Feeling depressed, down and moody after my heart bypass

How long ago was your surgery? Did you go to cardiac rehab? My guess is that you did not because of the way you say you feel. Cardiac rehab was the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't see how a person could go there and still be depressed if the depression is caused by having the surgery.

Hey guys,

This is quite common among people who had heart bypass, Couch Potato, so you don't really differ from them. Usually people who used to exercise every day before they had their heart bypass done handle this a lot better than those who didn't, the most important thing is how strong is your will to overcome this.

Cardiac rehab, the thing that njoynlife mentioned is probably the best thing out there for people who had heart surgery done. It is sort of a course where you get to learn how to eat properly, I mean what foods should you take, how should you exercise, etc.

Hello everyone,

I agree with you, njoynlife, he probably doesn't even know what cardiac rehab is.

If you want to help yourself, and then as well help the people around you, ask around and find out how can you apply for this course called a cardiac rehab. It's a great thing for people who had heart surgery, you will also meet a lot of people with the same condition as you are so you will all push each other to get the best out of you. It lasts for about two to four months but it is definitely worth of your time.

Hi CouchPotato,

This happens to everyone after heart bypass but you really need to move in order to get better. You can do this even without cardiac rehab but it is going to be a bit harder because you are going to be on your own, it's always easier to do things like these in groups so you can all encourage each other.

Basically you can start will walking a bit each day. Let's say, for the first day, go to your door, for example. The second day, go to the end of your yard. The next day, go to the end of your street, etc.

Hey everyone,

Like Adria already told you, CouchPotato, you need to stop being a couch potato. If you don't want to "waste time" going to cardiac rehab, you can do this on your own but you really need to have a strong will for it and you need to put some effort in it. It will take some time until you completely get back on your feet so you will need to be patient as well. You need to take small steps and make them bigger each day, just like Adria wrote above me. You can take the advice that she gave you.

Yeah, most of the people I met used to be in high school with me. It seems we all do the heart attack thing at about the same stage of life. I did have a choice, I could have refused but my doctor prescribed it and the insurance company paid for it so why not go? It was at the local hospital not a gym. The nurses monitored you constantly and figured out what you needed to do for exercises. They had a variety of machines so if there were some you didn't like you could avoid them. I loved the rowing machine it seems to give nearly all your muscles a good workout and strengthened my back so the aches went away. You learn that there actually is life after the surgery and how much you can do.

Hey there. I want to ask you more about cardiac rehab. My sister needs to have it as well and I don’t know is it expensive or not. I am afraid that she won’t be able to afford it because she lost her job and her husband is working for some small money. I understand that she needs to have cardiac rehab because she had second bypass surgery and after that second surgery she is not feeling that fine anymore. Her husband and kids just can’ watch it. Can insurance pay it for her? What are your experiences?

Tnx a lot 

Good day guys. I am sorry because I haven't answer on your post because I am new in here and I don't know that much about this. No one told me about this cardiac rehab. Not even my doctor. When I asked him what can help me, he told me that this will go away very soon. But I don't see any improvement at all. 

Noynlife, let me answer on your question. My surgery was seven months ago. Maybe this is not that long period, but I don't see any improvement like I already told you.

How much this cardiac rehab is going to cost? Am I going to feel better? 

Mine was 20 years ago when I was still working but I was self employed so I had the typical self employed insurance. When you purchase insurance as an individual not on a group plan like a large company does they really stick it to you. After closing my business I worked for Tycom where they supplied health insurance. The insurance they supplied which was costing them about $300 a month per employee would have cost me about $1600 a month as a self employed person. So being self employed I was able to get for $350/mo. a policy that I had to pay the first $3000 then the insurance paid 80% until I had paid a total of $5000 in the calendar year. Lucky for me I had the heart attack in March so there was plenty of calendar year left for them to pay. Of course I was already up to the $5000 by the time I got out of the hospital so when the doctor prescribed the rehab the insurance paid for it. Later when the new year came I kept on with the rehab because my local hospital had a very generous sliding scale for charges based on your income. The monthly charge for rehab was $80 which I got for $15 due to my low income.

I don't know how they handle that now with the new mandatory health insurance law but I doubt they have anything as favorable or affordable. The political promises were just that "political promises" and most medical things have gone up considerably while the great promised insurance pays very little and costs about double what insurance used to. So I can't tell you what it will cost today or even if our new mandated insurance will pay for it. You will have to ask your doctor and hospital and insurance supplier yourself. You may be able to shop around a bit.

The rehab is a nice exercise program that is monitored by health professionals to assure you don't overdo it. The fun you have while doing it is all up to you and how you relate to the others in your group. I had a great time and we all had fun.

Hello. I want to join this discussion. I had bypass surgery and after that I was very depressed. Nothing could help me. One day I just didn't want to go out, and next day as well. I started to spend a lot of time in my house, I was eating and I was so down everyday. My doctor recommended me rehab so I listened to him. But when I came to the rehab center they told me that they can receive me into center but that I need to pay. When I asked why - they told me that my insurance won't cover this. I don't know why. Is there any difference because I work in some private office? I really want to help myself somehow...

Good day. My aunt is very happy always. She is always smiling and she was never depressed in her entire life. I remember when I broke up with my boyfriend she told me that it is not the end of the world and that I should smile all the time. I want to tell you how I was thinking that she will never be depressed. But after her triple by-pass surgery she started to be very depressed. It seems that post – operative depression is something that is “normal”, that this is a side – effect because your body has been under very huge stress and this operation caused it. Actually, stress can alter some of body chemicals to cause the depression.

I was supposed to but do to corona they said no I wish I could of went my whole world turned upside down I had my triple bypass 2020 and I’m worse depressed now as I was then