Howard's Story

My name is Howard and I am now 63 years old. (2008)

When I was a teenager quite a few of my family on my fathers side passed away from heart attacks. Some were only in their 30 s and 40 s.

My father passed away when I was 16 and thereafter life always felt very stressful. I started my own manufacturing business when I was 18 and married when I was 23.

I lead a full and busy life but always felt the need on a daily basis to counteract the stress by taking pills such as Valium to calm me down. I felt they worked although it was frightening to increase the dosages as the years went by.

When I was 40 the pills and the fact that life seemed so hard, led me to end my marriage and close my business. Two years later I checked into rehab. I had broken down emotionally and physically. I completed rehab and went back to my home city to build a new life. I had been taught much about myself and felt happier than ever before in spite of my losses. However I also recognised that my body felt much older than my years. My legs often ached, I needed to have a nap most afternoons and I was short of stamina and energy. I eat much more and put on weight. Things continued like this for me for about 4 years. Then suddenly my middle brother literally dropped down dead from a heart attack and weeks later my younger brother had open heart surgery to replace a faulty valve. Because of these 2 things I went to a cardiologist.

They ran some tests and and performed an angiogram. The doctor came to see me after to tell me I would need a triple bypass within a day or so. As I was leaving he asked me if I had given up smoking since we met a few weeks earlier. I dishonestly said "I have cut down". He said "Howard, if you are not prepared to help yourself, why should I help you". It was extremely powerful just at that moment and on the way home in the taxi, I smoked my last cigarette.

I went to hospital 2 days later for my operation. I did not feel a great deal worse than I had for the past few years, maybe just a few more chest pains. They told me this operation would give me 10 or 12 more years. I was 48.

I coped before my operation by not asking too many questions. I decided that my strength would and must come from trusting my surgeon and the hospital. The night before the op my new wife (we had been married 3 months ago) and all my 3 children came to visit. It felt like a tough moment for them.

I had my operation and was home in 10 days. I remembered what the surgeon said about helping myself. I took exercise ( for about the first time in my life) immediately and changed my diet. Even though I had pain in my chest from the op, I recognised very early on that something big had changed and I felt better.

I decided to take some counselling as I felt it might help me and I would be less needy of my family. I really needed to talk about what I had been through and my fears for the future. It helped us all and I am really grateful for the help I received.

As the years have gone by, I literally felt better and better. I was able to have a bigger life. Fear left me.

3 years ago, I had a stent in the 4th artery and again in the same artery a year ago. Both times the symptoms which I recognised came on very quickly. Luckily my cardiologist acted at once on both occasions.

I continue to enjoy a full life. Keeping my weight stable is hard but so important.

I am so grateful to my wife, children and especially to the wonderfully patient team in Wimpole Street London. They know who they are.

Howard S - London

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Howard's Story

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