aspirin 325, crestor 20 that I did not take before.
If you don't have a hobby, try to get one that you enjoy, that gets your minds total attention, You will see and experience a difference. Exercise is good and if you miss a day or two, don't beat yourself up for it. And don't worry about your heart, YOU both are taking care of it!.