Steve recalls his heart attack and a very scary time

A scary time

In the 90’s I lived in Poynton Cheshire in a large house with a huge garden, it was a hot weekend and I had decided to cut some branches of an unruly tree.

I got my step ladder out and my trusty bow saw.

I began to cut a branch, quite a thick one and being left handed I had the saw in that hand.

All went well for a while and I was making good but slow progress, the branch proving a bit more stubborn than I had imagined.

Quite suddenly I began to get a pain in my chest, like cramp at first, but I was cutting a tree down and my brain told me not to be stupid and get on with it, so I did. I vigorously attacked this branch it was not going to beat me.

The pain in my chest was getting worse, much worse, it was like a crushing agonising cramp, then my left arm began to ache, but the stupid side of my brain told me not to worry I was holding the saw in my left hand so it was bound to ache, the common sense side of my brain was asleep.

I plodded on, but not for long the pain was too excruciating, and it was going up into my throat.

Time for a rest a thought.

I got down from the step ladder and managed to get back into the house.

Stupid side of brain took over and told me to lie down on the kitchen floor, I felt dreadful but got in the prone position on my side I was wet though as the sweat just soaked me.

I was alone in the house and thought if I lie here for a bit the pain will go, but it didn’t.

I don’t know if I drifted off to sleep, but the back door opened and my son came in and saw me, he phone 999 straight away and before he had got off the phone describing what was going on I heard the sound of the sirens outside.

I was taken to Hospital straight into the intensive coronary care unit where I stayed for ten days.

I stayed on heart medication for years with constant three monthly reviews and checks and was finally discharged from the heart unit about five years ago without having any further episodes, but was diagnosed with angina.

This was a warning and a very scary time and I tend to shy away from and sort of wood cutting.