Life after a Heart Attack or Heart Surgery | Mental, Emotional & Practical Heart Health Wellness

Have your favourite foods started tasting strange after a heart attack or heart surgery?

In this episode, we’re talking about something that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough - changes in taste after a cardiac event.

• If coffee suddenly tastes disgusting…
• If chocolate no longer hits the spot…
• If everything feels metallic, bland or just “off”…

You are not imagining it and you are not alone. In this episode, I share:

• Why taste changes can happen after heart surgery or a heart attack
• The role of nerves, blood flow and medication
• Whether it’s temporary or permanent
• Practical ways to make food enjoyable again (without adding extra salt or sugar)
• The emotional impact of losing the pleasure of food and how to cope

Recovery isn’t just physical. It’s sensory. It’s emotional. It’s personal.

If food has lost its magic, this episode will help you understand what’s happening and gently guide you forward.

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Are you waiting for heart surgery and feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unsure what to expect? In this episode, I guide you through every stage of preparation – physically, mentally, and practically – so you can enter surgery feeling empowered, supported, and ready for recovery.

We cover:

• How to prepare your body for surgery with nutrition, exercise, and medication tips.
• Ways to reduce stress and anxiety leading up to your operation.
• Practical advice on what to pack for the hospital and how to organise your home for recovery.
• Tips for accepting help and building a support network to aid your post-op healing.

Whether this is your first heart surgery or a repeat procedure, this episode is a compassionate guide to help you feel more in control, confident, and prepared for this life-changing experience.

Resources & Support:

• Join my supportive Facebook group for people living with and beyond cardiac events.
• Download my pre-op checklist and post-op recovery planner [link if available].

Take a deep breath, listen in, and let’s prepare your heart and mind for the journey ahead 

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

After a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or open heart surgery, something shifts. 

Even when your body is healing, your mind can feel on constant alert.  Every twinge feels suspicious. Every flutter feels dangerous.  And beneath it all … there can be a quiet, persistent fear:

“What if it happens again?”
“What if I die?”

In this episode, I’m talking openly about the nagging fear of death that so many people experience after a cardiac event, even years later.

We explore:

• Why this fear is completely normal after trauma
• Why hypervigilance happens (and how it settles)
• Cardiac anxiety and depression
• Practical grounding tools to calm your nervous system
• How to stop being so afraid of dying that you forget to live

You are not weak.
You are not dramatic.
You are healing.

And healing includes your mind as well as your heart.

If this episode resonates, please share it with someone who needs to hear: You are not alone.

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Today, we explore the powerful intersection of brain science and belief. We dive into the Reticular Activating System (RAS) - the brain’s gatekeeper - and how it filters the world based on what you focus on. By consciously expecting "magic," you program your unconscious mind to find evidence of beauty, opportunity, and joy that you might otherwise miss.

Highlights:

• The RAS Factor: Understanding how your brainstem regulates focus and alertness.
• The Cocktail Party Effect: Why you hear your name in a crowd and how to use that same mechanism to find "magic."
• Guided Relaxamation: A deep-dive session combining a soothing induction with powerful affirmations to shift your daily expectations.
• Self-Reflection: Three journal prompts to help you improve the odds of having a great day, every day.

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Heart disease isn’t just a physical journey - it’s emotional, mental, and sometimes spiritual. In this episode, I’m opening my heart to share something new I’ve been creating: a membership club designed for people living with heart disease or recovering from a cardiac event.

I talk honestly about the emotional reality of heart disease, the fear, anxiety, grief, and overwhelm that come with it and why I felt compelled to create a space that supports your whole-person recovery.

Inside this heart-led membership, you’ll find live learning sessions, interactive community meetings, guided Relaxamation recordings, Reiki sessions, and tools from positive psychology, coaching, and hypnotherapy to help you build confidence, resilience, and emotional strength.

I also share why becoming a founding member is a special opportunity to help shape the programme while receiving ongoing support at a fixed lifetime price.

If you’ve ever felt lost, anxious, or unsure where to turn after your cardiac diagnosis, this episode is for you. You’re not alone and together, we can create a space where hearties feel supported, understood, and empowered.

Join the waitlist here: www.myheartandmind.co.uk/WL006

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Have you ever noticed a diagonal crease on your earlobe and wondered if it means something serious?

In this episode, we explore Frank’s Crease (also known as Frank’s Sign), the line across the earlobe that some researchers have linked to heart disease.

If you’re living with or beyond a heart attack, cardiac surgery, heart failure or a diagnosis that changed everything, it’s so easy for small things to trigger big anxiety. So today, we gently unpack:

• What Frank’s Crease actually is
 • What the research really says (and doesn’t say)
 • Whether it’s fact, fiction or somewhere in between
 • Why it should never replace proper heart health checks
 • How to stay calm and informed without spiralling

This episode is about clarity over fear. Information without overwhelm.  And learning to trust evidence, not headlines. Because your heart health is about far more than a crease in your ear.

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Have you ever felt grateful to be alive… and deeply anxious at the same time?

Relieved your surgery is over… and frustrated that recovery feels slow?

Motivated to change your lifestyle… and grieving your old one?

If so, you are not doing recovery wrong.

In this episode, we explore the powerful mindset shift of Both/And thinking — a compassionate way of allowing two truths to exist at the same time without judgment.

After a cardiac event, many people fall into “either/or” thinking:

• I’m coping or I’m not.
• I’m positive or I’m negative.
• I’m strong or I’m weak.

But heart recovery is rarely that simple.

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

Can You Really Go on Holiday After a Heart Attack or Surgery? Here’s How to Travel Without Worry

Planning a holiday after a heart attack, heart surgery, or living with heart disease can feel overwhelming.

Should you fly?

•  Is hot weather dangerous?
•  What about travel insurance?
•  What if something happens while you’re away?

In this episode, I gently walk you through how to travel safely and confidently after a cardiac event, covering the practical steps and the emotional preparation too.

We’ll talk about:

• When it’s safe to travel after a heart attack or surgery
• Flying with a heart condition
• Hot climates, cold weather, and high altitude
• Travel insurance and medical paperwork
• Medication planning and translated prescriptions
• And how to calm the anxiety that can show up before you go

You are still allowed to explore the world.
You just need a heart-smart plan 💙

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

 The hospital fixed your heart, but who is helping you heal your mind? 

After 55 episodes of navigating the emotional, mental, and practical side of heart recovery together, I have some big news to share. As we look toward the future of this community, I want to make sure our "signpost"—the name and look of this show—is as clear and welcoming as possible for the person who needs it most. 

In this episode, I’m announcing a major rebrand and I want YOU to help me choose our new name. Plus, I’m giving away a physical copy of each of my three books to celebrate! 

Help me choose! The options are: 

1. Heart Attack & Cardiac Surgery: Recovery Support Guide
2. Heart Attack & Heart Surgery: Emotional Rehab Support
3. Heart Attack or Cardiac Surgery: You're Not Alone!
4. Life after a Heart Attack or Heart Surgery: Mental & Practical Wellness Support
5. Cardiac Recovery Guide: Healing Your Heart and Mind
6. Heart & Mind: Support for Heart Attack & Cardiac Surgery Recovery
7. Other / A combination of the above

How to Enter the Giveaway:
Email me at [email protected] with the subject line "Podcast Name" and tell me your favourite option (or your own suggestion!).

The Prizes:
I’ll be giving away a paperback copy of one of the following books, to the first 3 names I pull out of a hat in a Live Draw:

• Beyond the Beat
• The Beat Goes On
• Cognitive Cardio Puzzles

Deadlines:

• Friday, 8th March: Last day to vote/suggest.
• Tuesday, 10th March: Live Draw in the Facebook Group!

Connect with Sallie:

• Join the Community: www.myheartandmind.co.uk/community
• Visit the Website: www.myheartandmind.co.uk
• Subscribe: Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if this show has helped your recovery!

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here. 

A relaxamation to help you adapt to life’s changes after a heart attack or cardiac surgery.  I will guide you through a gentle journey of relaxation and with the affirmation “I adapt and adjust to what is.” You'll learn how to reduce resistance, find emotional flexibility, and rebuild confidence. 

What You’ll Experience:

• Progressive body relaxation
• A quiet the mind
• The affirmation “I adapt and adjust to what is”
• Emotional grounding
• Renewed confidence in your ability to adapt

Self-Reflection Journalling Prompts:

1. How can I change my attitude toward “adjust” and “adapt”?
2. What 3 things can I do today to adjust and adapt to change?

Resource:
You are not alone in your recovery from a cardiac diagnosis. Come and make friends by joining my Heartie Support community on Facebook. 

Not sure what a Relaxamation is?
You can find more information here: Episode 22 called Relaxamations Explained - The Big Calm & The Feel-Good Factor

Read the complete article here Podcast & Blog Page.

Getting to know Sallie Crawley
Survivorship after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can be challenging. You can rebuild the puzzle of your life and thrive. It takes one beat at a time and the support of people who have had similar experiences. You are not alone. Join me and other hearties in the My Heart & Mind Community, you'll get a warm welcome. You can also visit my website www.myheartandmind.co.uk. 

Disclaimer
The information contained within my podcast and on my website is for general information purposes only. It is not official health advice and is not intended to be used as such. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions relating to specific health concerns or you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, you must consult a medical professional immediately. You must also consult a medical professional before making any changes to your normal lifestyle habits. You can read my full disclaimer here.