A rather dramatic title, but In my case it was probably true !
Ok, so I now feel it is time to bring this out into the open.
The Admin team know about this .
Thank you to Oldfloss and MissUnderstanding for picking up the slack !
Only a handful of others have known about this
And to the ones who knew, thank you for your support and messages 💕🙏
I went out for a run on Monday 27th February
I had been building my short runs up again after 10 weeks off with really bad sinus problems.
Then Monday 27th Feb I did a gentle 2.5 or 3 k run , no problems.
Came back home , stretched, had lunch and started with chest pains and down my arms .at around midday.
After about 30 minutes I realised it was serious and rang 999
At this point it became obvious it was a heart attack!
I called my neighbour and she came in and gave me Asprin on the advice of the 999 call handler, we phoned 999 3 times in total and it was just over 2 hours before the ambulance arrived!
By which time I truly believed I would not survive this .
They gave me the spray under the tongue and also morphine and spent another 15 minutes or so deciding where to take me .
I was going to go by helicopter but they couldn't get one for an hour so they took me to Wolverhampton by road , another 40 45 minutes!
They were literally waiting at the door at Wolverhampton new cross hospital and within 10 minutes of arrival I was on the theatre table having an angioplasty with entry from the right wrist .
They nearly lost me while working on one of the arteries and I remember loosing track of what was happening.
They instantly then had to shock me as my heart went into what they described as a self terminating rhythm .
They didn't even have chance to warn me .
I remember feeling as though I had just hit the ceiling but as I felt I was coming down again I felt reality and awareness returning .
All this was done while being conscious but sedated .
During this procedure they fitted a large stent in one of the coronary arteries and said when I was stable they then needed to consider what to do with another 2 arteries!
I went back in theatre on the Thursday and had another 2 Stents fitted in another artery, and a 3rd artery was considered not necessary to stent but they opened it up with a wire under pressure!
I was warned by the anaesthetist that this procedure would feel like (in his words) 'impending doom'
And he was right !
All this is done while awake as well !!
Just sedated .
But what a team !!!
Absolutely incredible
I came out the next morning on 3rd march .
It's been one hell of a ride both physically and emotionally so far
But still here to fight another day and slowly getting moving again .
I was told by the consultant cardiologist that this heart attack was always going to happen (mainly genetic).
He told me I had been walking towards the edge of a cliff and just happened to arrive there on that day !
I have found out today that there is about 5% damage to the heart but this could have been significantly worse or possibly fatal especially considering the delay I had if my heart had not been strong prior to the attack .
It was suggested to me that this strength was likely down to the running!
So thank you to Couch to 5k and my running beyond the program!
So running may not just change your life
It could well have saved mine ! .
It will be a slow return, but a return non the less and it is expected I will be running again in time !
But of course I will take the time and advice from the cardiac rehabilitation team . 🙏
Written by
Instructor57
Graduate
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Oh Instructor57 , I hadn't appreciated that things had been quite so dramatic and traumatic for you. Here's to your continuing on the road to full recovery! 👍😀
Wow, that’s a scary story but so pleased you’re here to tell it. What a lot to have gone through. I wish you a speedy recovery and yes, it’s amazing what running can do for us. As we often say, the runs will be waiting for you when you’re ready.
oh my goodness, that must have been so terrifying for you. What an incredible and inspirational post. Thank you for sharing and wishing you the best recovery!
At 51 I’m starting to worry about my health and this just clarifies again how important it is to exercise and get a strong heart.
Thank you and so glad there’s a happy ending for you .
What a scary thing to happen. And the treatment sounds just as scary! I know Wton New Cross...I grew up just round the corner from there!! Sending you very best wishes for a speedy recovery...and may you soon be back pounding those pavements!
So scary but glad you're pulling through and recovering. I have this outlook on life that if you keep fit and active you can stack the odds in your favour as you never know what life is going to throw at you. I believe you've just proved my point. Wishing you well with your continued toad back to full health and fitness
Wow - what a scary story but I feel like it’s a positive and encouraging one too! Glad you are ok and you have given me the strength to run this morning. Thank you. Take care.
While the heart attack isn't good news it isn't all bad either, you are still alive and able to, hopefully, return to running in the non-to-distant future.
It could have been a lot worse but I'm glad you're ok.
oh my god, that must have been so incredibly scary for you, thank you for sharing such a personal experience, so glad you are ok and here to tell us your experience, it’s good to share these experiences for others who may experience this and how valuable running is to not only the mind but the body. Although I am new to running I believe it saves lives in so many ways, mentally and physically, I have a lung condition (early stages) which if I carried on as I was would most certainly shorten my life, but I honestly believe my lung capacity is improving significantly since I started this program and I can now run for 30 minutes so it must be, and therefore saving my life, look after yourself Instructor57 and again thank you for sharing this us ❤️
what a shock to read your story, but so pleased your strength and knowledge has helped to pull you through. Wishing you a well on your road to recovery, and take it steady, you’re body will let you know if you overdo it! Take care.
I am so sorry to read this but pleased at the positive outcome. Thanks for all your positivity through C25k Please accept my good wishes to you through the ether
wow - what an incredible journey! You must be so glad to be alive, although understandably taking time to process everything that has happened. These life events certainly put things into perspective. Thank you for sharing this inspirational story - so grateful for this and for all your support, and that you are here to tell us about it. May you continue to go from strength to strength and now live a long and healthy life. If ever there was an advert for the benefits of this amazing programme and all the fabulous support and contributors, this story is surely it. 🙏
How traumatic and distressing for you Instructor57 . I am so glad you have come through it all, in one piece. You have been through a very frightening time and been very brave! You deserve a medal. 🏅 Wishing you a complete recovery and return to your beloved running. We need you around here! 💐
thank the gods above for running…we are truly blessed to be part of something wonderful…and part of this community…with mentors just like you who inspire everyone everyday…we’re so lucky to have you & so happy that you’re on the road to recovery x
I’ve only just seen this Ian, and I’m so sorry that you had such an incredibly traumatic time. Your team really does sound amazing, the NHS is pretty special, isn’t it. I’m so pleased to hear that your running helped strengthen your heart too!
I'm so glad you've come through that awful experience and with such a positive attitude. But then, it's what we have come to expect from you, you are always here for us, I hope we can repay it back to you now.
So glad you have come out of this with minor cardiac damage. It must have been terrifying, and the subsequent treatments aren't without their own terrors! Thank goodness for the NHS though in times like these.
Pleased you are on the road to recovery. Do as you're told, and you'll be back on the roads. Take care 💐💐💐
Thank you for your message!And yes, I'll do as I'm told 😐😁🙏
Wow what a story and thank you so much for sharing and bringing awareness. So glad you got through it and are now on the road to recovery. When something like this happens we need to prioritise, right now your health is more important and you need to listen to your body, take it slowly, walking is just as good for your health and I hope you get the rest needed.
omg- what a roller coaster of a ride for you! How fortunate you had kept yourself fit and well prior to this incident- good for us all to take heed. Best wishes for continued good health and return to running. X
Wow that must have been so frightening for you especially the long ambulance wait. Glad you got the care you needed and are here to tell the tale. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Bloody hell Instructor57 ! What a terrifying experience but I’m so glad you are here to be able to share it l! Fantastic that all the running made such an impact on your heart strength.
All the best with your recovery and rehabilitation 🙏 Sarah
Glad you are on the mend and appreciate you sharing it. A lot of us will benefit from reading it. Whilst I’m not running I am trying to find positive alternatives to dealing with stress. From your post I have joined the British ❤️ Foundation newsletter and have seen some great recipes on there! 👍 x
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