A big thanks to the wellwishers..... and a health update.

[preston334]

Good to see you being upbeat about it. It's still early days and it takes a few months to get the tablets to the correct doseage. I'm currently on carvelidol, ramapril,twice a day and a statin in the evening. When I came out of hospital,I had trouble walking up to the end of our street,but still had to keep up a small exercise regime. Have you been referred to a local cardiac nurse? She was my first point of contact and did all my meds,etc. I'm not sure if you got anything similar in your area,but here in my borough in Wales, they did a 10 week cardiac rehab course,which I thoroughly recommend. It was 2 hours twice a week. They start you off by recording a fitness level and over the course,you do 2 min stints of various exercises,which if you felt exhausted,you stop at anytime.

It feel embarrassing being lapped by a pensioner but it proves it works. You retake the fitness test at the end and you be surprised the difference it makes.

I've cut down on the crap I used to eat. It's everything in moderation. I have a cooked breakfast now and again,meat I buy quality from local farm shops and butchers rather than bland tasteless muck from the supermarket. I was never a big drinker, but if I do have a drink,usually share a bottle of wine with the missus on a Saturday night. If I go out for a meal I usually have a couple pints of real ale. It's not really the alcohol content we got to watch,but the amount of fluids we drink with dilated cardiomyopathy. I be worse off drinking coke,etc all night than one or two pints over the night due to the possibility of fluid retention. If we have a family get together,wedding etc,I usually take a water tablet on the day and the next day to make sure I'm not retaining fluids.

I still lead a normal life,do my job etc,but I have to know my limits. My icd did fire in October,but I didn't know until my check up 10 days ago. My aunt is a heart nurse and she got the condition as well and she goes traveling all over the world,helps out on the farm and she's 55,so she my inspiration. She has told me you are constantly monitored for the rest of you life and the end of the day,your heart is a muscle which they can treat and each year the technology progresses.

As long as you are chatting on here,remain upbeat and realize that you can have a normal life,just things easy at first,find your feet,you be be grand. My missus thought it was funny to buy me a set of ironman boxer shorts and the ironman DVD.

All the best.

Richard

[LeeHarrison]

Thanks Richard.

Not aware of being assigned a cardiac nurse as far as i know or given any type of exercise regime but have got first Warfarin 'test' on Tuesday at the docs so will try to find out a bit more.

I know its very early stages and i need to take things slow (which isn't me) but homelife is sooo bloody boring, yes the extra time in the mornings and night is great with the kids but the hum drum of the 6 hours in between is painful.

[greenstripe]

Lee, best wishes from my mum and me. Take it easy and hope you get better soon.  

[Macdemon]

Cheers Ad, now that would be post whoring.... might try that

Thanks Martin, was a shock more than anything. You don't really think of strokes and heart attacks at 30; they're for old people but obviously not.

 

You can get a stroke at any Age Lee.

 

I'm still here if you need to 'sound off' or for any more support or advice.

 

You're not alone, and I know what you're going through.

 

Might take a while before they get the Warfarin dose right.

 

Last March I suffered from work related stress and in a four month period they doubled my medication TWICE due to significant increased levers of arrhythmia that showed up in a routine check up.   

 

I went from 2.5mg to 5 mg and then onto 10mg of Bisoprolol in a 4 month period.

 

Have a word with your cardiac consultant.  Ask him/her if your hospital has back up support and offer something caller 'Cardiac Rehab'

 

Cardiac Rehab is a gym environment where your blood pressure, heartbeat and weight is monitored over a set period, about 8/10 weeks, and is run by specialist cardiac nurses who are specifically trained in this field.

 

There is also (probably) a support network to join locally where current and ex members who have undergone cardiac rehab meet on a regular basis, and I feel this would be of particular benefit for you.

 

You can also attend local seminars run by the rehab team on topics such as medication, health & fitness, lifestyle changes, diet and nutrition to name a few.

 

Lee if you send me a text with your address, I'll send you a couple of quarterly magazines I receive from the Cardiomyopathy Association, and you will see it's well worth subscribing.   :yes:

 

Take care of yourself, and DON'T overdo things.

 

You have also suffered a stroke so that may have compounded your condition somewhat.

 

Don't suffer in silence, there are lots of people in the group who are more than willing to help.

 

Macdemon.      

[Gaz]

You can get a stroke at any Age Lee.

 

As living proof of this point, I had a stroke at birth.  The idea it's reserved for the old 'uns is fallacy.

 

All the best Lee.  You've had a wake up call, but have time on your side to make a good recovery.

 

Gaz

[Chan110]

I hate BB - but in your case, i ll make an exception! :-)

If not, u could always try to beat Audrey s thread :-)))

Boring?

Plenty of daytime chat shows!

If not repeat of 80s drama are much more entertaining than todays rubbish! Lol

[LeeHarrison]

A couple of ****ty days, nothing terrible just a bit down and woke up this morning with a neck as stiff as a board so 2 steps forward and 5 back.

Thanks again Mac, will send details over. Bloody hell Gaz, that was lucky, assume all is OK now and yep I know a stroke can hit anyone at any time, you just don't think it will happen to you.

Wayne, i'm not just down the road but get the crisps and KitKats in and we'll have a day of **** telly

Beat Audreys thread, now that is a task :yes:

[Chan110]

Wayne, i'm not just down the road but get the crisps and KitKats in and we'll have a day of **** telly

Beat Audreys thread, now that is a task :yes:

I was in findon / basildon yesterday all day.

So u never know - there could b a knock at your front door soon ....:-)

[LeeHarrison]

I was in findon / basildon yesterday all day.

So u never know - there could b a knock at your front door soon ....:-)

Bas Vegas, had one of my scans at the hospital and very good they were. I'll have a couple of packs of wine gums please Wayne :yes:

[Chan110]

Bas Vegas, had one of my scans at the hospital and very good they were. I'll have a couple of packs of wine gums please Wayne :yes:

How u like it delivered? Lol

[grr666]

Your welcome lee only one way to go IMO !

Yup, worked for me. No Ecigs, no patches, no pills, no potions.

Just used a cut piece of drinking straw as a pretend cigarette

when I really had to fidget. Not 1 slip up or relapse and over a year now

off of tobacco. Spent some time staying with some friends who smoke last weekend

and my throat feels like razorblades as a result, I'm amazed it was so noticeable, I used

to smoke almost constantly once upon a time not too long ago.

Just stop doing it mate. Take your warning.   

[LeeHarrison]

Cheers Garry. As the last few days have been a bit crap the Ecig has hardly had a look in, which I'm proud of, my will power is usually terrible so I'm pleased with myself.

It's amazing just how much the fags **** your senses up though, both smell and taste are already noticably better. Not always a good thing though, I now realise how crap SWMBOs cooking is

[Chan110]

E-cigs?

The ones WITHOUT tar!

[LeeHarrison]

Without bugger all Wayne ! Yep, you get a mild relief but without all the other crap that goes with it, for me it definitely helps.

[Chan110]

Oh

[LeeHarrison]

Another trip to have more blood sucked out again today and.....

..... no change! Warfarin stays the same, which I suppose is not a bad thing. Had a couple of 'slow' days over the last week but hopefully every bad day will be followed by a few good ones?!

Oh, and in slightly different news SWMBO's now looking to move house

[lfc958]

So she is moving & you are staying ?     

[LeeHarrison]

So she is moving & you are staying ?

Chance would be a fine thing , but now you mention it :think:

[BossFox]

Oh, and in slightly different news SWMBO's now looking to move house

 

Did you tell her about the cooking?

[LeeHarrison]

Still got to do the cooking though.....

..... she's crap

[@Lee]

Still got to do the cooking though.....

..... she's crap

I feel your pain, SWMBO only ever cooked for me one. That was enough

 

Glad you're getting there

[LeeHarrison]

I feel your pain, SWMBO only ever cooked for me one. That was enough

Glad you're getting there

Slow and steady mate. Had a good couple of days over the weekend but they've come back to bite me on the backside; the last couple of days have been knackering. Still, it's very early days and I know it'll take time, I'm just bloody impatient

[@Lee]

You'll get there, mate. Slow and steady's the game at the mo. A ****er I can imagine but you're here still for your family

[LeeHarrison]

Well the first full weekend of feeling normal(ish) out of the way and enjoying a bit of sun and proper time with the kids but without sounding like an alcy, this no drinking lark will take some getting used. Fair play to the people at Becks, their no alcohol stuff ain't bad at all :thumbsup:

[Chan110]

Good to hear mate!

 

Keep it up!

Bottom line is its down to pure determination when it comes to it.

 

It WILL BE worth it even when u think its a long way away!