Dad wakes up in intensive care unit a month after heart failure

A MAN in his 30’s who went to bed one night and woke up in intensive care a month later with a life-changing diagnosis of heart failure is now raising awareness for the symptoms and encouraging others to engage with supports available.

Alan Ferron (36) from Kiltipper, Tallaght, recalls the night he suffered a heart attack in bed, saying it felt like someone was sitting on his chest.

“My girlfriend rushed me to hospital, and when I got there, I collapsed on the floor and went into cardiac arrest,” said Alan.

“After being revived, I had another cardiac arrest, and was then fitted with a stent.”

While in hospital, Alan contracted pneumonia and his family was told he had a very low chance of survival, and due to the condition of his heart, it was likely that he wouldn’t make it through the first night in ICU.

Despite the poor prognosis, Alan pulled through.

“I have hazy memories of waking up at times during that month, but I couldn’t breathe on my own, so I needed intubation and ventilation,” he said.

“But after all that I got out of hospital just in time to sit my fitness instructor exams a few weeks later and I passed.”

Alan is now living with heart failure as a result of his cardiac arrest and the left side of his heart doesn’t work at all, with the right-side pumping all of the blood around to each of his organs.

With this new diagnosis of heart failure, Alan has been forced to make changes to his lifestyle.

“I need to be careful – if I’m leaving the house, I usually need to rest beforehand, as the fatigue can hit you hard,” he explained.

“I exercise regularly, either in the gym, walking or cycling and I take medication each day and monitor the amount of fluid I drink. In recent months I had an ICD implanted in my chest which gives me great peace of mind.

“Once the ICD is settled in and my 20-month-old daughter is in the creche in a few months I hope to go back to work as a fitness instructor.”

Alan is now encouraging people to be aware of the symptoms of heart failure and for those who have been diagnosed to engage with the Irish Heart Foundation’s Heart Support Network – a private Facebook group of those living with the condition.

“I found it very helpful when I came out of hospital initially – everything was new to me, so it was nice to hear from and read about people who had gone through the same thing as me,” said Alan.

“It helped me understand that it’s not all doom and gloom, and it helped to get me back on my feet – a great help at a time when I needed it.

“I would definitely encourage people to engage with the supports, to talk it through and not to bottle things up.”

According to the Irish Heart Foundation, although heart failure can sound frightening, it is important that people understand their heart is not about to stop.

“Heart failure describes a heart that is not working as well as it should and can affect people of any age,” said Dr Angie Brown, the charity’s Medical Director.

“It occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body, because the walls of the heart have become too weak or too stiff to work properly. It is estimated that 90,000 people live with the condition in Ireland.”

The most common symptoms of heart failure are fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen feet, ankles or abdomen and weight gain over a short period of time.

“However, it’s important to note that heart failure can be prevented,” added Dr Brown.

“Reducing your risk factors for heart disease will help prevent heart failure, such as not smoking, controlling high blood pressure, eating healthy food, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active and drinking moderately.

“Heart failure generally responds very well to a combination of medicines and lifestyle changes and some people may need operations, pacemakers or similar devices.

“With modern treatment, people with heart failure can lead long, quality lives.”