Going to WDW after a heart attack

[Mikester71]

So after logging off of my computer (and this site) on Feb. 17 at my usual 4:30ish am, I climbed into bed only to be awoke at 7am out of a dead sleep with wicked chest pains. I thought maybe I just had bad indigestion or heartburn since I had been taking tums before bedtime for about a week or so leading up to this event, so rolled out of bed to grab some when I realized that it was definitely not just heartburn. Could not catch my breath when I stood up and had pretty bad pain all across the front of my chest and between my shoulder blades. I laid back down in bed and called my wife (who was on her way home from work) to tell her that I wanted to go to the emerg here at our local hospital. Good thing I did, as it turned out I had suffered a minor heart attack and ended up spending a week in the hospital as they monitored my heart and blood pressure and all that other good stuff, and at ONLY 42 years of age!!

I was sent to a bigger hospital out of town for a day during my hospital stay so that they could give me an angiogram to get to the bottom of it. The results were good - although it was a heart attack I suffered, there was no blockage in my arteries or permanent damage to the heart. I did have some plaque buildup though and my blood pressure and cholesterol were all out of whack, so I am now on a few medications to help bring those under control and am back at home on the mend. I am taking this recent health scare pretty serious and have made some drastic changes to my lifestyle since getting released from the hospital.

So to get to my questions here, and the reason for this post (sorry for the back story there ). I was wondering if anybody on here has suffered a heart attack and how it affected future trips you took to WDW?

Like I said, I am on medications now (probably for life the doctor said) and have changed my whole diet and am trying to eat healthier and all of that. Do you allow yourself to still indulge in all the yummy treats and meals WDW has to offer or do you stick to a strict, heart-healthy diet (if you are on one) while in the World?? Does WDW have a lot of options for people who do adhere to such diets?

As for the parks, I know the walking will be great exercise for the ole ticker. How about rides and attractions though? Do you still ride all of the attractions after your heart problems or do you steer clear of the big ones now?

Thanks to all that read and answer and feel free to chime in if you think of anything else that might help me when it comes to this topic!

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Mike, a very speedy and complete recovery wishes to you!! Throwing MOUNDS of pixie dust your way!! xoxo

 

[bethymouse]

Best wishes to you!
My dad has heart problems. He rented an ECV and rode the "easy" rides. He doesn't do roller coasters or anything like that anymore. So, WDW is the best vacation to go and relax and have fun!

 

[Stu bailey]

I would follow your cardio's advice to the letter and cut down on the sex.

 

[bubbles1812]

Mike, first and foremost, I feel like the best advice I can give you is to consult your doctor before going. Hopefully you have one that you can trust and knows you and your condition well. As a whole, I would guess you will have to eat healthier than you did before at WDW and be cautious of the rides you go on. Maybe think of 1 or 2 treats that you simply can't live without (mine would be a Mickey pretzel for example) and save them for the end of your trip. That way you have something to look forward to throughout the week. I'm guessing that probably doesn't sound like that much fun but at least it's a goal you can work towards. Obviously this is all contingent on whether you are on a strict diet still by the time you return.

But again, your doctor definitely knows best in terms of what you can do... Everyone's situation is different and everyone's body is different too. No two heart attacks are alike, no two bodies are alike, just as no two people are alike. Best wishes on a full recovery.

 

[Mikester71]

I had a minor heart attack in December 2011, which required a stent. I'm on meds for blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are in a good place now. I asked my doctor this question before I booked my trip this past November. I was told I have no restrictions in rides, loops included. The only thing I was told was to think about skipping rides that give me a feeling of fear. Just that the chemicals produced can cause a sensation if chest pain. As far as indulging my diet, I follow a pretty good diet, with some "cheats" occasionally. This is what I'll follow during my trip.

Glad to hear that the meds got your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. I, too, am on pills for those two things now, along with an 81mg aspirin a day. Just taking a bit of getting used to considering I never took pills for anything before all of this happened. But they seem to be helping and I will gladly keep taking them for the rest of my life if they help protect my heart.

As for skipping rides that scare me a little, sadly that list seems to be growing each trip. I have rode every ride at WDW at least once on our four trips to the World, but there are a couple that give me that feeling of fear every now and again. Skipped them last trip and will probably do so from now on.

So far, so good on my diet since I've been home. Actually dropped a few pounds, which is a good thing! I'm actually doing okay cutting out all of the junk food and pop and stuff, although I did cheat last Friday and got Taco Bell that night. But every other night has been something healthy cooked at home and I've substituted junk food with veggies, nuts, and fruit. But I have a feeling it is going to be hard to steer clear of a Dole Whip or two when we do go back in 2015!!

Hope your trip goes GREAT for you and please let me know how you end up making out with the rides and the diet while you're down there!

 

[Mikester71]

Eating the crap that Disney serves up will not help.

I haven't had an MI and my heart is in good shape, but I did need to change to a no-fat, low-sodium, low-carb diet. This leaves bits of Kleenex and dust bunnies for food, btw.

On occasion, I eat something in the parks, but not often...and if I even half, that's a lot of it. Even a bite is joy for me and I'm thrilled to have it. I still think about it a lot, lol, but...

When you change your diet, you really must commit to it and just forget about all the lovely food they advertise on TV and that you see everywhere around you.

I am certain your diet is less restrictive than mine, lol, and that you can still enjoy many things.

But if I were you, I'd get a place with a kitchen and buy food you can make. A week or ten days of eating nothing but crap won't help.

For the rides and stuff, you have to ask your doctor. I am currently on, and I quote, "NO physical restrictions." He smiled when he said it and I smiled, too. Still, I started to say, "Can I -" and he cut me off, saying, "Yes. NO physical restrictions."

Woo Hoo.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to stay committed to this healthier way of eating too. So far, so good...but it's only been a few weeks. My wife and I are hoping to make an appointment with a dietician so that we can discuss what type of diet would best suit the situation. I'm just going with low-sodium, low-fat, low-carb right now to be safe. A lot of fruits, veggies, chicken, fibre and nuts for this guy! Will be kinda easy to stick to when down there because we usually drive down and stop at a grocery store nearby after arriving. We usually stock up on cereal and milk and stuff to make sandwiches and stuff like that. Not really huge eaters to begin with, so it is usually only dinner and the occasional snack that we'll grab at the parks or back at the Pop Century.

Definitely will listen to whatever my doctor recommends when it comes to rides and that. There are a few I usually chicken out on each year, so at least next time I will have a good excuse for why I am not riding them!

 

[Mikester71]

Thanks for the good wishes. If I could only get him to eat less crap...



According to my husband's doctor, diet & taking medicine regularly are important, but smoking is the killer. My husband smoked probably a pack a day prior to his surgery. He knew he shouldn't be doing it as he was already on blood pressure medicine & had a family history of heart disease. The surgery was a wake up call. The doctor told him that if he quit smoking, he could expect the first bypass to last 15-20 years. If he didn't quit smoking, he'd see him back in the OR in 5 years or less. He hasn't smoked since a day and a half before his surgery in November 2007.

Incidentally, my mother had a similar experience. She had a heart attack & a triple bypass at 45 (year 1990). She will tell you that the last cigarette she had was on the way to the hospital. She calls her first bypass surgery her $70,000 stop smoking course.

Good for your husband and mother on the smoking front! I WISH that my dad would quit, and he did try to once, but with my mom being a heavy smoker as well, it was too hard for him to keep it up. He is turning 70 this year and smokes more now than ever. The weird thing is his brother and sister both died of massive heart attacks recently in their mid-60's and neither of them even smoked.

After my dad's last bypass surgery, the doctor who performed the surgery stared my dad straight in the face and said that if he wasn't willing to do something (quit smoking) to help improve his life, he wouldn't operate on him next time. It seems dramatic, but I can see why doctors would get mad at patients who go right back to smoking when they get out.

Man...$70,000 would definitely make me want to quit smoking, that's for sure!! That's the only thing with free health care up here in Canada - some people take their health, and the whole health care system, for granted because they never see a bill. They figure if something goes wrong, who cares, the government will pay for it. I bet if people were on the hook for outrageous health bills they would start to take their health more serious (and maybe even quit smoking after a bypass or two)!

 

[Mikester71]

Mike, a very speedy and complete recovery wishes to you!! Throwing MOUNDS of pixie dust your way!! xoxo

Best wishes to you!
My dad has heart problems. He rented an ECV and rode the "easy" rides. He doesn't do roller coasters or anything like that anymore. So, WDW is the best vacation to go and relax and have fun!

Thank you very much, ladies! Agree that WDW is the best medicine to help, bethymouse! Sorry to hear about your dad's heart issues. Hope he is well. Sounds like he has the whole vacation thing down now though.

Only wish we were going down sooner. But at least it gives us something to look forward to, even that far away.

I would follow your cardio's advice to the letter and cut down on the sex.

LOL - hard to cut down from zero or none though!! I kid - lol!

 

[Mikester71]

Mike, first and foremost, I feel like the best advice I can give you is to consult your doctor before going. Hopefully you have one that you can trust and knows you and your condition well. As a whole, I would guess you will have to eat healthier than you did before at WDW and be cautious of the rides you go on. Maybe think of 1 or 2 treats that you simply can't live without (mine would be a Mickey pretzel for example) and save them for the end of your trip. That way you have something to look forward to throughout the week. I'm guessing that probably doesn't sound like that much fun but at least it's a goal you can work towards. Obviously this is all contingent on whether you are on a strict diet still by the time you return.

But again, your doctor definitely knows best in terms of what you can do... Everyone's situation is different and everyone's body is different too. No two heart attacks are alike, no two bodies are alike, just as no two people are alike. Best wishes on a full recovery.

Thank you very much! I like your idea about the treats too. I think/hope I can stay true to whatever diet I am on for meals when we do go, it's the treats that are the hard part! I usually fancy a Dole Whip float or two over our 10 day trips and maybe one or two Mickey Premium Ice Cream bars, so maybe wait like you said until the end of the trip and reward myself! I like it!

Thanks again for the well-wishes!

 

[Hot Lava]

Husband insisted it was more than that. After a bunch of tests, we found out he had 3 significant blockages and needed to undergo a triple bypass. (We no longer go to that primary care doctor by the way.) He was 40. He came through the surgery fine.

This shows how you have to trust your gut when it doesn't agree with a doctor. I have had many doctors over the years that I have sought second opinions b/c they were not listening, or whatever. Also, years ago, my grandfather's cardiologist nearly killed him (actually did, since he was technically dead for about 4 minutes before resuscitation). After that (luckily there was an after that), he had a great doctor.

Bad, indifferent, and/or overtaxed doctors abound.

Glad you are ok!

 

[Poofiesdream]

Take care of yourself and do what the doctors tell you to do and you will be fine! Disney awaits in your future.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Hope your medical issues won't put too much worry into your Disney vacation. After a heart attack people tend to be in an "Oh no it might happen again" mode and add stress to their lives. Enjoy your trip, use common sense when it comes to eating out, snacking and experiencing those more extreme/ excitable rides and enjoy your time.

 

[smk]

My husband had emergency quarduple bypass in 2007 and while we had a trip planned 4 weeks following his surgery that we did not get to take becuase he was not released to travel. However, we have been numerous times since and we have no problems. Go, as long as your doctor says it is ok, and have fun! Our situation was an eye opener, we take things slower and smell the roses so to speak, so we get away as often as we can afford to because life is short!

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

My Dad had two heart attacks and still did Disney but did not do any of the rides for people with heart problems, especially if he had never been on them before. A couple of attractions I remember wondering why they would post the sign but it's just being cautious. There was one he had been on several times that he did do because we all felt it was pretty tame but I can't remember what it was (I'm wondering if it was POTC or something along that line.)

Asking if you should stick to your diet sounds like another way of saying "Please tell me I don't have to stick to my diet." You COULD go there and not stick to the diet and go on every ride in the park. You could also have a heart attack on one of the rides and die in Disney World leaving your family alone and having the worst experience they could ever imagine and they would never look at Disney the same way again.

The last conversation I had with my Dad was when he was frying up a couple of sausage for a late night snack and he said for me not to tell my mom (she was strict with his diet). I told him he was being stupid and he told me that sausage was worth it. He was dead when I got up in the morning.

Sorry to be harsh but I don't enjoy when people always have the well-it-won't-happen-to-me attitude. Yeah, maybe it won't but why would you risk it after what you have already been through? No matter what your heart will never be the same and you can't pretend that it is. Unless your doctor gives you the 100% OK (and you actually speak to a doctor that would be familiar with the stresses that the attractions could put on your heart) you should heed the warnings.

 

[olinecoach61]

Glad your feeling better, that must have been a scary experience. I would think that WDW would be a great spot to relax after such an event.

 

[bsiev1977]

Hope your medical issues won't put too much worry into your Disney vacation. After a heart attack people tend to be in an "Oh no it might happen again" mode and add stress to their lives. Enjoy your trip, use common sense when it comes to eating out, snacking and experiencing those more extreme/ excitable rides and enjoy your time.

That's why I spoke to my doctor before booking. Early November last year, I asked about skiing and amusement park rides and wAs told no restrictions. Was told just to be careful about rides that cause me to feel afraid, but only because the chemicals the body produce can cause some chest discomfort. Not that my heart would be at any more risk. Along those lines, skiing is a pretty exhilarating activity, so if I can do that I think I'm in pretty good shape as far as rides go.

About food, I'm in a pretty good place with what I eat. I don't eat anything fried anymore, and follow a very low fat low sodium diet. I know at Disney TSs I can ask for dietary considerations with what I order. Snacks, I know I can indulge myself a few times that week.

 

[Mikester71]

This shows how you have to trust your gut when it doesn't agree with a doctor. I have had many doctors over the years that I have sought second opinions b/c they were not listening, or whatever. Also, years ago, my grandfather's cardiologist nearly killed him (actually did, since he was technically dead for about 4 minutes before resuscitation). After that (luckily there was an after that), he had a great doctor.
Bad, indifferent, and/or overtaxed doctors abound.
Glad you are ok!

Thanks! And you are right...it never hurts to ask for a second opinion if you aren't happy with the first diagnosis, that's for sure. Better to be safe than sorry.

Take care of yourself and do what the doctors tell you to do and you will be fine! Disney awaits in your future.

Thank you, will do, and can't wait!!

Hope your medical issues won't put too much worry into your Disney vacation. After a heart attack people tend to be in an "Oh no it might happen again" mode and add stress to their lives. Enjoy your trip, use common sense when it comes to eating out, snacking and experiencing those more extreme/ excitable rides and enjoy your time.

Thank you, and I know what you are saying. I usually stress about the smallest things to begin with, and then the last half year or so has been brutal on our family. Too much personal and boring stuff to get into, but I definitely think it might have been partly to blame for what caused the heart attack. And then, like you said, after I got out of the hospital I was all worried thinking, "What if it happens again, but worse next time?!" Luckily, I've got a lot better the past 2 weeks since being home and have been actually walking the treadmill every day for a half an hour or so and feel pretty good. Been eating a lot healthier too. On the mend and looking forward to enjoying our trip, even if it is 2 years away.

My husband had emergency quarduple bypass in 2007 and while we had a trip planned 4 weeks following his surgery that we did not get to take becuase he was not released to travel. However, we have been numerous times since and we have no problems. Go, as long as your doctor says it is ok, and have fun! Our situation was an eye opener, we take things slower and smell the roses so to speak, so we get away as often as we can afford to because life is short!

Agreed - life is way too short! And everyone should stop and smell the roses at least once a day and realize how precious life is and how lucky we are to be living it, for sure. I need to start doing it more myself. Glad to hear that you guys have been able to go numerous more times without incident and hope your husband is doing okay.

My Dad had two heart attacks and still did Disney but did not do any of the rides for people with heart problems, especially if he had never been on them before. A couple of attractions I remember wondering why they would post the sign but it's just being cautious. There was one he had been on several times that he did do because we all felt it was pretty tame but I can't remember what it was (I'm wondering if it was POTC or something along that line.)

Asking if you should stick to your diet sounds like another way of saying "Please tell me I don't have to stick to my diet." You COULD go there and not stick to the diet and go on every ride in the park. You could also have a heart attack on one of the rides and die in Disney World leaving your family alone and having the worst experience they could ever imagine and they would never look at Disney the same way again.

The last conversation I had with my Dad was when he was frying up a couple of sausage for a late night snack and he said for me not to tell my mom (she was strict with his diet). I told him he was being stupid and he told me that sausage was worth it. He was dead when I got up in the morning.

Sorry to be harsh but I don't enjoy when people always have the well-it-won't-happen-to-me attitude. Yeah, maybe it won't but why would you risk it after what you have already been through? No matter what your heart will never be the same and you can't pretend that it is. Unless your doctor gives you the 100% OK (and you actually speak to a doctor that would be familiar with the stresses that the attractions could put on your heart) you should heed the warnings.

Man...first let me say how sorry I am to hear about your father. How tragic! And I don't think your post is too harsh at all. I am glad for your honesty. Some people try to sugar coat it and say that you can go back to your normal, everyday life that you had before. But I know that my family history and own personal scare definitely prevents me from doing that. I know that I am very lucky that I got a wake-up call like I did and that it could have been much worse. I can't stop living my life, but at the same time, I must change a few things to make sure that that life is a nice, long one. Lucky for me I have a very supportive and loving wife who was hoping that we would both start eating better and exercising more, even before all of this happened. So now we have something to kick our butts into gear and have been doing pretty good so far.

And even though our trip is 2 years out, I plan on going and having a good time, but I also plan on being smart and not overdoing it when it comes to the rides and food. We usually drive down and buy some groceries down there after checking in, so now we will just have to look for the healthier stuff at the local grocers. And there were actually some rides I backed out of last trip a couple of years ago because I was nervous going back on them, so from now on I am not even going to think twice about riding something that makes me uncomfortable. Not worth it. I am there to enjoy myself and have fun, not get worked up over whether or not to ride certain rides with the family. People watching it will be for me while they ride!

So sorry again for the loss of your father. And I appreciate your honesty in your post.

Glad your feeling better, that must have been a scary experience. I would think that WDW would be a great spot to relax after such an event.

Thank you, and I definitely hope that I don't have to experience anything like that ever again. But I know that I was very lucky that it wasn't worse and am thankful for that. I agree that WDW would be the PERFECT spot to relax and recover, unfortunately we are 2 years out from heading back down. But I've got my memories from past trips and the thoughts of new ones to come to tie me over til then (and this site, of course)!

 

[tikiman]

I had a massive heart attack December 2010. 100% blocked right coronary artery. Same thing, went to bed and it woke me up 3 times. Didn’t know what it was but wife pushed me to go into the hospital. Once I got there and they cleared the block and put in a stent they said I had about an hour before I was dead. No other blockages. Im on the meds for blood pressure and cholesterol and I am very active (motocross, snowboard, mountain bike, jet ski). I was 40 when I had the heart attack. I have been to Disneyland and Disney World a few times since then and been on all the rides. It really depends on how you feel. I have always exercised a lot and still do and my diet was never bad but I made some modifications. Red meat is out of my diet for good (they say that is a must for a healthy heart) but I still indulge when on vacation especially if I am walking off a lot of those calories every day. Do some swimming while I am on vacation also helps but I also try and have some of my vacation meals be on the healthier side and less of the fried and breaded stuff.

Aloha

Steve

 

[britdaw]

Oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're alright! My dad has been through two heart attacks, so I know how scary it is. Bless your heart, man...
I definitely would tell you to take advantage of the scooters if you feel the need. Walking is great exercise, but when you're a heart attack survivor, you need to take it a little easier than normal. Also, try to eat as healthily as possible, with high protein/low carb meals to keep you going.

 

[Mikester71]

I had a massive heart attack December 2010. 100% blocked right coronary artery. Same thing, went to bed and it woke me up 3 times. Didn’t know what it was but wife pushed me to go into the hospital. Once I got there and they cleared the block and put in a stent they said I had about an hour before I was dead. No other blockages. Im on the meds for blood pressure and cholesterol and I am very active (motocross, snowboard, mountain bike, jet ski). I was 40 when I had the heart attack. I have been to Disneyland and Disney World a few times since then and been on all the rides. It really depends on how you feel. I have always exercised a lot and still do and my diet was never bad but I made some modifications. Red meat is out of my diet for good (they say that is a must for a healthy heart) but I still indulge when on vacation especially if I am walking off a lot of those calories every day. Do some swimming while I am on vacation also helps but I also try and have some of my vacation meals be on the healthier side and less of the fried and breaded stuff.

Aloha

Steve

Oh man...did you ever find out what caused it, Steve? To have a massive one like that at 40 when it sounds like you were pretty healthy and exercised and watched what you ate before it happened is scary!! Does heart disease run in your family, like it does mine? REALLY glad that you listened to your wife and got your butt in there before it was too late, and that they were able to clear the blockage and insert a stent. I was very fortunate that there was no blockage or damage to mine when they went in with the angiogram, so didn't need a stent or anything like that. Doctors saw some plaque buildup though and figured that some broke off and maybe briefly blocked an artery to cause me to have a minor one. But minor or major, I am definitely taking this seriously and have made some changes to my lifestyle to hopefully prevent it from happening again. No more being lazy - back to exercising every day for me. And even though I never really ate ridiculous or anything, I am definitely cutting back and watching what I eat. Like you, I've cut red meat out of my diet and I am also really watching the sodium levels in everything we buy. I suppose I may allow myself to treat myself every once in a while, but it won't be too often and I am hoping I can stick to what I've been doing the past 2 weeks or so when it comes to my diet.

Cool to hear that you are able to enjoy yourself while on vacation and that you can still go on the rides and that. There are a couple that I chickened out of last trip that I suppose I probably won't go on from now on (not worth getting the ole ticker worked up over over), but at least I've rode them and got to experience them before this. Still lots to enjoy while the wife and kids go on them.

Thanks for the response, Steve, and stay healthy man!

Aloha
Mike