So, I had a mild myocardial infarction recently. On March 14 I had a catheterization, angioplasty and stent. Went home the next day, then back to work two days later. I’m feeling pretty damn good.
My discharge paperwork included a referral for cardiac rehab. The hospital I would have to go to is a 30 minute drive, plus I really don’t want to exercise in a group setting. Longstoryshort: aint gonna happen.
My gf is extremely fit and has a decent gym at home. Weights, a treadmill, boxing dummy (seriously), stationary bike, jump-rope, etc are all right here. Plus hundreds of acres of woods for hiking.
I will be seeing my cardiologist next week for my one month followup, so I’ll get his two cents, but does anyone here have experience with cardiac rehab? Is it doable at home?
Can you share how they diagnosed you with a ‘mild myocardial infarction’ and how they go about determining that you needed catheterization, angioplasty and a stent?
Much appreciated and best of luck with your health.
There’s probably no magic to the cardiac rehab, other than being close to a hospital if you have another episode. Finding a routine that you can consistently do is more important (or was for me and my cardiologist; he could care less where I’m exercising as long as I’m doing it).
FTR, I had an experience very similar to yours last summer, except I had 2 stents placed. Watch out for the blood thinners/anti-coagulants. Most days I look like I could be a roller-derby queen with all of the bruising I have.
For about a month I was having chest pain. I was in denial; assuming it to be GERD, or some asthma thing,or anything but coronary artery disease. I went in for a doctor visit and mentioned the pain. My doctor referred me for a nuclear stress test and I had a pain episode during the test.
I spent the night in the hospital, had a catheterization the following day. During the cath they saw one vessel with an 80% occlusion, and were able to balloon it open and place a stent. It was pretty simple and pain free!
When I went through rehab, the treatment consisted of 2 parts:
Diet counseling.
Aerobic and strength conditioning.
Every day was a new subject in how to eat right, and then they took BP/pulse, and waist measurements, and strapped on heart monitors and put us on a workout routine. At the end of the rehab, they gave everyone a report as to how much they fitness (measured in “Mets”) had improved.
I had a minor heart attack while exercising. Actually it was a 100% full out effort racing my daughter up a very steep, long hill on a bicycle. But I digress.
In my case the rehab was more of getting me to slow down and recover properly. I already used a heart rate monitor when cycling, but they showed me how to use it more effectively.
They also helped me work through some issues with beta blockers which were slowing down my heart rate too much. I’m still riding over 4000 miles a year and do a half marathon or two.
However as my cardiologist says, “I wish all my patients were like you”. Did you do aerobic exercise before the heart problem? Will you be doing it in the future? Do you have any idea of what is enough and what is too much? The rehab people can help you.
Remember that a mild MI is like being a little pregnant. You (and I) have a problem that we need to address and address correctly. I have a brother-in-law who seems to get a stent or two every couple of years. He doesn’t exercise; has a terrible diet; and is about 100 lbs overweight. Don’t be that guy.
As far as exercising in a group, I’m out there riding my bicycle on roads and trails in skin tight Lycra! It’s not a pretty site, but I don’t give a damn what other people think. When the weather is bad, I exercise at a gym. There’s all kinds of people from the super fit to those who need a place to start. I’m pulling for the new guys and gals who need the exercise.
From what I know of things, you might be slated for what they call Phase 2, which is what I had after my heart attack.
If so, there are a few things that are included that you won’t be able to do on your own, at home. First, you would be in or near a hospital setting, with knowledgeable health care workers observing you the whole time. Any issues that arose during your sessions would be noticed and addressed immediately.
In addition, you would have your blood pressure taken before, during, and after your session, alerting you and the staff of any irregularities or warning signs. Also, you will likely be hooked up to an ECG monitor, so the staff can observe any issues during exercise.
Finally, you will have trained and experienced staff who can advise you and assist you in achieving and maintaining a heart rate that is appropriate for you at this time. There’s also counseling re: diet and various lifestyle changes, but you’ll probably have access to that sort of thing through your cardiologist outside of cardio rehab.
If you are slated for Phase 3, it’s pretty much the same as Phase 2 excepting the ECG monitoring.
Your cardiologist should have a good sense as to how important all of the above is in your case.
For me, cardiac rehab (not that they used the term 49 years ago) consisted of walking four miles to my office every day. It seems to have worked, at least for 49 years. Who knows how long it will continue to work?
I take a blood thinner and have no internal bleeding, AFAIK. I would discuss it with your doctor. I take coumadin and am tested every 6 weeks.
I know nothing about your overall health or fitness history, but I do know the solemn promises people make to themselves to get to the gym consistently work even, when faced with life endangering issues, generally fade into the wind before too long mainly because working out is simply a giant pain in the ass. Despite all it has done for me over the past year and a half I know I would fade out quickly on going to the gym if I did not have the appointment with the personal trainer.
We like to kid ourselves that this time will be different because we’re motivated and blah, blah, blah and after few weeks of half hearted exercising we fade out. The proximity of the gym re your GF’s setup is secondary to the fact that we avoid engaging it even if it’s in front of us. Doing it at a point closer to home is an option if you can guarantee that you will go consistently. The vast majority of people will fail in this after a few weeks or months. Relying just on your willpower and the proximity of your GFs gym may not get the job done. If you are going do it closer to home at least do it with a trainer and an appointment.
Well, a few friends IRL have expressed what astro said, above. And I can totally understand why.
I saw my cardiologist today and he is extremely happy with my progress. His main concern with me just walking in the woods is “what if you collapse” sort of scenario, which he doesn’t really think it’s likely. I reminded him that my Advanced Directives have me as “no code” as you can be, so if just walking is going to kill me, well I’m fine with that.
He asked which lot I parked in (I thought he was going to validate my parking) and I explained I parked on a residential street to save $5. He laughed, as most of his recheck patients get dropped at the door by whoever drives them. If I can walk the 8 blocks from my car, he thinks I am ready for full activity; whatever I’m comfortable with. EKG was normal, and my most recent lipid profile was awesome.
If walking goes well, I’ll be ready to paddle in a month.
All kidding aside…
The first time getting busy after a heart attack? Never saw a woman quite that nervous. It’s its own little meme, dropping dead during exertion. (and I kayak so much I never caught “paddling”)
It’s its own little meme, dropping dead during exertion. (and I kayak so much I never caught “paddling”)