When Andy (not his real name) first felt minor chest pains he ignored it, but his boss insisted he see the GP. Now he knows she potentially saved his life.

Andy’s story starts a couple of years back, when he was polishing his car one weekend. He started feeling soreness in his chest, and had difficulty breathing.

He stopped for a couple of minutes to catch his breath. But when he resumed polishing, it happened again.

Since he was tired, he stopped what he was doing. He probably would have left it at that, if the incident hadn’t cropped up in conversation with his employer a few days later. When she heard his symptoms, she insisted he call his doctor immediately.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) at the GP revealed that Andy needed further testing as there were signs of heart ischemia, which in layman’s terms, means a lack of oxygen supply.

Andy underwent a treadmill stress test at a nearby hospital two weeks later and was told that he had a heart condition called angina.

So, he underwent an angiogram next which revealed that he had blockages in several coronary arteries.

The medical team also said his condition was more advanced than they had initially thought. They were unable to proceed with angioplasty and Andy was told he needed bypass surgery instead.

Needless to say, he was blown away by that diagnosis. Once admitted to hospital, he underwent a quintuple bypass surgery.

Back in the ward, post-surgery, the seriousness of his heart condition kicked in. Seeing the many tubes, monitors and other equipment that were literally helping keep him alive was a reality check.

Andy spent seven days in hospital and later spent a further six weeks at his mother’s house to recuperate.

For someone who lived alone, family support was crucial, not just from a practical point of view, but also an emotional one.

He was thankful his mother was there to care for him. She supervised the various medication he had to take every day, which took some getting used to.

Andy says that although his family, friends and colleagues were supportive throughout, the path to recovery was slow and required much patience on his part.

After two weeks he began trying to walk in efforts to build up his stamina. When he felt stronger, he began taking morning walks every day.

At first, he walked for five minutes, then ten, then twenty, before finally getting up to half an hour. By this point, he was starting to feel a lot better although he did tire easily.

He’s since learned to take each day as it comes. He has also become more mindful of his health and listens to his body. When he gets tired, he rests.

In fact, Andy says that the exhaustion that comes with his condition has been the hardest thing to adjust to.

But he has persevered. Apart from getting more sleep and learning to take things easy, Andy has also made a number of lifestyle changes.

He’s given up smoking, reduced his alcohol intake and changed his eating habits.

He ate reasonably healthy before but now he stays away from fried, oily or processed food. He eats salads most days and fruit every morning for breakfast with plain yoghurt. He’s also reduced his salt intake and cut back on saturated fats.

He finds talking about his condition helpful, even though it can be exhausting at times. He joined a support group and underwent six weeks of cardiac rehabilitation besides exercising with a group in his community that meets regularly.

He says it’s great talking to others who have had similar experiences. He relates to everybody and it’s good knowing how others are coping after life-changing surgery.

If there’s one thing Andy has learned from his journey, it’s to listen to his body and get a medical check-up when anything unusual occurs, no matter how minor it may seem.

In hindsight, he realises that there were warning signs in the two years leading up to his diagnosis. However, not knowing any better, he had brushed it aside.

These days, Andy encourages anyone who experiences any form of chest discomfort or pain to see their doctors immediately, even if they feel the symptoms are minor.

Early detection helped save his life, something he is extremely grateful for. He has now bid his old lifestyle adieu and adopted a heart-healthy diet and exercise regime that is helping him enjoy a better quality of life on every level.

TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.

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