Survivor Survey – Lifestyle

Q: How has your lifestyle changed?

Is life the same as before your event or has it changed for the better/worse/both?

Responses with name, age at SCA and time since

No change, really. As I retired 7 years ago, we get to do more travelling, which is great.

Mark,  46, 23 years

It was such a long time ago but I guess better. I now have a son.

Amy,  17, 14 years

Worse, live from day to day, with pain 24/7

Brenden,  56, 4 years

Better, more active not that I didn’t exercise before

Pat,  51, 15 months

My life has changed for the better completely. I’m so much more clued up on my general health and I’ve been so lucky to have been introduced to the NHS. They’re amazing people and I’ll do all I can to help them and fundraise for the Air Ambulance.

Imogen,  21, 2 years

Things changed slightly worse, still in the back of mind.

Lee,  37, 5 1/2 years

Worse

Joanne,  48, 23 months

Less stressed

Lisa,  35, 4 months

Still too early to tell as only a month ago

Carly,  34, 1 month

Worse

Michelle,  43, 5 years

Roughly the same

Graeme,  36, 10 years

It’s been a slow dawning but I’ve realised how closely linked my heart health is to my lifestyle. I’ve lost weight, cut out caffeine, reduced alcohol and sugars and experience far fewer arrhythmias as a result. There’s a lot to be said for trying to help ourselves!

Michelle,  42, 4 years

Same

Tracy,  50, 3 years

Slowly, change takes time and acceptance I’m not quite there yet, but am trying to look after my body better.

Ben,  32, 1 year 2 months

Both

Anon,  70, 10 months

Changed for better

Stewart,  53, 3 years

Not sure, still early days yet.

Joe,  52, 4 weeks

Wary of going out as unstable on my legs

Maureen,  68, 7 years

i am more aware of what I eat and drink

Lynne,  47, 21 months

I would say it’s pretty much the same except I had moved cities and jobs and feel happier where I am now.

Robyn,  57, 18 months

I’m still in the process of recovery so unable to really comment at this time.

Mark,  56, 14 months

No. I have been forced to give up my full-on job.Is that better? Well, given my health perhaps it’s for the better but I am highly frustrated and sad at times.

Andy,  51, 5 years

Money gone, friends gone……. quite solitary.

Anon,  36, 11 years

Has changed for worse.

Kym,  40, 3 years

My life is a lot calmer, I found a lot of my friends couldn’t cope with my inability to party like I did before.

Lisa,  40, 7 years

Was great before, but even better now

Julie,  31, 8 years

More conscious of healthy choices . Less confident , so worry about doing things that I previously did without thinking.

Michelle,  50, 1 year

I’m not back to the same level of exercise yet, but I hope to be. The 6 month driving ban has been hard and I can’t wait for it to end!

Clare,  31, Almost 5 months.

Better. Gave me the push i needed to lose weight.

Anon,  56, 15 months

I do daily slow exercise, I ‘settled down’, got married had a child and bought a house with my partner who gave me CPR at the time of the arrest. We were going to travel and emigrate, but after the arrest my priorities changed!

Natasha,  25, 4.5 years

Changed in terms of slowing down, thinking twice about activities, usual over the counter medication that people take for granted being excluded. Biggest frustration is friends and relatives telling me ‘I’m not allowed to do that’, hate feeling different. But I tend to stubbornly do what I feel I can do, life is short as we know now.

Judy,  39, 3 years