Heart Attack is it realistic to carry on.

[duncanb]

Ok
Last week had a heart attack found right artery was blocked had stent fitted to restore blood flow; in middle of March will have as a precaution a stent fitted to left side artery as well.
Had no wanings that I was about to have heart attack, lived a healthy life style plenty of exercise, eating pretty healthy, drinking in moderation and although an ex smoker would not have thought I was about to have a life changing day.
My question anyone have any idea's will it be realistic to think I can carry on next season, I only ref down in the lower levels and at 49 I know I will never go further but would like to carry on as I do enjoy and would like to.
Medical advice at present is I should be able to carry if all goes well in recovery from both ops.
Anyone with any expierance of similar situations
Thanks Duncanb

 

[andyscott]

Yes carry on, will be good for you and they will have checked all of your other vessels.

 

[dave_clark]

Andy, is it worth mentioning that you're a medic?

if not, pls disregard this post

 

[Blackberry]

hi duncanb,
tough deal but heart attacks aren't what they used to be. If the quacks give you the ok, get your arse out there asap.

 

[The umpire]

Mate of mine ran the London marathon after having had one.
YMMV

 

[The umpire]

Mate of mine ran the London marathon after having had one.
YMMV

 

[Phil E]

He ran it twice :biggrin:

 

[SimonSmith]

Yes, but the mileage varied

 

[Waspsfan]

Dubcanb, it is very likely that next season you will be able to do some refereeing and indeed there are numerous benefits in continuing to exercise post heart attack. You shouldn't be planning to throw your boots away! However, you do need to get some proper advice and I don't think rugbyrefs.com is the answer! You should be invited to attend cardiac rehabilitation by your Consultant. This is key to you and I think you will find out everything you need from here. At cardiac rehab you will see a specialist cardiac physiotherapist who will assess your exercise risk and help generate you a graduated and personalised exercise programme. In my area this is a ten week programme (once weekly) and gets you back exercising safely.

Heart attacks are extremely variable in terms of muscle damage, area of heart, subsequent impairment of heart function and risk of further problems. As such the remarks on here about people completing marathons, and heart attacks not being what they used to be are not relevant to you. You need individualised advice. I would say that it sounds like you had a small inferior heart attack which is far less likely to cause you long term problems with exercise, but you do also have left sided disease, so you need an expert who has can quantify this to give you advice.

Having a heart attack when you consider yourself to be entirely fit and healthy is a big shock and the speed with which things are diagnosed and repaired nowadays mean you are discharged home again before you have the chance to take things in. You used to get six weeks in bed after an MI! Be positive though, take all your meds, don't let anyone stop your second anti platelet agent (probably clopidogrel or prasugrel - aspirin like drugs taken with aspirin - really important for a year to keep your stent open but GPs and surgeons tend to casually stop it!) and go to cardiac rehab. With you exercise questions I would actually ring up the consultant and ask about this. I hope the service locally to you is good.

All the best. PM if you like. This is my area of medicine. Regards.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Dubcanb - it goes with out saying that you must take the advice of your medical advisers. We have a post heart attack referee who is active again, as well as a referee who had a liver transplant 2 years ago back on the pitch.

 

[Dixie]

Waspsfan, there is a disproportionate number of medical professionals on this site. While they wouldn't dream of giving indivisualised medical advice, they are often happy to give the broad medical view about broad medical issues.

FWIW, my brother (now aged 47) had open heart surgery to replace both valves with piggy bits two years ago, and now cycles to work every day and is perfectly happy to do the odd 50-miler with me. In general terms, unless there are individual reasons absolutely why not, I believe the current thinking is that the heart muscle, like any other, benefits from being worked.

 

[duncanb]

Thanks Guys for the positive replies.
I have attended a rehab session but because of need for second stent rehab nurse is not keen to commit to much work;
I had been feeling down about the whole thing but feel abit better now also I kind of guess patience is going to be required.

 

[andyscott]

Yes indeed the medical world is my area, but cardiologist I am not, maybe waspfan is better placed for the advice. However, general info I can give.

 

[OB..]

Let's hope for the best, duncanb, but if all else fails, you could join us on the dark side!

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

Keep positive duncanb this time last year I was in a hospital bed after suffering a TIA or mini stroke and I thought my god how could this happen?
Well it did, a few lifestyle changes and I'm now back reffing at Level 7 and thoughroughly enjoying it.
There will be light at the end of the tunnel mate.