Abstract
There has been comparatively little research about experiences of recovery from heart attack from the patient perspective (Wiles 1998; Hird et al 2004). This paper addresses patients’ experiences following heart attack. It forms part of a larger ESRC-funded project (ES/K006037/1) that compares patients’ experiences of recovery from four types of health event. Patients’ perceptions of their physical body after heart attack may have implications for how they respond to physical exercise and exertion, with consequent relevance for physiotherapy practice. Interviews were conducted with 44 participants. The time elapsed between heart attack and interview date ranged from several months to 23 years. Data were collected by senior researchers at HERG, University of Oxford employing a maximum variation sample. Secondary analysis of the interviews was undertaken by the authors of this paper. Having a heart attack came as a shock to most participants irrespective of their health status. Participants tried to make sense of the reasons why the heart attack occurred in the context of age, fitness and lifestyle. Those who attended cardiac rehabilitation valued the supportive presence of physiotherapists, cardiac nurses and other patients. Conversely, this support reinforced their perception that physical activity might be dangerous. Participants reported that family members and others treated them as more vulnerable.