Hello
I'm new to this forum and I think I have a somewhat unusual question.
Background
I was in Denmark (Ebeltoft) for a few days windfoiling. After a week of daily wind, I suffered a heart attack and was treated at the Aarhus University Hospital.
Two stents were placed. The treatment went very well, and I feel really good after two weeks now

IWindfoil only on freeride stuff with mainly foilfreeks 5,6 or 4,7

.I'm wondering how long I should wait before I can get back on the board?
Doctors in Aarhus mentioned a time period of around 6 weeks
Does anyone have any experience ?

I can't wait to get back on the board.

Any information ist highly apreciated

When I broke my leg wind foiling I listened to my doctors.

It will depend upon how damaged your heart was and how long it will take until it recovers strength. The muscle has undergone some trauma. It needs to heal. There also may be issues with electrical pathways so the heart may need to adapt, etc. In my case, the first few days, it was a task just going down my drive to fetch the mail. I started back cycling I think after around maybe four weeks. For someone who was always an enthusiastic cyclist, it was humbling for a while getting passed by just about everyone.

I think in my case, it was close to 12 weeks. Listen to your cardiologist. If you don't like your cardiologist, find another one. Do the rehab. Do start taking daily walks immediately. Do start a whole-food plant based diet - heart attacks don't have to happen to 99% of us.

I'm sorry this happened to you. Message me for more.

My first day back on the water and, by chance, a friend was out on his boat. Judging from my cycling fitness, took about six months to start feeling "strong" and did a week long tour in a pretty mountainous location about nine months after the event.

Please discuss this with your doctor, not strangers on the internet.

Thank you very much for your feedback.
I'm following the doctors' instructions, of course.

Fortunately, I was at the University Hospital in Aarhus very quickly. It looks like my heart hasn't suffered any permanent damage.
I've recorded practically every windfoil session over the last year. Of course, because of speed and distance. My watch also records my heart rate. You can see that when foiling, the exertion is almost always in the aerobic range or below. Normal windsurfing produces a significantly higher heart rate with more peaks.

I hope the cardiologist can do something with the data.

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jdfoils said..
Please discuss this with your doctor, not strangers on the internet.

There is a value to discussing this with others who may have gone through the same experience especially a potentially life-changing one like a cardiac event. It may provide reassurance, support and reasonable expectations about what might lie ahead. He wasn't asking for a diagnosis, only what my experiences were.

In addition, not all cardiologists are the same. My first cardiologist came well-recommended but it was apparent in the first visit that he gave little credence to the huge volume of data and research into the role diet plays in CV disease. There was no second visit.

foilklaus, I'm happy to see that there are no indications of permanent damage. That is fortunate. Let me describe the process of rehab that I experienced so that it might inform you a bit more. Because of limitations of the COVID era, it was primarily walking on a treadmill while my EKG was monitored by staff. They are able to see your heart rate and, as importantly, your recovery when you finish. That way, they have an idea of how much strain your heart is under and how quickly it's recovering (as well as seeing if anything bad is going on). It will give you a baseline of how much you are capable of and what kind of activity is "aerobic" as your heart and body recovers. During the first part of recovery, my cycling Zone 2 was only about 16-20 k/h versus close to 28-30 k/h normally.

Additionally, S* happens on the water. While most of your windfoiling is done at an aerobic level, think about a buffer for a broken UJ or the other stuff that while rare may cause you to be pressed closer to the limit.

If you aren't satisfied with the path your cardiologist recommends, it may be worth seeking out one who has more experience with athletes. The path of rehab and recovery obviously is a bit different depending on what one's level of fitness and activity was prior to the event and their expectations afterwards. Many cardiologists and, in my case, rehab therapists will tend to be conservative because they are accustomed to dealing with sedentary individuals. Work with your cardiologist to establish goals and levels that are safe and appropriate for your situation.

I wish you a quick return to the water. It sounds like you are in a good situation for recovery and many more years of windfoiling.

Side note: the blood thinners you are likely on make you bleed like * . Do take care as even minor scratches and cuts will make it look like you were in a knife fight.

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Paducah said..

jdfoils said..
Please discuss this with your doctor, not strangers on the internet.

There is a value to discussing this with others who may have gone through the same experience especially a potentially life-changing one like a cardiac event. It may provide reassurance, support and reasonable expectations about what might lie ahead. He wasn't asking for a diagnosis, only what my experiences were.

already more useful advice and tips here than you'll get during your average specialist visit

RFIA

(recovering foil injury anonymous)

Hello Paducah
Thank you very much for the informations.

I visited my family doctor for the first time yesterday.
Beside changes in the concentrations of the cholesterol medication, he didn't do anything else for now.

I have an appointment with the cardiologist this week. Let's see what recommendations he has.

You are right about the topic of scratches.
Yesterday I lightly scratched my nose, and it bled quite a bit.

When waterstart the foilboard
I sometimes scratch myself on the foil.
I will only ride with the wetsuit for now to avoid that.

Fortunately, we are only sailing on small lakes here, so there is no fear of shark attacks.

(I'm just joking.)

Hope your visit with the cardiologist goes well

Let us know how it goes either here or by private message We all wish you a speedyband healthy return to the water