"My heart failure journey"

I had been feeling really tired with low energy, hair loss, stubborn weigh gain and  pain in my left thumb joint. In my 50s, I put it down to the menopause. My doctor had completed various routine blood tests, which showed no inflammations or infections.

My heart attack happened at home and at night, I was feeling unwell for a couple of days from the Friday and on the Monday I was still not feeling well, I wasn't able to put my finger on symptoms of feeling unwell. I rang in sick to work on Monday and tested most of the day. I was able to eat and went to bed about 11:30pm.

As soon as I am down I started burping, big windy burps and then the cold sweating started and pressure in my chest. I was able to go down stairs and tell my partner what was happening to me. I experienced an urgency to go to the bathroom and my bowels emptied I then felt very sick in my stomach and vomited. Then the sweating and pressure in my chest because so intense with pain down the outside of my left arm I told my partner I need to go to hospital and he took me straight away.

The nursing staff assessed me and I was rushed to intensive care section of A&E and the doctors told me  I was having a heart attack and needed emergency intervention to the arteries to my heart. The rest happened so quickly and I was given pain relief an ambulance took me from the Mater Hospital to the Royal Victoria Hospital and then to theater for emergency Stent procedure.

The consultant fitted 2 stents in my left artery, I was brought up to the cardio care unit to recover. My body was in panic mode and I was taking anxiety symptoms none stop. One of the cardio nurse explained it was anxiety attacks I was experiencing and not another heart attack and gave me a relaxation tablet. After about 6 hours I was transfered to the Cardio Critical care unit in Antrim Area Hospital.

The staff there explained what had happened to me and the next steps going forward. They told me I had heart disease, 3 of my arteries leading into my heart had been damaged, 2 stents had been fitted into 1 artery and more stents needed to be fitted at a later date to another artery. I was put on a cocktail of medication and monitored for 8 days because I was experiencing side affects from the heart medication. My blood pressure kept dropping and after my medication was adjusted I was released to recover at home.

Every ache or twinge I experienced sent my body into anxiety mode and I attended A&E twice due to heart palpation and anxiety attacks which I thought was another heart attack. After being admitted a second time within 2 weeks of being released from hospital the heart consultant reviewed my medication, amended and adjusted the dosage. I was put on medication for angina. This medication gave me back my body and I was still experiencing nips and pains but my body wasn't going into anxiety/panic mode.

I received an appointment 6 weeks after my heart attack to attend a day procedure to get a dye test and further stents fitted. I automatically went into anxiety mode but was able to cope. On the day I became so anxious during the procedure I had to be administrated with a relaxant and was diagnosed with Artificial fibulation (AF). After the procedure I had to stay in hospital until after 10pm to allow my heart to settle into rhythm. The consultant changed my medication and released me to recover at home.

I was very scared and my body reacted by going into panic mode again. After another 2 trips to A&E and various changes to my medication I contacted my GP 2 weeks after the 2nd stent procedure, he listened to me and put me back on the original medication. This has changed my life, I am still scared and worried about my future but my body is not reacting when I get the nips and pains which are a side effect for me of the stents procedures.

I have just completed the Cardio rehabilitation course and had a heart scan. I will find out the results of my heart scan soon. I have stopped smoking, stopped drinking, eat only good fats and I know I am in shock mode but I'm alive which I am very grateful for. I still experience pain and discomfort down my left arm leading under my arm pit and into my shoulders and my GP has referred me for physiotherapy as this maybe a result of trauma from the 2nd stent procedure.

My heart failure journey has only started but with the care, patience, love and support of my partner, family and friends, I wake up everyday and am grateful for every day.