Take heart - there is life after a heart attack

On Tuesday morning I headed for the consulting rooms of my cardiologist, for my two yearly heart checkup with a feeling of apprehension. It has been two years since my last check up and I have not had a cholesterol test in between and I am full of uncertainty.

First thing that happens is that I have my blood pressure tested.

"Perfect," says the nurse. Some of my apprehension immediately drains away.

Next I have to remove my shirt and I am connected to the ECG, with a skimpy fishnet vest holding the cables down. I then have to walk on the treadmill until my heart rate gets to 150. The only problem is that mine won't go beyond 148 and with the extra speed and time I end up huffing and puffing like a steam engine.

I am relieved when I am allowed to stop. "Any pain or any discomfort? she asks.

"None," I gasp.

"Oh dear," the nurse informs me, "the screen has frozen." I watch as I regain my breath, while she reboots the computer and then calmly announces that the records have not been saved.

"Does that mean I'm in for seconds?" I ask.

"Yes," she replies sweetly.

"Mmmmm," I think as I get back on the treadmill, "I hope this doesn't mean they are going to charge me double."

The second time round I am firmly into my stride and I get to 150 with no problem and no huffing and puffing.

Soon I am with the big man and I have to take off my shirt so that he can listen to my heart. With that done his first question when he opens my file is, "Are you still on the bunny food?"

"Yes," I reply. I know he is checking up on me. When I went for my first check up three and a half years ago I told him I had completely changed my life style and eating habits and like any good, if somewhat cynical, cardiologist he had replied, "That is good, if you are able to sustain it." I never knew that he had written it down.

Then while impassively reading my ECG he asks, "Do you know you have an arrhythmia?"

"No," I reply, "What is an arrhythmia?"

"It's an irregular heart beat," he replies, pointing to a few blips on the ECG print out.

"What causes it and do I need to be concerned," I ask, the apprehension now being replaced with worry.

"Any number of issues," he says, "but in your case it is probably scar tissue caused from damage to the heart, after your heart attack. We need to do an ultrasound to check it out."

I am ushered into another room and again take my shirt off and I am made to lie on a bed, while the ultrasound is conducted. I am disappointed that I cannot see the screen.

After a while I am facing the big man again. He looks at the ultrasound printout and announces, like he cannot believe it, "There is no scar tissue and there is no narrowing of the arteries. In fact your heart is very strong."

He then shows me that the irregular heat beats completely disappear when I was going at full pace on the treadmill. "Does that mean I should spend my days running around at full speed," I innocently ask.

He does not get my perverse sense of humour and replies, "No, that means this arrhythmia is not a problem, but because you had a heart attack, I am going to prescribe a mild beta blocker."

"That's a relief," I say.

He looks at my cholesterol test and announces, "Excellent, it is 3.6."

I smile and now start to relax.

He concludes the consultation with some reassuring words, "I am very happy with your result and I am not in the slightest bit worried about your arrhythmia. See you in two years time."

I leave the consulting rooms on cloud 9. My fanatical eating habits have paid off. Now what I have to get more fanatical about is exercising, so let's see what I can achieve over the next two years.

Matters of the heart - fanaticism pays

It is no just over 16 months since I had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass and yesterday I went for my annual checkup with my cardiologist.

Even though I have taken my pills and been fanatical about my diet, there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind, "What if things are not right?" I had enough time to think about it, because I had to wait four months for my appointment.

First off was the treadmill and the ECG. It was not a walk in the park, as my heart rate had to get up to 155. Though I was huffing and puffing at the end I felt fine.

Then it was into the consulting room with the cardiologist. He is a man of few words - or rather let me rephrase - very few words. The prognosis is usually, "I'm happy," or "I'm not happy." If he is not happy, you know you have a problem. In my case he actually increased the number of words when giving me his prognosis.

After taking my blood pressure and listening to my heart it was, "Perfect." Not many words but that made me happy. Then he said, "I am very happy with the results of the ECG." More good news.

The last hurdle was the cholesterol test. Again he was very happy.

My cholesterol is still at 3.6, which is the same level it was last year. The LDL remains unchanged at 2.5, but the HDL (the good one) has increased from 0.8 to 1. If he is happy then I am happy, even though I was hoping to get my LDL to below the 2.5 level, but I wont stress, because he is happy.

The last word was that I could come back for my next checkup in two years time.

Matters of the heart - taking stock

Not too long ago I was one of those people who took my health for granted. Even though there was a history of coronary artery disease in my family, I firmly believed that it would not happen to me and like so many people around the world I had no sense of my own mortality.

How wrong I was.

Today, seven months ago I found myself lying in a general ward, waiting for a by-pass operation that was scheduled for the next day. Two days previously I had suffered a heart attack and had been through all kinds of tests that proved it was not a case of severe indigestion, which is what I was hoping it was. The angiogram showed four bad blockages, which the cardiologist said a stent would not be able to sort out. The conclusion - I needed four by-passes - the sooner the better. One positive aspect though, was that my heart had not been damaged, as the veins from the good side had provided collateral support to the side that had been "attacked".

Though I had been put in a general ward to get a break from all the hustle and bustle of the cardiac care unit there was non stop traffic to my bed side all day long, as all the role players came to give me comfort and advice and explain what was going to happen to me. The cardiothoracic surgeon, the cardiologist, the psychologist, the anaesthetist, the PR person all came around. And then of course there were the mandatory blood samples; my legs and chest were shaved and I had to take several showers with special soap that was said to kill any of the super germs that hang around these days.

I was totally at peace with what was going to happen. It was after all a routine operation and many people I know had been through it.

The scars of my folly. They are a daily reminder for me to "behave".


All that I want to say about the operation is that nothing that had been said to me, had prepared me for what was to come. It will go down as the darkest and most miserable period of my life and an experience I have no intention of repeating. My advise to anyone who has high cholesterol levels, is don't wait to sort out the problem with a by-pass.

The sad part is that it was totally avoidable. I had experienced all the signs of a threatening heart attack, but had ignored them. I had given up exercise, because I was so "unfit" that I got chest pains if I went for a brisk walk. After the slightest exertion, I would break into a sweat. I had continued to eat fatty foods and take aways. Processed foods, with all their trans fatty acids were my favourites. I ignored the advise I was given to have a check up. I was a like a ticking time bomb - it was only a matter of time that it was going to explode.

The scar from the removal of the vein that was used for the by-pass.


So it has happened and I have been given a second chance. There is no point in dwelling on the past - I cannot change what has happened, but I can influence the future. Why be miserable?

I made a vow in hospital that I have no intention of going back for seconds. This has meant a complete lifestyle change. I am now on chronic medication, which I have to take daily.

The cover of the book given to me at the hospital. This was my survival manual. I still refer to it from time to time.


Where my diet is concerned I am a total fanatic. I go way beyond what has been recommended in all the heart friendly diets. My basic starting point is if I do not like the look of any food, I will not eat it it - so I might go hungry for a short while, but that is not the end of the world.

• I have cut all dairy products from my diet - and I mean all. Do I miss any of it? Absolutely not.
• Soya is a very good substitute for milk. We get a good quality soya milk and soya yogurt.
• Fatty foods are an absolute no-no.
• Red meat happens about once a week, but then it must be lean.
• Saturated fats have been ditched for polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Let's just say we only use olive oil, peanut oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil.
• For breakfast we have home made muesli, which includes raw oats and a selection of nuts and raw chocolate powder.
• I do not drink coffee any more, but stick to herbal teas, such as rooibos, honey bush and comfrey tea.
• Eggs no longer feature on my menu.
• I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and nuts.
• Processed meats (polony and sausages) and commercially baked foods (pies and confectionery) and take-ways are avoided like the plague.
• I read the labels of all food products when shopping and if I do not like what I see, it goes back on the shelf. I know I have gone totally over board, but that does not worry me. I am quite happy.

Suzi-k and I realised that we were not getting enough exercise, so we bought an exercise bike four weeks ago. I have been slowly building up my time on it - the poor old knees initially took a pounding, but they have now accepted that this is a part of their new routine.

I do not know what a good work out should be, but whatever exercise I am doing now, is a lot more than I did previously. I try to burn at least 150 calories at the start of each day, but also have at least two sessions where I burn 350 calories. I do think that I am getting ready to pass on to the next level.

The console of the famous exercise bike.

What I have found is that since starting with regular exercise my energy levels have increased. Let me hasten to add that exercising daily requires a lot of self discipline on my part, but so far so good.

New decor items in the living room.

But that is not all ........ I also bought some weights to start toning up my arms. The strapping young man in the exercise equipment shop suggested 9 kg weights - I settled for 4 kgs, but have since bought a 2 kg set for warming up. I will probably have to get some professional advice on how best to use these, but for now am following the same routines Suzi-k does in her water aerobics.

Some days 4 kgs was too much for me so I also got some 2 kg weights.

In the last 7 months I have dropped from 105 kgs (231 lbs) to 93 kgs (205 lbs). I seem to be hovering around the 93 kg mark, but hopefully with the exercise the downward slide will continue, until I reach my target.

The waistline has shrunk by 9 cms (3.5 inches). I can now fit into my old 34 trousers. At my peak I went up to a size 38.

Looks like my belt has growth rings. I am now using the pre-growth ring hole.

What has taking stock of my life seven months after my heart attack shown me:

• I now no longer take my health for granted.
• My new life style is not a flash in the pan, but has become part of who I am.
• Exercise is not a chore, but is now an essential part of my daily life.
• I do not compromise on what I eat. In fact I am a total pain in the rear end when it comes to dietary matters, but no one is complaining.
• There is no point in being miserable about what I should have done - that wont change a thing. I am thankful that I have been given a second chance and will make the most of it.

Matters of the Heart - Diet Sheet

When it comes to my diet and eating habits I happen to be a fanatic, so to get some balance into the equation I decided to post these pages from the book issued by the hospital.

Matters of the heart - getting fit

One thing about me and Suzi-k is that when it comes to being impulsive, we are probably at the front of the queue. After scorning all forms of exercise all our lives we have suddenly got on to the get fit kick - well my heart attack and by-pass probably had something to do with it.

Now six months since my operation, I have maintained my version of a heart friendly diet, which is somewhat radical, but have not been that succesful with my exercising. Though I did climb a mountain and have some good walks in Lesotho, without any negative effects.
On Saturday morning we decided we needed an exercise bike or an eliptical trainer. I was sold on the idea of getting an eliptical trainer that gets some good publicity on the infomercials. That idea was scrapped after I found a site on the net that reviews exercise equipment and which gave it a poor rating.

What I did discover was that there were cheapies advertised at various sites on the net, but the those advocated by the "experts" cost an arm and a leg. The idea was becoming less attractive, the more research I did. Who can exercise on one of these, if you are missing an arm and a leg.

I carefully planned the route, so we could visit all the shops selling exercise equipment. Our first stop was the exercise equipment shop I had dismissed a few weeks back, when driving past. "Who buys that stuff", I had scornfully said. We ended up with this "baby".



The salesman was very knowledgable, convincing and enthusiastic about the equipment. The eliptical trainer was about four times the price I wanted to pay and too big for our home. The exercise bike was nice, but cost a lot more than I wanted to spend. I was ready to walk out and continue the search, but the salesman gave us a price we could have refused, but didn't. It was a good price - expensive, but good.

A programmable magnetic cycle. I was almost intimidated by it - you need a pliots licence to drive it, or should I say pedal it.



It has 12 different programmes; you can increase the resistance as you pedal and burn up more energy; it takes your pulse, so that you do not over-exert yourself. It two of the programmes where you set your age and get a good cardio-vascular workout - it also reduces the resistance as soon as your pulse rate gets too high. It measures the calories burnt while cycling; it tells you your speed or rpm; and it has a clock, a timer and an alarm.
With what I have spent on this baby, I intend getting my money's worth, so will use it regularly. I must say I have been enjoying it and feel that I have exercised well after having been on it for 15 minutes.



It has some big advanatges over a normal bicycle. You don't have to worry about the rain, or being knocked over by a car, or being chased by a dog, or having some mugger part you from its saddle. And we have positioned it so that if we get bored, we can watch TV - that is if we choose to cycle when there is a good show on.

I intend to be well on the way to a new level of fitness at the end of a month.

And Tom, no cycling shorts and other fancy attire is needed.

Hearty News #2

Today is 5 months to the day that I had my heart attack, which was followed by a by-pass operation in the same week. That was undoubtedly the worst experience of my life and afterwards I vowed "never again".

This week my doctor told me that the results of my blood test showed that my cholesterol level has dropped from 5.7 to 3.6. I have not seen the full report, but this should mean that I should be near or have succeeded in reducing my LDL (bad cholesterol) from 4.0 to my target of below 2.5.

Unfortunately my cardiologist is on leave, so hope to get the full results from him on Monday and hope to hear the magical words, “I am happy” that usually emanate from him when he is satisfied with something. He is a man of few words.

Whether it has been the heart pills or my rigid dieting, or both that contributed to the drop I do not know, but what I do know is that when I heard the results it hardened my resolve to stick to my diet.

Speaking of diets, since last writing about ostrich meat, I was “brave” enough to try it on two more occasions. The first was a stew, which admittedly was quite good, but I still don’t like the flavour. Then I tried ostrich boerewors (traditional farm style sausage) which was most delicious (must have been all the spices). I was convinced that I could start now eating the heart friendly ostrich meat.
When Suzi-k and I were next at Woolworths, I snatched a pack of ostrich boerewors from the fridge and then to my horror, I read on the pack that it contained up to 30% fat. I returned it to the shelf quicker that I had removed it. I do not do animal fat anymore.

So the next time I see an ostrich it will probably be in the wild, not on my plate.

I am totally uncompromising and unapologetic about what passes my lips, even if it means going without a meal. I have probably taken my diet to the extreme, but then it is my health and my choice. The moral of the story is that I have been given a second chance and I am not going to throw it away.

Hearty news

Today was my first visit to the cardiologist since my heart bypass operation. The general perception was that once he pronounced me fit, I would return to my normal life.

Now it is confession time - I decided to start driving again 10 days ago and I started work on Moday, as I felt I was up to it. So when I strode into the cardiologists office this afternoon, my laptop and camera were slung over my shoulder, (I did not want to leave them in my bakkie [truck, van, ute] - too much temptation for the local criminal element) I was very obviously no longer an invalid.

My cardiologist and I are both men of few words - so I knew I had to ask the right questions when needed as I would be getting the bare bones. While in hospital I observed his bedside manner on more than one occassion. If he said, "I am happy," you could rest assured you were ok. If the pronouncement was "I am not happy," there was cause for concern, but he invariably seemed to have a solution.

Shortly after I arrived a nurse connected me to an ECG machine and several printouts were taken of my heart rhythm - they looked fine to me, but then I am not an expert. My blood pressure I was told was good at 130 over 70.

I then had to wait a while to see the cardiologist.

When I was ushered into his room he asked me how I was feeling and I told him, "Great".

He then confirmed my medication and a short discussion followed on my changed lifestyle and diet, to which he expressed his approval and said that it would be good, especially if I could sustain it (he has obviously heard that one before).

I told him it was a nasty operation and as I had no intention of going back for seconds, I would never revert back to my bad eating habits.

He nodded and then started scrutinising the printout.

"So, is it good I asked?".

"Mmmm," was the reply. That could mean anything I thought.

He then looked at the pictures taken of my heart, when he did the angiogram. "It was quite a mess," he said, pointing to the blocked arteries. "I don't know how the blood got through". Then, "Ok, take your shirt off so I can listen to your heart and lungs".

I dutifully obeyed.

He did his thing and pronouced his satisfaction in monosyllables. I was encouraged.

I put my shirt back on and his prognosis was, "I am happy".

"That's good," I replied with relief. I now knew I was on the right path.

"Come and see me in a year's time and I will put you on the treadmill and if you are ok then, we can extend the visits to every two years".

"Ok".

He then asked who my GP was and I told him. He then told me to have a cholesterol test in about three months time, after my pills have had the opportunity to reduce my cholesterol levels. I was to send the results to him.

"I was told my cholesterol was not measured when I was in hospital," I started to say.....

"I am sure it was," came back the reply and he started flipping through a rather thick file of medical reports (R191,000's worth). "Here it is," he said triumphantly, "I'll make you a copy".

As it turned out my LDL cholesterol (the bad one) was high at 4.0 and needs to come down to below 2.5. Boy oh boy, that is incentive enough for me to take my pills and stick to my new eating habits.

With that it was over and as he said, "I am happy," so am I happy.

Next hurdle - the cholesterol test in three months time.

It's good to be back.

I am back after an absence of 14 days. Amazing how one minute you think you are healthy and the next, you know you are not.

Firstly I would like to say a very big thank you for all the support, prayers and words of encouragement to me and Suzi-k, I cannot even begin to tell how much these meant to us.

It all started with the heart attack, which was the easy part. A bit of pain in the chest and shortness of breath and then it was over, but by then I was in casualty. I was still hoping it was a case indegestion or stress.

From there I was transferred to the cardiac care unit, connected to machines, drips and oxygen. I felt like a complete fraud and would have happily left, but the blood tests showed evidence of a heart attack. My condition appeared to be reasonable and the perception was that I would probably need a stent and could go home after a few days.

The angiogram came two days later. It said, "Sorry bud, no stents for you - you definitely need a bypass, make that four". The cardiologist pointed out that the area that had suffered the attack had received colateral support from the arteries on the other side of my heart, which minimized the damage. A few more tests showed that my heart had suffered no major damage. One of the nurses told me I was obviously being looked after by a higher power.

The consensus was that I was a walking time bomb and would need the bypass, sooner rather than later. "How about tomorrow," I suggested. That settled it.

Then followed a series of meetings with the surgeon, the anaethatist, the physiotherapist, a psychologist etc, etc to prepare me for the operation and the post operation recovery. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience.

Day three I was sedated prior to going into surgery and was as high as a kite, so remember nothing of being prepped for the operation.

The nightmare of coming aound from the anaesthetic is something I will never forget and may write about that another time. My four days in ICU were tough, with respiratory problems, but I survived and was glad to get into a general ward on day seven, with only a drip.

Day ten - home. Recovery is slow and each day I feel stronger, but have little stamina and have to push myself to do my exercises and take regular rests.

The past two weeks have taught me two things about the human body. One it is very fragile, a small change in the balance can be fatal. Two it is very resilient, with one being able to survive a tough operation, like open heart surgery and be restored to full health over time - in fact I have been told it will make me 15 years younger.

Well guys and gals that is what I am looking forward to - five more weeks to full recovery. And as I have no intention of going back for seconds, I will be undergoing a change in life style.

It took me all day to write this post but it is good to be back.