Heart Attack to 10K (part 4.5) - Pain in the bum, going senile and sub 30!

PART 4.5 - PAIN IN THE BUM, GOING SENILE AND SUB 30!
(Phase VI - sustaining a healthy life-style)

"Nothings going to happen unless you make it happen."

Wednesday 13th June 2018 and I make my long awaited visit to hospital to sort out my backside. As covered in my previous blog [see part 4.4] this had been ongoing for some time and I had had this fistula on my back passage since at least last Oct. (I remember when I first started parkrun having to run with a bit of toilet tissue clenched between my buttocks to soak up any discharge!) but because of the heart medication I was on for the first year after a MI, treatment had to be put on hold. After the failure of a couple courses of antibiotics the only remedy was minor day surgery and so here I was sat in Wycombe hospital feeling a little apprehensive due to my low heart rate, after some concern it could drop further, waiting to be taken down to the anaesthetic room ready to be knocked out so that my fistula could be 'laid open'. I remember the face mask over my mouth and nose and thinking this isn't having much effect and then nothing until coming round in the recovery room with my mouth as dry as the Hughenden stream during a drought and being told my heart was racing at 120 bpm, this was about 3 times my normal resting heart rate!

It seems that during the induction of anaesthesia I had intermittent runs of AFib (atrial fibrillation - link), this is where electrical impulses fire off from different places in the atria causing the heart to have an abnormal rhythm. This was something new to me although I had on the odd occasion felt mild palpitations or fluttering, but nothing that really concerned me. Because of this I was closely monitored until my heart rate came down to nearer normal and remained in the recovery room for at least 3 hours that I was aware after regaining consciousness.

This resulted in an overnight stay in my own private ward so they could keep an eye on me and just like at Harefield after my heart attack, my mobile battery died so communication was impossible [see part 1]. This time I was better prepared though and brought along with me my standard post hospital operation read .. 'Small Town Dreams'*, recapping James & Cathy's adventures through China, Australia and the Easter Islands [see part 2].

* 'Small Town Dreams' - I've check my bank but there's still no commission paid in!

The Cardiologist at Wycombe was consulted and recommended I remain on the same medication but advised I should be referred to the anticoagulation clinic for further assessment, it might mean yet another pill for breakfast to prevent blood clots but I'd rather that than run the risk of a stroke. I'm also to have another 24 hour ECG holter monitor to assess if the AF recurs to add to the one I was still waiting to hear from Harefield hospital to investigate bradycardia (low heart rate) [see part 4.3].

I was given 2 weeks sick leave which seemed a bit extreme for a pimple on the bum but because of my heart complications felt that it might be better if I took the time off work; it had nothing to do with coinciding with the start of the World Cup group games in the in Russia and wall to wall football on TV - honest, that was mealy a coincidence ....... but I still made the most of it!!

Over the next few weeks regular visits to the GP's to exhibit my backside to the nurse and get the dressing changed became quite routine. I missed 2 weeks of both FFIT Xtra and parkrun to give the wound a chance to settle and for my first couple of runs back took it easy as I tested myself in case I was still suffering any adverse reactions from the anaestetic or ensuing heart complications and finished in a credible 33:07 and 34:07. On both runs I started fairly well but developed a slight chest aching at about the boat house so slowed the pace and used the GTN spray at regular intervals, but was fairly satisfied I wasn't about to collapse in a heap or do myself a mischief.

Something that has started to concern me more over the last year is my tendency to find it hard to quickly recall recent events or keep my concentration on tasks in hand, I can easily become distracted. I'm not sure if this is down to my condition, the medication or just getting older and more senile, but it does seem to have become more prominent since my heart attack. Having read many self-help forums on the subject, I suspect it is a reaction to the bisoprolol tablet (commonly referred to as the 'drunken zombie' drug due to its side effects) and although not anywhere near as bad as some of the horror stories I've read, is something I will have to learn to live with. But it is starting to effect both my work and social life. It reached a stage where, after 22 years, I felt the need to give a year's notice at the clubs AGM on my position as secretary of Totteridge FC as I can no longer trust myself and fear I will forget and fail to carry out some duty and leave the club and its members in trouble with the footballing authorities.

Throughout this whole period the South of England has been basking in a heatwave which made parkrun and exercising in general a bit more of a challenge and I'm pretty grateful to Sam for relaxing the intensity of the exercises at FFIT Xtra, but I have tried to maintain the amount of time I spent on physical activity but at probably a lower level of effort. 

During those previous two parkruns I noticed that my split times were showing that I was starting well and finishing the run at a faster pace than the middle, I put this down to the fact that I was generally suffering the chest aches round the 2-3km and using my GTN spray more, this seem to make the latter parts of the run easier and more comfortable.

The following week was my best run since the operation, having decided to experiment and use the GTN spray more frequently throughout the run I finished in my 7th best time of 31:57 but this was a vast improvement by 2 minutes and 11 seconds on the previous week - the spray seemed to work wonders. I carried using this new tactic in the following weeks and bettered my times with finishes of 31:08, 30:35 and then a new PB of 30:12, all in the middle of the heatwave.

In between these runs Katie and I again met up with the Hearts & Souls team and fellow ex-heart patients for their 'Summer Thames Valley' sponsored walk on yet another lovely sunny day. The walk itself was a very pleasant stroll at a leisurely pace setting out from the Spade Oak just outside Bourne End ably led by Matt who wasn't too sure which way to go, but we soon found our way up the hill and through Bloom Wood before returning via Little Marlow and back along the Thames path. I can't hide the fact that I am a little disappointed with the response to my appeal but still really grateful for the £220.00 I did manage to raise (including £20.00 from one facebooker who won a large Tigger which was kindly donated by my wife, as the highest and only bidder), but I really thought that a £250.00 target was quite reasonable and would be surpassed especially following such a positive reaction to last year's London Bridges walk [see part 4.2]. I did try to explain this was much more about the cause rather than the challenge, but maybe folk don't consider a 5 mile walk worthy of a donation. Thank you to every-one who did donate, may your generosity grant you everlasting happiness but there is still time for those who missed out and will surely be condemned to eternal damnation or even worse, MK Dons, Luton Town or Oxford United .... quick, click on the link and save your Hearts & Souls! - (P.S. I wouldn't wish Bristol Rovers on anyone!)

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/peter-katie-jemmett

The following weekend I achieved my 30:35 finish while wearing the first of my two 24 hour ECG holter monitor's, this being the one from Harefield. Because of this and the fact I tend to sweat extremely easy and was concerned about the electrodes coming loose, I ran without my shirt. This did cause a little bit of attention particularly on the final km where I seem to pick up a small posse of doctors and nurses who were attracted by the medical wires and equipment hanging from me and they intently watched me over the finish line. 

I even managed to make the weekly parkrun news report -
 
"It was terrific to have support again from Hughenden Valley Surgery, one of our parkrun Practices. Many people extol the virtues of parkrun and the improvements it has made to their mental and physical health. I know Peter Jemmett (269th, 30:35) has shared his story several times and continues his quest to achieve a sub-30min time (just 9 secs off his PB today) showing that if you follow a structured plan to fitness, with precautions appropriate to your condition, you really can achieve the desired results. I believe that Peter senses that every member of the parkrun community that works for the NHS follows him in, in the same way as the rescue services follow a stricken aeroplane down the runway as it comes into land - but we all know that isn't the case and it is great to see him running with increased confidence week-on-week. Maybe keep the shirt on, though? Haha."

FFIT came up trumps yet again when I met up with fellow team 1 member Paul and we joined in with team 4 for a spinning session at the Wycombe Leisure Centre, nothing to do with thread or yarn but more to do with static bikes. Even with the air conditioning on and a big fan blasting air at us it was still an extremely hot and sweaty session but a damn good workout. I had missed all the previous sessions as I was never available and was keen to give this a try and it was certainly worth having a go - would I do it again?

The temperatures dropped quite considerably in the week leading to the run on 11th Aug. and so in much cooler conditions and recent run of good finishing times I had high hopes of finally breaking my 30 minute duck. I had it as a SMART challenge soon after starting parkrun the previous Oct to achieve this by the first anniversary of my heart attack (28th Dec 2017) and although since then getting close on a few occasions it kept eluding me. This time, using my new tactic of regular spray, I felt I was on for a good time but didn't dare check my time at any point, I just gave it my best shot as  always do and it wasn't until I crossed the line when I checked my time that I knew that at long last, on my 34rd run and 12th PB, I had finally beaten that 30 minute barrier coming in an amazing 29:49 !!! Again, I have to thank a fellow runner who was shouting words of encouragement as we approached the finish.

From the very first parkrun I have always tried to run to the best of my ability I can so to have achieved a faster time by 7 minutes and 59 seconds over 34 runs must surely substantiate my improved fitness levels. For my next SMART challenge I will now attempt to knock off 10 minutes from that initial run by its anniversary on 21st Oct 2018, that will give 9 available runs to try and shave off another 2 minutes and 1 seconds - tough, but I like a challenge!

I had my second holter monitor which I wore during my normal working day and now awaiting the results from both tests. A visit to Stoke Mandeville hospital for a surgery outpatient appointment revealed that the anaesthetic wouldn't have caused my heart problem but more likely intensify a problem that already existed.  I'm still feeling light 'fluttering' every now and then, sometimes so light I'm not even sure if it is just my imagination. My next cardiologist appointment at Harefield isn't until December and in the meantime I am still waiting to hear from the anticoagulation clinic at Wycombe hospital when hopefully I will find out once and for all if I do actually have a heart rhythm problem.

It has been fun having strangers come up and telling me they follow the blog and equally pleasing to have received several comments and posts, particularly from recent heart patients, praising this blog and telling me how it has helped them through those early uncertain stages following a cardiac event. This in turn has given me renewed vigour to carry on with my own endeavour. This is purely an account of my own experience of what I have been through and how I have gone about trying to regain my fitness to help prevent further problems. I am more than happy to share my adventures if it is of any help or inspiration to others but I am by no means a medical expert and knew nothing of cardiac conditions before my own so would urge you to follow professional advice. You can find several of the comments I have received in the testimonials at the front of the blog.

I shall leave you with this little gem, at 60 I'm now running around chasing after the grandkids and dancing around in the living room with energy to spare, I said to the wife "I'm fitter now than when I was 50" to which she replied "you're probably fitter now than when you was 40!"

STOP PRESS: I held back publishing this blog until after today's (18/08/18) parkrun and boy, what a run. Like London buses, you wait forever for a sub 30 and then two come along together (and 3rd PB in a row). Today, although it never felt like it, was the fastest I had run in 30 years recording yet another PB at 29:07 - 42 seconds under last week ...... 1:19 to go!!



Heart attack to 10K pictorial record - click here

Thank-you for reading and I would love to hear from you, please leave your comments below.



Previous:
Part 1 - That fateful day. (Phase I - heart attack)  click here
Part 2 - Back home & drama at White Hart Lane. (Phase II - home recovery)  click here
Part 3 - They tried to make me go to rehab, I said yes, yes, yes please. (Phase III - cardiac rehabilitation)  click here
Part 4.1 - Getting FFITer and Harefield & Heartbreak hill revisited (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.2 - Walking for heart & soul & finding parkrun (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.3 - End of year 1 round-up and assessment (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.4 - Falling heart rate: fitter or hibernation? (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here 

Next:
Part 4.6 - Sub 29, attack of the AKI and 1 year old (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.7 - Pushing the boundaries (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.8 - Bling, bling, bling, two 10K's and a 5K. (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.9 - 3 Years On, Ragged Radnage and Pete's bolus journey (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.10 - Coping with COVID-19 and what they say (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.11 - Living in the lock-down (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.12 - Plus and minus 3.5 years; heart attack to half marathon! (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.13 - Is it worth the risk? (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.14 - Mixed bag through Covid (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.15 - Getting back in the groove (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.16 - Reintegrating back into society (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.17 - Get that crazy rhythm (the low down on AFib) (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style)  click here
Part 4.18 - The 5 year itch, time to cut the CRAP! (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.19 - The last word (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.20 - Persisting with parkrun (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.21 - Stuck in reverse (recap of 2022) (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.22 - Starting all over again 6 years on (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.23 - God bless the NHS (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.24 - What I can, when I can (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
Part 4.25 - Life changes (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here