Jo's Case Study
I have always considered myself an active person, so was somewhat surprised at developing a heart condition when I was fifty. On 3 August 2009 I had taken the day off work to prepare for our family’s two-week holiday to Gozo. Having thought I was experiencing bad indigestion, I thought a cigarette would help (my last ever!!) along with a walk around the garden. This doing nothing ang getting progressively worse I took myself off to the walk-in centre. Various ECG, oxygen masks, angiograms, and an angioplasty later it transpired I had suffered a myocardial infarction (MI - a blood clot) to a major artery.
I grew up in Cornwall close to the sea. I passed my one-mile swimming test aged ten, swimming between Marazion and St Michael’s Mount and back at high tide, on my own with a single adult teacher (I certainly cannot imagine that happening in this day and age of risk adversity). Along with swimming, sailing, canoeing, surfing, snorkelling and SCUBA diving were my summer activities. By the time I had left school I had represented it at 4 different sports; rugby, soccer, cricket and swimming. In summary I think it is fair to say I was a physically active teenager with, what I like to think was, a bronzed body of a Mediterranean god.
After school I was successful in applying to the military and to serve with the Royal Engineers as a commissioned officer. As I am sure it is appreciated, it was a physically demanding life. I saw service in 5 overseas countries with my family travelling with me to 3 of the longer tours. When I left the military, aged thirty-nine and at 1.85m tall, I was a very fit 83 Kg. Then working in Australia in the engineering and construction sector for a number of years, we returned to UK in 2001.
As an aside but linked, the risk of diabetes as I understand it, also increases with heart conditions. It was a routine annual blood test a few years ago that identified I was in danger of developing Type 2D. I thankfully saw an NHS Dietician who recommended a low carbohydrate diet and eating less fruit! Not only am I no longer in the danger area but having steadily put on weight over the years I also shed 9kg in weight. Believing how important it was, I religiously had breakfast at about 6.30 am weekday mornings before catching the train to London. This comprised two of what I thought was relatively healthy options of either a cereal, mixed fruits, or a low-fat yogurt. Wrong! Too many carbs and too much sugar, especially fructose sugar associated with tropical fruits. And while I ate healthier sandwiches for an office lunch, again too many carbs in the bread. So, a weekday breakfast is now simply a berry (straw, rasp, blue or red) and Greek yoghurt (not Greek style but made in Greece). Lunches vary now; sandwiches do not feature and neither do potatoes. So, for me a low carb diet has certainly had its benefits.
My recent heart issue started to show post COVID and in early 2023. With hindsight the two occasional aches and pains I developed, I now put down to angina and heart related symptoms. After various tests for other causes, I had an angiogram in early 2024. This determined renewed thickening of my arteries but being over my existing stents, a new set of stents was not a possibility. Thankfully, I underwent an issue free surgery with four coronary artery bypass grafts. In addition to the medical treatment and staff, I also need to note the benefits of cardiac Phase 3 and Phase 4 recovery. Phase 3 comprised a number of weekly sessions at MKUH conducted by two excellent physical trainers who not only helped the physical recovery but with the gain in self-confidence worked wonders for the less talked about mental recovery. Thanks, team. And of course, Phase 4 with MKCCG builds on that confidence with the excellent help provided by staff and volunteers. I am thankful to one in particular. Taking a routine pulse check, they identified I had developed an irregular heartbeat. This ensured I sought early and timely medical help and am now being treated accordingly. I am happy to say I am now back at the MKCCG gym sessions. Yippee!
A final thought. Why when I was doing most of the right things, did I have major CABG some 15 years after an MI and stenting? The Doctors cannot give a reason and sometimes it is just the way of the world. However, I like to think that by doing the right things it had given me a greater time span between events and kept the body in reasonable shape to aid my recovery from the bypass grafts. Life is now relatively normal. I walk the dog regularly for an hour at a reasonable pace. I do my own gardening and keep the man cave (the garage) in working condition, along with all the other jobs around the house. And of course, I can walk to the pub for the occasional drink with the family (before working it off at MKCCG that week). Although it is odd though how my back starts to ache when I am asked to clean the house. I must work on that.
Jo Ward
October 2025