It's 6 months today since my wake up call

Six months ago today an ambulance with blue flashing lights pulled up outside the house and whisked me off to hospital where they quickly diagnosed that I'd had a heart attack.

I spent a couple of the scariest and loneliest nights of my life connected up to machines with buzzers going and lights flashing all night, I was petrified.

My thoughts turned to all the choices I'd made in my life, the poor dietary choices I'd taken, that I had been a smoker, that I hadn't exercised enough....despite the fact that my father and twin brother both died from heart failure.

I committed how I felt in that hospital room to my memory to use as a reminder if going forward the demons in my brain wanted me to make the wrong choices again.

I spent nine nights in hospital and came out with a good service being carried out on my heart.

Since then I've lost over two stones in weight, do exercise classes four times a week as well as walking every day and I feel fitter than I've felt in years.

The demons still tell me to buy a pork pie or a bacon sandwich to "snack on" whilst out and about....but the memory of those nights in that hospital bed win over and tell me to walk on.

The same demons also tell me to "take a couple of days off" and put my feet up rather than exercising.....I ignore them and I can guarantee you that I always feel brilliant after doing my exercises.

The "online" rehabilitation course I did supported with a weekly phone call from the physiotherapist was brilliant, with the pulse/oximeter readings it gave me the confidence to go that little bit further and realise that I could safely do the things that I wanted to do.

In a year when the NHS has been under immense pressure I can only praise them for all they've done for me.

I'll be honest there have been some days when I've felt like shit.....I still had aches in my chest for months after the procedure, the cocktail of medication has played havoc with my digestive system but I've focused on the positives, the discomforts I've had have been a small price to pay for the new lease of life I've been given.

Have a great Xmas everyone and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2022 xx