I Cant Do It Again Daddy Migh Have an Aneurism

Surviving a ruptured aortic aneurysm - Max'south story

Senior Cardiac Nurse Christopher Allen meets Max Leslie, who survived a life-threatening aortic aneurysm rupture.

Max Leslie was 28 and, in his own words, "fit and healthy". He had a concrete task in grounds maintenance, and played football for a local squad. But while jogging to the changing rooms earlier a lucifer, he began feeling unwell.

"I started having a actually strange sensation in my throat like I couldn't swallow properly," says Max. "I sabbatum downwardly on a bench and ignored it, as my director starting giving a team talk. That's when I started feeling very, very funny and started sweating. Someone told me to get outside and become some fresh air, just as I stood up I blacked out and collapsed to the flooring."

Max came circular slowly and was taken to hospital. "When I got to A&Eastward I had a dull ache in my chest, but I didn't retrieve anything was particularly wrong," he says. "I'd even chosen my dad and said I was merely being checked over and idea I'd be discharged in a couple of hours."

Only tests showed an irregular heartbeat and dramatic drop in claret force per unit area. Further tests revealed an aneurysm in the aorta that had ruptured near his middle.

Surgery for aortic aneurysm

Max's surgeon, Professor Stephen Westaby, did a complex 2-stage process to repair the aorta and surrounding claret vessels, and drained 750ml (more than than a pint) of blood from Max'south breast.

Fit and healthy, with an active job, Max never expected centre troubles

Max was in hospital for a little over a calendar week. "I was but happy I was still alive and the surgery had gone so well," he says. "My first thought was getting out of hospital and going home."

He was off work for about three months. "My work was really supportive," he says. "They told me I could come up back whenever I wanted, and that if things got too much [I could] have more time off.

"It was definitely skillful for me to go dorsum considering I bask my job so much. It helped me get my life dorsum to what it was like before."

Staying active

Controlling claret force per unit area, eating a healthy diet and not smoking are some of the biggest things you tin can do to reduce your risk of an aneurysm. Max does all these things and takes ramipril, an ACE inhibitor, to keep his blood pressure level down.

In a weird way, this has all happened at the right time – I was young and fit plenty to survive it

Max stays active too, including through his piece of work, but he has made some adaptations since his surgery. "I used to lift weights and I did a lot of resistance training, but I was told this could put too much pressure on my trunk," he says.

"I got the get ahead from my doctor to do something called calisthenics, which is essentially a workout without gym equipment."

He finds that being active helps him mentally. "Information technology helps take my mind off things and makes me experience that what'south happened hasn't held me dorsum," says Max. "Information technology really helps continue my anxiety under control also."

Max rejoined his quondam football team, but "only couldn't become back into information technology similar before". Now, instead of playing competitively, he enjoys five-a-side with friends.

• Read more nearly risk factors for center disease and how to control them.

Psychological challenges

After a year, Max had recovered physically only started experiencing anxiety. "I'd never dealt with anything like this earlier," he says. "The physical symptoms of feeling broken-hearted were so similar to when I collapsed, that the first time I had a panic assail I called 999 for an ambulance. I felt like I was having a eye attack – I was sweaty and clammy and my heart was pounding."

Later his 2d panic assail Max sought help from his GP, who referred him for counselling. "The counselling has actually helped and I'm on medications now too," he says.

"I've learned that I deal with stress better if I tell someone equally soon as it starts. Being able to talk nearly information technology makes a huge difference, but at outset I was most aback to tell people. I plant information technology very difficult.

"I think it was because I'd never thought much about what happened. At the time, it hadn't really sunk in how large a deal it was. It all happened and then quickly and information technology took over a year for me to offset dealing with it. Events like this can have a long-term result; for me, this was anxiety."

• Read near coping with anxiety and low.

Helping hands

Max has made a good recovery and built a new life with his wife, Leanne

Max's family and close friends have helped him get through the most difficult times. Straight after his surgery, Max moved back in with his parents while he recovered.

"Back up from my family has been great," he says. "My GP, my surgeon, all the hospital staff and my counsellor have been actually good too. With my closer friends, nosotros talk in item and they're great, but my wider circle of friends is more than of a claiming. Some don't empathize my anxiety and it'south a difficult subject area to talk about."

Max met his married woman, Leanne, 7 months later his surgery. She has helped him stay positive and provided support when he needed it. "I met her on the first proper evening I'd had out since my surgery, and things just progressed," he says.

"She'south been amazing all the way through. She has been an absolute rock. I don't know what mental state I'd be in if I hadn't establish her.

"In a weird way, this has all happened at the right time – I was immature and fit plenty to survive it, and I might never accept met my wife had it non been for all of this."

• Read more than about aortic aneurysm and its causes.
  
• Read Shirley'due south story of supporting her partner through heart problems.

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Source: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/all-about-aortic-aneurysm/surviving-aortic-aneurysm-rupture

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