Heart Attack to 10K (part 4.11) - Living in the lock-down
PART 4.11 - LIVING IN THE LOCK-DOWN
(Phase VI - sustaining a healthy life-style)
"Nothings going to happen unless you make it happen."
It is now 20 weeks and counting since the start of the COVID-19 lock-down and although some restrictions have been eased, I am still working from home and trying my best to avoid close contact with any-one outside my own household. In all, for a relatively short period of time in semi-isolation it hasn't been without its own excitement and there's always something to write about.
The period hasn't been without my own medical incidents, but nothing to major though. Right at the start of the lock-down I had a dental crown fall out and within a day or two the mating tooth filling broke away leaving two very sharp and jagged edges on the left side of my mouth, thankfully there was no pain. With the dentist closed for no telling how long there was little choice but to live with this.
Working from home and not going out anywhere has led to having more disposable money to buy luxury items (not buying petrol for at least 10 weeks certainly helped) and one of my indulgences was to buy the medically approved Kardia-mobile single lead ECG recorder. This is a pocket device that links to an app on your mobile and records ECG readings when placing your fingertips on a couple of electrodes on the device. Ever since Atrial Fibrillation (AF) was first detected during some minor surgery back in June 2018 [see part 4.5] I've been getting rare and occasional palpitations and was diagnosed having Paroxysmal AFib but it has always been difficult to catch incidences to prove this even though I've had two 24 hour and a weeklong ECG holter monitors in the past, all of which came back as normal. It got to a stage where I wasn't really sure if it was just my imagination which is why I invested in this gadget so I could try and catch it as it happened wherever I was.
It proved to be a £100 well spent as within weeks after a long lone Saturday morning run I started to get palpitations in the afternoon and recorded my first incidences of 'Possible Atrial Fibrillation' which were still continuing Sunday morning. I went down to Wycombe hospital minor injuries to get it checked out but due to the COVID-19 new procedures were in place and you need to make an appointment through 111, which I did. By the time I was seen in the afternoon the ECG was clear and they more or less suggested it was anxiety, my own reading on returning home was also 'normal'. I wasn't entirely happy with the way it had been dismissed so followed this up by sending my recordings to my GP who was satisfied it was indeed showing AF and advised me to monitor the condition, if it becomes more frequent then my medication might need review. This does give me some peace of mind knowing I'm not just making it up.
With the advent of the lock-down I have attempted to keep up a level of exercise, particularly running but have been finding it so much more difficult on my own and it would be so easy just to give up. The 'Your Pace or Mine' (YPOM) group set up a member's challenge to compete a marathon in 4 relay teams, each participant running 3.8km on their own against the clock for 4 weeks which gave a good incentive to get out there. I was hesitant about joining as I didn't want to pressure on myself by having to run flat out to help the team effort but got persuaded and placed in team 3 - 'Team Threedom'. As I live on top of a hill this gave me the advantage of finding a couple of long downhill courses but this really didn't help as I had been struggling to keep moving and was disappointed with my times compared to what I had been achieving on parkrun. This was particularly noticeable when trying to recreate the parkrun conditions and run 5km, before the lock-down I was managing an average of about just under 28 minutes running with 500 plus others around the Rye but running on my own haven't managed better than 6 minutes slower. In place of parkrun I've been getting up a little earlier to avoid others and the warmer temperatures and running 10-15km on various routes around the Chilterns, though I'm not running these against time, I'm still finding it harder to keep going rather than if I was with others but however enjoying the opportunity to discover new routes down cross country paths I haven't tried before.
With the lock-down restrictions relaxing on week 13 (20th June) I was joined by Warren for my 4th 'attack the attack' (run of the walk that led to my heart attack) for a socially distanced run and was pleased with my performance finding it much easier to run with company, the clear benefits being to help set a steady pace and the distraction by just by having a chat. However, by that evening I started getting readings of AF again 2 weeks after the first episode and was still in AF in the waiting room when eventually getting an appointment to see the dentist for a new crown impression the following Monday morning, so thought it best to warn the dentist. They contacted my GP who advised calling out an ambulance as I was experiencing some light palpitations, elevated pulse, shortness of breath and slight dizziness. The paramedics arrived and carried out their own ECG confirming I was indeed in AF and took me over to Wexham Park hospital in Slough (yet another hospital to add to the ever growing list) where I spent most of the day (bang goes my resolution of staying out of hospital in 2020 [see part 4.9]). Following a series of blood tests, X-Rays and ECG's they again confirm the AF but were satisfied with the anticoagulation and protective medication I'm currently on so discharged me while still in AF. In all the episode lasted about 48 hours.
Through the YPOM facebook group I met up with a newbie over from the USA who was looking for an introduction to local trail runs so for the second consecutive week I had very welcome company when Dan Guzman joined me for my normal Saturday morning run through Hughenden - Naphill - Cryers Hill and Widmer End, again I found it that much easier running with a partner. I will be glad when we can get back to normal and I feel it is safe to join the larger groups again as I really feel my running has been suffering over the lock-down, whether is just down to lack of motivation or there is more serious deterioration in my condition it is really difficult to tell. I always found parkrun to be particularly useful to help gauge my fitness level and determine how well I was doing and really do miss this yardstick.
All football had been suspended, eventually the L1 clubs voted in favour to end the season using a 'point per game' calculation to determine the final table with play-offs to settle the 3rd promotion place. Wycombe had been top 6 all season but dropped to 8th, one point behind 3rd place Oxford United, on the final match day due to not playing leaving the Chairboys a game in hand over all the clubs above them, all bar the leaders. After the points per game adjustment, Wycombe moved up to 3rd place in a very congested table and personally to me this seems the fairest method as it is based on points gained on actual games played rather than trying to guess future results but the club came in for a immense amount of criticism on many football forums.
Wycombe's style of play also has its detractors, but they got it spot on in the play-offs. Firstly, taking the game to Fleetwood in the semi-final to destroy what was the in-form team before the lock-down by 4-1 on their own patch in front of a few manikins before a more defensive and dogged display at Adams Park in front of a crowd of cutout fans including Eric [see part 4.8] and other recently deceased fans as part of the superb 'one last game' initiative, to go through to the final with a 2-2 draw.
It is such a shame the fans didn't get to go to Wembley for the game I most wanted, a local derby against those upstarts from down the M40, the 'massive' ("we won the egg cup in 1886") Oxford United. Again, Wycombe got it exactly right against what is without doubt a better footballing team but for all their play United created very few clear cut chances while Wycombe did what they do well and soaked up the pressure and were clinical with the two chances that came their way to run out winners by 2-1 and gain promotion to the promised land of the Championship, the highest level in the clubs 133 year history.
Just to wrap this blog up I again ran the 'attack the attack' this time with Ruth Warne, one of the race directors from the Wycombe Rye parkrun and as I've already stated it has been a pleasure to be joined with some rare company on these runs. When I put out an invite it is always with a restriction of a maximum two or maybe 3 others so as to help keep to within the the 'safe distancing' guidelines, so far I've only ever had one person join me per run. Runners tend to be a bit of a vain bunch and I know just how much it means to for them to win a bit of bling to prove they completed a run so it gave me great pleasure to present both Warren & Ruth with the bespoke flashing medals to commemorate this run that was so kindly produced and donated by Kris Chaplin.
(Phase VI - sustaining a healthy life-style)
"Nothings going to happen unless you make it happen."
The period hasn't been without my own medical incidents, but nothing to major though. Right at the start of the lock-down I had a dental crown fall out and within a day or two the mating tooth filling broke away leaving two very sharp and jagged edges on the left side of my mouth, thankfully there was no pain. With the dentist closed for no telling how long there was little choice but to live with this.Working from home and not going out anywhere has led to having more disposable money to buy luxury items (not buying petrol for at least 10 weeks certainly helped) and one of my indulgences was to buy the medically approved Kardia-mobile single lead ECG recorder. This is a pocket device that links to an app on your mobile and records ECG readings when placing your fingertips on a couple of electrodes on the device. Ever since Atrial Fibrillation (AF) was first detected during some minor surgery back in June 2018 [see part 4.5] I've been getting rare and occasional palpitations and was diagnosed having Paroxysmal AFib but it has always been difficult to catch incidences to prove this even though I've had two 24 hour and a weeklong ECG holter monitors in the past, all of which came back as normal. It got to a stage where I wasn't really sure if it was just my imagination which is why I invested in this gadget so I could try and catch it as it happened wherever I was.
It proved to be a £100 well spent as within weeks after a long lone Saturday morning run I started to get palpitations in the afternoon and recorded my first incidences of 'Possible Atrial Fibrillation' which were still continuing Sunday morning. I went down to Wycombe hospital minor injuries to get it checked out but due to the COVID-19 new procedures were in place and you need to make an appointment through 111, which I did. By the time I was seen in the afternoon the ECG was clear and they more or less suggested it was anxiety, my own reading on returning home was also 'normal'. I wasn't entirely happy with the way it had been dismissed so followed this up by sending my recordings to my GP who was satisfied it was indeed showing AF and advised me to monitor the condition, if it becomes more frequent then my medication might need review. This does give me some peace of mind knowing I'm not just making it up.
With the advent of the lock-down I have attempted to keep up a level of exercise, particularly running but have been finding it so much more difficult on my own and it would be so easy just to give up. The 'Your Pace or Mine' (YPOM) group set up a member's challenge to compete a marathon in 4 relay teams, each participant running 3.8km on their own against the clock for 4 weeks which gave a good incentive to get out there. I was hesitant about joining as I didn't want to pressure on myself by having to run flat out to help the team effort but got persuaded and placed in team 3 - 'Team Threedom'. As I live on top of a hill this gave me the advantage of finding a couple of long downhill courses but this really didn't help as I had been struggling to keep moving and was disappointed with my times compared to what I had been achieving on parkrun. This was particularly noticeable when trying to recreate the parkrun conditions and run 5km, before the lock-down I was managing an average of about just under 28 minutes running with 500 plus others around the Rye but running on my own haven't managed better than 6 minutes slower. In place of parkrun I've been getting up a little earlier to avoid others and the warmer temperatures and running 10-15km on various routes around the Chilterns, though I'm not running these against time, I'm still finding it harder to keep going rather than if I was with others but however enjoying the opportunity to discover new routes down cross country paths I haven't tried before.
Although this blog isn't necessarily about football, I can hardly not mention the incredible circumstances surrounding Wycombe Wanderers during this period and how I became an armchair-boy!
All football had been suspended, eventually the L1 clubs voted in favour to end the season using a 'point per game' calculation to determine the final table with play-offs to settle the 3rd promotion place. Wycombe had been top 6 all season but dropped to 8th, one point behind 3rd place Oxford United, on the final match day due to not playing leaving the Chairboys a game in hand over all the clubs above them, all bar the leaders. After the points per game adjustment, Wycombe moved up to 3rd place in a very congested table and personally to me this seems the fairest method as it is based on points gained on actual games played rather than trying to guess future results but the club came in for a immense amount of criticism on many football forums.
Most of the criticism seemed to be based around the fact that the club voted in favour (along with a majority of clubs) to curtail the season but then benefited from the point per game system (but why should the club be penalised for playing one game less, is that fair?), club chairman Rob Couhig made it clear as soon as the pandemic took hold that he was in favour of voiding the season as the club could not afford to play out the 10 remaining league games 'behind closed doors' with no gate money and addition expenses. Then the compliant is, if Wycombe can't afford to see the season out how could they suddenly play 2 or 3 games in the play-offs with TV coverage and the potential of promotion and the riches that could bring .... I ask you!!
Wycombe's style of play also has its detractors, but they got it spot on in the play-offs. Firstly, taking the game to Fleetwood in the semi-final to destroy what was the in-form team before the lock-down by 4-1 on their own patch in front of a few manikins before a more defensive and dogged display at Adams Park in front of a crowd of cutout fans including Eric [see part 4.8] and other recently deceased fans as part of the superb 'one last game' initiative, to go through to the final with a 2-2 draw.
I find it incredible that I have watched the Blues go from playing the likes of Walthamstow Avenue, Dulwich Hamlet and Clapton in the Isthmian League back in the 1970's to playing Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Derby County next season. When I first met my wife, my future father-in-law would boast about supporting Norwich City at a time when there was more chance of Wycombe playing his home town team of Kings Lynn in a competitive match (not that we ever did), you wouldn't even have considered Norwich unless somehow we were lucky enough to draw them in a rare FA Cup 3rd round appearance - but now we are in the same division! How times have changed, we are just one more promotion from playing in the top football league in the World against the likes of Liverpool and Man City (wonder if we can keep up our 100% league win rate against them).
Not being funny but I do see certain parallels between 'my 3.5 year journey' and the Wanderers rise through the divisions as I like to think we both show a never die attitude. Following the Blues for so many years has given me an will-power to carry on with my own endeavours against whatever obstacles thrown in the way. During this whole isolation period it could have been so easy just to jack it all in but I still have an undying determination not to give up very much inspired by the positivity from the Chairboy's constantly battling and succeeding against the odds.
I eventually got my dentist appointment to sort out my teeth and get the impression for a new crown in week 17, funny thing is that I had survived all this time with no pain at all but within days got an infection which blew my face out of all proportion (wife kept calling me a hamster 🐹 .... I don't get it). I'm pleased to say it is now all sorted and I have my new crown and able to chew again on my left side putting an end to that little saga.
My next major challenge was to run the Maidenhead half marathon in September, a distance I haven't managed since the 1993 Wycombe half marathon, using this to add to the £3,461.00 I've already raised towards Hearts & Souls. As with so many events, this has been cancelled and it got me wondering just how Hearts & Souls are coping through this pandemic as they rely entirely a charitable donations from a small pool of ex-patients. People will continue to suffer from heart related problems regardless of COVID-19 and H&S provide such a vital service locally to provide the cardiac rehab to help them recover from these events, as I can well testify. I just regret not being able to fulfill my plan.
Finally (honest), I've been invited by Public Health England, via the EFL Trust, to share 'my story' to help promote positive lifestyle changes. The EFL are using this mainly to publicise the fantastic work carried out by FIT FANS (formally FFIT) but running has been a massive part of that story and I hope to get across the benefits and support of both parkrun and YPOM as well as the great work by such groups as Wycombe Wanderers SET and Hearts & Souls.
Heart attack to 10K pictorial record - click here
Thank-you for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts on any subject I have covered, please leave your comments below or email me at peterjemmett@aol.com
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
Part 4.5 - Pain in the bum, going senile and sub 30! (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
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
Thank-you for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts on any subject I have covered, please leave your comments below or email me at peterjemmett@aol.com
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
Part 4.5 - Pain in the bum, going senile and sub 30! (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
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
To Come:
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 4.12 - 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 4.15 - 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 4.18 - 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 4.24 - What I can, when I can (Phase IV - sustaining a healthy life-style) click here
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