Nobody Tells You What Happens Next | Heart Failure Unfiltered

Donna was told she had heart failure on a Thursday. On the Friday she was back running her shop. So what happens once everybody decides the emergency is over? In this second episode of a four-part series, Nick Hartshorne-Evans - founder and CEO of the Pumping Marvellous Foundation - sits down with Corinne, Donna and Danny to talk about the part nobody plans for, the weeks and months after the diagnosis. Danny came home with a bag of tablets and no idea what any of them did, and his wife Jane spent four nights awake watching him sleep. Corinne worked out how serious it was from a copy of a letter sent to her GP. Donna did not leave the house for a year. They talk about the visitors who stop coming after a week, side effects that get brushed off as "you're on a lot of medication now", and why nobody thinks to hand you a peer support group along with the prescription. Danny decided in his hospital bed that he would climb Ben Nevis within twelve months. He did it. No white coats. No jargon. Just people who've lived it. In this episode: 00:00: Welcome and what this episode covers 01:27: Meet Corinne, Donna and Danny 02:05: What happens when everyone thinks the emergency is over 05:16: A diagnosis drip-fed over months, and the "magic box" ICD 07:17: The visitors stop coming after about a week 09:28: The first night at home 18:03: A bag of tablets and nobody explaining them 22:36: The emotional side nobody checks on 25:18: Why peer support should be prescribed 26:05: Losing the social life you used to have 28:20: When the fear finally became manageable 30:44: Finding the humour, and the Robbie Williams tickets 34:07: What helped you believe tomorrow might come 39:40: Helping somebody win at something 🫀 If heart failure is part of your life, you don't have to face it alone. The Pumping Marvellous Foundation is the UK's leading heart failure charity, patient-led, trusted, and here for you. ⚡ B.E.A.T. Breathlessness, Exhaustion, Ankle swelling, Time to tell your GP or nurse. If you have a combination of these, speak to your GP surgery. Heart failure is diagnosed with a simple blood test. 🔗 Visit: www.pumpingmarvellous.org 💬 Peer support, search "Help for Hearts" on Facebook and apply to join 💛 Donate £5 today and help someone feel less alone #HeartFailure #LivingWithHeartFailure #BEATHF #PumpingMarvellous #HeartFailureUnfiltered #HeartFailureAwareness #HeartFailureRecovery #CaregiverSupport #PeerSupport #ChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #CardiacCare #NHS #HealthAwareness #HeartHealth #HeartDisease #UKCharity #PublicHealth #MentalHealthAndIllness #CardiologyCare