Hello,
My husband had a Heart Attack in October 2008, At the hospital he did go into cardiac arrest, They used those shock paddles which brought him back, they got the blockage open and he now has a stent.
Since this has happened he's seems different, for one-he is still in shock that he went into cardiac arrest but at the same time, he seems like he is not as happy as he used to be, He is very tired, from what I was told -that's normal, but he is not the same guy he was before this happened. Has anyone gone threw something like this and how did you feel after?
Kay
Its quite normal to be depressed after something like this happens. You need to tell his doctor if he doesn't soon snap out of it as this can hurt his recovery. He needs to do all he can now to make sure he exercises and eats right and takes his meds and remembers you only live once and well he got a 2nd chance at life as if he was not in a hospital when he went into cardiac arrest he could be 6 feet under right now. Every day above ground is a good day especially when your around loved ones and still have your faculties and wits about you. I wish him good luck in the future.
I am so sorry that yur husband has experienced the trauma of a heart attack, and he is so lucky to have you there with him for the recovery. Patience is the key.
I suffered a heart attack at 42 years old, and it is enough to turn your life upside down. I found that I lost so much confidence in my self, being brought down like that, becoming dependant, when the day before it happened...I was the old me!
All of a sudden everything changes, and you feel such a loss of self. Who IS the new me? The future becomes unknown, and you still have to wonder what recovery will bring. You are weak, and sick, and typically on a complicated regimin of medications (that all have their own side effects). It can be very overwhelming, and certainly depressing.
Having someone like you, there to assure him that everything can be worked out, and that the time spent recovering is essential...that will give him the ability to recover easier, and reduce his stress.
I am 5 years past my heart attack (and 4 strokes too), I am a new person. I am happy everyday I get to live, and am happy to do it with a few restrictions, and alot of medicine, and much more patience. Yes, I take an anti-depressant and an anti-anxiety pill everday, to help even everything out. There is certainly nothing wrong with that.
Give your husband a nice warm hug, tell him that you are there for him, and love him dearly...for you too, get the gift of every minute you have together.
I wish you both the best...
Hi,
Thank You for your reply's, it dose help. I've been trying to keep him busy and that seems to be raising his spirts, he helped me put up the Christmas lights up outside and we went Christams shopping. We live in a state that is having snow right now so we end up being his the house allot more.
I'm very Thankful he is still hear with us, Our family is very lucky, we are lucky he coded at the hospital instead of at home, he would not be hear.
One more question. when you started on these meds they put you on after a heart attack plus everything you went threw, did you feel like you had Brain Fog, were you more forgetful?
Kay
Yes, the medications certainly take getting used to, and fatigue is quite normal. I hope you continue to enjoy the holidays, with your family. Prayers for your hubby!
Hi Kay,
From what I know cardiac arrest is not uncommon when recovering from a heart attack. I know they often attach the paddles ready for it. Got something to do with the heart's response when having a major blocked artery suddenly reopened. The drugs they administer may also have something to do with it (e.g. the inrush of drugs to the opened artery)
In a video I saw they had the paddles ready but the patient "kick-started" himself after several seconds. The theatre staff treated this as more or less normal, or they were at least prepared for it.
If the arrest period was short I would not read too much into it. But one hell of a harrowing time for all - not the least for hubby!!
Good luck, Beefy
Hello Kay, my name is Sara and my husband had a heart attack Sept.16th of 2008, the difference between our 2 situations is that I've noticed my husbands self confidence is way down, and he has a very short fuse lately, but everything I've read about depression after a heart attack supposedly that is normal....What I'm wondering is are you having the fear I'm having, my husband is only 39 and we have 2 children under 4, until this event I was a stay at home mom....but now I'm heading into the workforce, putting my kids in daycare because I'm so afraid that he could have another one any time and die....I'm also feeling resentful and angry even though I know that's the last thing I can let him know right now, but I'm mad as hell, he almost left me alone and he's been my whole world for my whole adult life, are you feeling this way and when does it go away. I can't sleep at night because my mind is constantly racing with thoughts of raising my kids by myself....
Sara (and Kay),
Keep in mind there are many people who survive heart attacks and go on to live healthy lives - for many decades too. It's not just coincidence that people write health books 20 or 30 years after their heart attacks. They stop and take notice! By taking heed of the advice given, and making necessary lifestyle adjustments your family CAN move on and still have many enjoyable years together. Your husband is young enough for this.
Sure, there is the immediate despair, which must be fought back, but there is also the great relief that your husband survived and can recover. Just believe it (go and buy some books and read about it!).
You'll find solace through family and friends - and you'll find who your real friends are!
Beefy.
Hi Sara,
I think we both have gone threw some emotional trama, At night when he is sleeping I think to myself, he could be 6 feet under if we didn't call 911 like we did and we are very lucky. My husband is 47 years old, we have 4 children-2 are moved out and we have two at home, one is down symdrome, My son who is Downs is such a Daddy's boy, I don't know what he would do without him. Isn't it amazing how your life can change with a snap of a finger. I'm not angery but I wish I had my husband back-he used to be funny and it seems like his funny is gone, yes he is short fused, just like your husband, Is you husband on allot of medications? My is one 5 plus a baby asprin. I think if they do what the Doctor says, they should be okay, my brother had a heart attack 6 years ago and he is still around, he changed also after his heart attack but in time he did get back to his old self, still talks about his heath but he can focus on things he enjoys like his grandchildren and vacations. I think they go threw such an emotional scare, it takes time to get over it, I find if I keep my husband busy-he's better-
Kay
I’ve been though a similar thing your hubby is now going through. I had a heart attack in March 2003 and the same as your hubby had a stent fitted. I was in my 40's at the time.
Its a shock to the system in more ways than one especially as I’d always been so fit, no warning, no pre pain, nothing that suggested there was anything wrong, so when something like a heart attack happens it does more than take the wind out of your sails.
You feel suddenly less like a man or at least I did, I can’t explain why.
When the doctors tell you that you have had a heart attack, your first thoughts or mine were, but, but, but I’m only 48, your second is, that’s it im screwed this can only mean an early death, then your thought process kicks in which follows with depression, anger, frustration, fear, and questions lots and lots of questions, a lot of which cannot be answered or at least not to our satisfaction.
Having a heart attack at a youngish age takes something away from you, before my heart attack I was fit, I played rugby, cricket, football, I went dancing, and I did all the usual social things. I was fun to be around, always the life and soul of any gathering and laughed all the time. I was quite mad if im honest, but in a good way. I spent a lot of time in and out of the country due to the business im in. After the heart attack all that stopped.
I didn’t want to go out, I stopped playing the sports and all the social stuff stopped. I became pretty much the opposite of the person I used to be and I guess not much fun to live with as my poor suffering wife would attest to.
With me it was fear, fear of leaving people I loved behind, fear of having another heart attack, fear of dying, fear of collapsing somewhere outside in front of strangers or in another country. I hated going out alone, I hated being in the house alone, I became anxious at the slightest chest pain niggle, snapping at the wife if she said go get it checked out and that in turn making me short tempered.
I suspect your husband is having a lot of those self same thoughts
It changes some people in a way we least expect, I never used to worry about anything, back then I worried about everything...It wasn’t doing me any good and it was hurting the people around me.
Now 5 years later, I’m still here, I’m pretty much back to the chap I once was. It took awhile to get back on the horse so to speak but no one but I could do it. My life has changed somewhat, I now don’t smoke; I eat healthily and exercise when I can. I still don’t like going out alone, I don’t like being in the house alone, but I face it and deal with it. I still get anxious from time to time but I deal with it a lot better now than I did back then.
In hindsight it takes awhile to adjust to what’s happened to us, some people deal with it right away some of us take a little longer to come to terms with what’s happened to us. I’ve learned that having a heart attack isn’t the end as I thought it was, we just have to re-evaluate make some lifestyle changes and be positive and try not to take things out on the persons that are closest to us....
I hope the above essay helped in some way to undestand some of how he maybe feeling.
I do hope your husband gets better very soon, from my experience its a time thing, once he gets it sorted in his own head Im sure things will improve.
Dear Xenyth,
I really appreciate your post, it really helped me understand what he is going threw, I've been very patient and I'm hoping he will do a turn around soon, it hasn't even been two months yet. He is only 47 years old but he was a smoker, they said that is what caused this becasue his colesterol is low and he never had any heart problems before this, it was just like yours, it came out of the blue and really caught him and the entire family off guard. He stopped smoking and frankly that is a very hard task to do, I hope he has the streght to continue to be a non smoker, Are you still on allot of medication? I'm glad your doing well , your a surviver, many people are not as lucky and I've also told my husband that, He is a lucky man.
kay
Hi Sara,
Your husband is mostly likey loosing weight becasue he is on a low fat diet, dose he have to watch his sodium also? All those foods can be a factor to weight lose. My brother had a heart attack about 8 years ago, he lost allot of weight once he was put on a restricted diet, By brother was a little on the heavy side, My husband has not lost weight but he quit smoking and becasue of that-he is eating more. My husband has always been one of those people who can eat what ever he wants and not gain weight. How is your husband doing now? Mentally and physically?
Kay
Mentally he seems ok, he's a little short of patience at time but I think that's to be expected but he's not sleeping well, I think he has more fear than he's letting me know about. Physically I think he's good, he bruises easy because of the blood thinner, so his body looks a wreck at times but he's not having pain or anything, he's also a lot more effected by the cold with the blood thinners....
Hello
I'm Lady I'm 47 I had a heart attack when I was just 40
and I'm sorry to say I have never been the same
I was in the best shape of my life when this happened to me
I have problems with depression every since then
I worry that I'm going to have another one
this has gotten a little better with time but it's always there
and I found myself taking it out on others
it's a life changing event that's for sure
If I can help in any way
I'm here
I hope he has the streght to continue to be a non smoker, Are: you still on allot of medication? I'm glad your doing well , your a surviver, many people are not as lucky and I've also told my husband that, He is a lucky man
It took me over two years to quit smoking. The cardiologist said to me after Ide had the stent fitted and all the other heart related things one goes through after a heart attack, "did I want to live to collect my pension?" I said yes of course, he told me then stop f**king smoking (his words) I finally quit over 18months ago. I cannot honestly say I feel heathier, but I know that its probably the single best thing Ive done to stop me having another heart attack. I have put some weight on and thats the next thing I will take care of.
The meds I take on a daily cycle are
15mg of soluble asprin once a day
25mg of Atenolol
2.5mg of Ramipril twice a day.
40mg Simvastatin one at night.
I consider myself fortunate it wasnt worse, if we were lucky we wouldnt have had the heart attacks in the first place
I wish you & your hubby all the best for the forthcoming year !!
Kay, I don't know how much I can help, but my situation is similar. May 25, 2008 at age 55, I had "the big one". I was at a boat ramp with my wife and went down immediately - no symptoms, no prior indication that anything was wrong, I just died. Fortunately, there was another couple there that saw my wife in distress and they came and began CPR. The head of the local life squad lived a half mile away and was there quickly with defibrillators. Three hits with the paddles, and I was back on this earth again.
I'd been a pack a day smoker for 35 years, moderately high blood pressure, treated with Lisinopril. My life was instantly bound for an immediate change. It was a few days later after having my stent installed that I was beginning to realize just what had happened. My chest hurt like crazy from the CPR induced broken ribs, but I really just wanted to go home, have a smoke, and get back to "normal" - that no longer exists! My cardiologist has been brutally honest from the beginning. Smoking is no longer an option, all salt shakers get thrown in the garbage, and exercise is the new norm. Not what I wanted to hear. He explained that he just bought a new house and he was really counting on me to pay my share of his mortgage over the next thirty years and to do so I'd have to give up my unhealthy ways. I like this guy - he has a great, warped sense of humor. But, I don't like change.
I just wanted to get back to normal. I don't like being the object of everyone's concerns, I don't like being constantly asked how I feel, I didn't want to take Chantix to quit smoking, and I certainly didn't want to join a gym and start an exercise regimen, but these were the changes I needed to make in my life in order to have a life. I've gained thirty pounds due to my increased apetite from not smoking (that pi55es me off), I've had to buy new "fat" clothes which has not helped my attitude at all, and people are still asking, "How are you feeling?" It's winter, I want to hibernate, leave me alone, and yes, I really would still like to have a cigarette, but I won't. If it wasn't for having the best wife in the world, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. She's as supportive as any spouse can be, she refuses to nag about anything, even when I forget to take my pills from my nice new pill tray that's labeled SMTWTFS. And, she's right there with me when it's time to go to the gym. Proper support = not concern, not "mothering" - but the true support of a friend is one of the most important parts of rehab. I guess the only hint that I can offer to you, is LOVE YOUR HUSBAND. Love and support - not "nag", no "mothering" - but, be a true friend and companion, and he will come around on his own terms. You can't do it for him. It's a change he didn't ask for, and certainly wouldn't wish on anyone else, so of course he's not very happy about it being his turn. Love him today and hope for the opportunity to love him again tomorrow.
I don't know if this rambling will help you understand what he's going through or not. It helped me to get it off of my chest.
Hello Stauff
I must say I like your sense of humor, You were a very lucky man, here you were a boat doc and you had your heart attack and died, to have access for a life squad being close by was incredable, I don't think many people could be so lucky.
I never thought my husband would quit smoking, he loved to smoke, once he had the heart attack and basically died-just like you did, he never touch a cigarette again, He has gained about 19 pounds now, he weighs himself once a week and every time he gets on that scale, it's aways a few pounds more. He never thoguht he would walk a mile or more a day but he dose now, he even bought a bike-can't ride it right now because we live in Wisconsin and he have lots of snow and low temps.. He is getting his sense of humor back and slowly getting back to his old self, I knew this would happen, I just didn't know how long it would take. Now he is making jokes on the portion sizes on the cookie lables, got to watch those fat grams. He comments-serving size-2 cookies-4 grams of fat-He says, I don't know anyone who eats just two cookies, are they trying to be funny- is this a joke. We also had to buy a daily pill holder-there were days he couldn't remember if he took his meds or not, I think you have brain fog after a heart attack, your in shock, your on all this medication and you have to change your entire life style, not fun for anyone.
Kay
Now he is making jokes on the portion sizes on the cookie lables, got to watch those fat grams. He comments-serving size-2 cookies-4 grams of fat-He says, I don't know anyone who eats just two cookies, are they trying to be funny- is this a joke.
Fat is not necessarily the enemy, but trans fat (from hydrogenated oils) and saturated fat (from coconut oil, palm oil, red meat fat, and dairy fat) have unfavorable effects on blood LDL levels (the trans fat is worse, lowering blood HDL levels as well).
Many cookies do have bad fats, as well as lots of added sugar and few good nutrients.
you still on allot of medication? I'm glad your doing well , your a surviver, many people are not as lucky and I've also told my husband that, He is a lucky man.
