The deadly sound of silence

Mike Stallard, non-executive director at Express Medicals tells the story of his health incident as a warning to others.

I was very lucky in more ways. When the chance to retire came in my mid-50s, I grabbed the opportunity. I had longed to move to France, so a dream came true. So here I was, having a relaxing meal with friends in a French restaurant and thinking how lucky I was.

There’s that word again – lucky.

Living in the south west of the country, oysters are a regular, available dish. So as a starter we ordered them to set the evening off well. That night I went to bed, content.

Now, I would like to think I was fit. I would run regularly and, apart from a problem with my knees, I was in good shape. I’d had a recent Executive Medical: everything appeared fine. The only issue was rising cholesterol levels, so I was watching my diet.

So here I was 18 months after finishing work, tucked up in bed and happy with my lot. Around 3 am I woke up by pain in my chest, not really severe but enough to cause some discomfort. I wasn’t fully awake and put it down to indigestion. In the morning I woke up feeling sick and sweating.

Luckily, my wife worked as an auxiliary nurse prior to coming to France. She looked at me and suspected it was my heart. That’s why she rang a friend to accompany us on what turned out to be a vital trip to the hospital. She needed someone else there, she said, to take the wheel in case I took a turn for the worse and she had to attend to me rather than the road.

To cut a long story short, I got to hospital where they diagnosed a heart attack, put me in a helicopter to a major heart unit and underwent an angiogram. This showed that I did, indeed, have a blocked artery in my heart. A couple of years later I returned to have ‘stents’ inserted: the equivalent of a scaffolding tube that holds your artery open. And ten years later? I’m fit, well and have regular check-ups and take daily medication. And I still consider myself very lucky.

The moral of the story?

It’s not “don’t eat oysters”. I’ve written this to encourage you to get aware of the symptoms. When you watch someone on TV clutching their arm and falling to the floor, please realize it isn’t always like that.

What I had was called a Silent Heart Attack which is by far the most damaging. Twice as many people die from this kind of attack than those who experience chest pain.

So what should you look out for?

Symptoms include discomfort in your chest, arms or jaw that go away after resting, or shortness of breath and tiring easily.

If you’re not certain, make sure. Visit your GP, do everything you can to prevent heart problems – and stay lucky!

Mike Stallard

Non-Executive Director, Express Medicals Ltd