"Heart attack and cardiac care"

In the middle of this year, I had a heart attack.

Home alone, mowing the lawn, chest pains that got progressively worse, and pain down both arms. Textbook heart attack I was told later. Called the wife, then an ambulance, and waited about 20mins, when a lone paramedic arrived,. He confirmed my fears, and arranged for an ambulance to attend. Feeling bad, and getting worse, we went straight through the Emergency Dept at Lyell McEwin Hospital and into theatre. 

Just a blur of pain, voices, doctors and nurses, and then relative quiet as I was prepped for an angioplasty, and a stent to repair my totally blocked heart artery (LAD). I don't know how long it took, but as soon as the stent was fitted, the relief was remarkable. I felt like I could have just got up and walked out.  

I was in Cardiac Care for 24hrs, I saw great nurses and doctors and countless obs, little sleep, and finally home - feeling tired, but so thankful.

I am on so many pills now, I rattle when I walk. I had a meeting about Cardiac Rehab, and opted to manage my own Rehab, with email and message support.

Since then, I have had a number of follow-up appointments with my GP, and ECG's and scans with my Surgeon, with more to follow.

I have a second chance...