On the night of the heart attack it was found my right dominant coronary artery had 100% proximal stenosis and three stents were inserted at the Gold Coast hospital where we live to open the artery.
Also found was that I had critical left main stem disease with 80% distal stenosis and the LAD was found to be irregular with 40% proximal and mid-segment disease and various other blockages. Bypass surgery was indicated for the blockages on the left side. Five days later this took place in Brisbane having been taken up there from the Gold Coast by ambulance. The bypass operation was supposed to take place the day after my heart attack but the hospital in Brisbane would not accept me because I was too unstable and had other issues going on.
By Wednesday, my situation was critical and I was ferried up to Brisbane that morning with the bypass surgery scheduled for the next day. Again I was ruled as too unstable and the surgery was postponed. Thursday it was decided the surgery could not be put off any longer and Friday morning, the triple bypass surgery took place. My wife had been advised that my chances of pulling through were less than 50%. Lucky for me I beat the odds, the surgery went well and I am still around to annoy Evelyn. :-)
To the wonderful paramedics, Katherine and Brad, who arrived in time shortly before I had the first of a number of cardiac arrests, to Dr Rahman and cardiac nurse Rachel at Gold Coast Hospital who kept me alive with three stents, to Dr Ura at PA Hospital who performed the triple bypass surgery that saved my life, to Sharon & the wonderful staff at Cardiac Rehab and to social worker Eileen, the biggest thank you possible to all of you - I think of you everyday.
And of course I will be forever in debt to Evelyn for calling the paramedics when she did. They arrived in time to defibrillate me when I had the first of my cardiac arrests. If not for her I would not be typing these words now!
Not a day goes by that I do not think of that day and of all the doctors, nurses and others at Gold Coast Hospital who did not give up on me despite my numerous cardiac arrests.
Special mention needs to be made of the great staff at Gold Coast Cardiac Rehab who helped get me back on my feet and my head around all the emotional head games that played on my mind after my heart attack.
This is an interview I did a year or so later with one of our television stations which details some of what happened and includes comments from my cardiologist, Dr Rahman, who saved me on the night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqwmKUzvOu4
It was during my recovery that I rediscovered photography while helping my wife look after injured wildlife. Out of this came my Facebook page Wildlife in Nerang - https://www.facebook.com/Wildlifeinnerang/
And also what came out of surviving my heart attack was the desire to share my experience and make people aware that diabetics, like me, do not necessarily have the classic warning signs before or when they have a heart attack - https://www.facebook.com/CHADAwareness
Something else I learnt that night was don't delay in calling for an ambulance. If Evelyn hadn't called 000 when she did, the paramedics would not have been there when I had my first cardiac arrest and that would have been the end of the section for me.
I have had nine bonus years and intend to be around for a quite a number of years more, still so many photos to take and wildlife to help as well as spreading the message about heart disease and diabetes! :-)
Katherine and Brad - the paradmedics who revived me when I had my first cardiac arrest
and revived me a number of times en route to the hospital when I continued to arrest
With Evelyn and Dr Rahman, a year after my heart attack during a photo session when I did an interview for the Gold Coast Bulletin. Dr Rahman stented me the night of my heart attack
and to this today continues to be my cardiologist.
Having an echocardiogram at the old Gold Coast hospital the morning
after my heart attack and after having three stents inserted
Burn marks on my chest from the numerous defibs administered. Photos was
taken the morning after my heart attack
Being loaded into the ambulance for the trip from the Gold Coast to
PA hospital in Brisbane. There were questions so I found out later
as to how I would cope with (survive) the transfer. Cardiac nurse
Rachel accompanied me in the ambulance and monitored me
the whole trip. I still see her regularly when I get the
chance and those meetings are always emotional.
Having an echocardiogram at PA hospital the morning
before my triple bypass when it was decided I had to
have the bypass surgery as a matter of urgency
Dr Ura who performed the triple bypass surgery
Front page of the Gold Coast Bulletin in which my interview appeared
In February, 2010, I was invited to be the guest speaker on the
Gold Coast for the Heart Foundation's launch of their campaign:
"Will You Recognize Your Heart Attack?"
One of numerous items I have designed to help promote the message
for diabetics about not having the classic symptoms or warning
signs when having a heart attack
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