When diagnosed with heart failure immediately you review your lifestyle before doctors tell you to, would be stupid not to and for many they are told must change lifestyle dramatically. Looking back I wasn't apart from alcohol but that was quickly ruled out as a trigger for my condition.
After nearly 5 weeks of little excercise since ending my cycle I need to refocus on excercise as a means of controlling not becoming symptomatic along with general lifestyle through a winter with long periods of tiredness, fatigue or mind fog looming. Have noticed more mornings struggling to get out of bed & become active.
So after 15 days of cycling, 5 weeks on I feel bloated & unfit with winter approaching. Meaning as a heart failure patient time to review my life style.
Use it or lose it - I need to excercise and as much I enjoy swimming it isn't active enough so I know I need to cycle home once or twice a week , in total I must excercise 4 or 5 times a week for between 1 or 2 hours. I don't mind saying my head is finding excuse after excuse not to excercise but in reality the only barrier is me & my mind.
Eating - I actually don't eat that much unhealthy food, Lorna cooks healthily for us but I do eat a vast amount when I do eat, I lost nearly 4 stone with my John O'Groats to lands end cycle so need to keep it off, I will look to 3 meals a day with smaller amounts. Again I think I use my tablets/device as an excuse. Clearly they dont help but eating amount is the issue even if healthy.
Weather- I will have my flu Jab but I can't remember the last time I was actually wiped out by a virus but the cold does drag me down slowly over time. I definitely think Lorna & I need to plan in winter sun to brake the constant cold dragging us down, in retirement long winter sun breaks will be a must that isn't feasible presently. I would say the weather is biggest impact on my condition & general well being.
Drink pure- haha the ultimate heart failure question so Yes I drink at least 1.5ltrs of water a day but that isn't the drink that causes the biggest debate. I am a alcohol binge drinker & would scare people with how much I can drink in one binge quickly.. So if asking if I live healthily the above 3 before Drink pure show I do to a high level but I fully accept it is wiped out by drinking even if only 3 times a months but I don't care, we enjoy it. I will never give it up or hide it from fellow patients.
So the biggest thing facing a heart patient is you could do 95% of how to live well and it wouldn't matter unless you did it 100%, I know some do & that is their choice but I can't or ever will be 100% committed to living healthily. I enjoy life, food & Lorna's cooking too much,
I enjoy getting very drunk so I have to admit I don't overall live that healthily as a heart patient but I am happy with the balance I strike which has served me well Up to now.
John
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