your voice
Ticker Troubles
I had a huge wake up call recently. I got home
from the Cardiac Unit at Greenslopes hospital to
read an article in a golf magazine about warning
signs for heart attacks. I ignored a mild one on
the previous Sunday, feeling “10 foot tall and
bulletproof” even at 70. Felt OK on the Monday
so I fronted for the Veterans event at Redland
Bay GC, a shotgun start Stableford. I felt a little
“off” heading out to the No. 13 Tee so accepted
a lift holding my buggy alongside. I teed off
and walked up the fairway with chest pains and
dizziness becoming more intense. I then putted
out for a bogey (2 points), then finally did the
sensible thing and told the group I was having a
heart attack. They were in two buggies and one
player, Ian, put me in his buggy, telling me he
knew CPR from his time in the Fire Brigade. John
rang 000 and Mike said something that made me
laugh and away we went. Nothing but praise for
the way the boys reacted, and for the medical
treatment that followed complete with a stent in
the Circumflex artery.
The message is clear: ignore the warnings at your
peril. Statistically 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women
over 40 will have a heart attack to some degree
of intensity. The high end of the scale means you
just played your last game of golf.
The good news for me is that I will be back to golf
in about 4 to 6 weeks and on the day I played to
my handicap even if it was just for one hole!
Bob Muir
Letter
of the
Month
Editor’s note: Great advice Bob. Like you,
many out there feel “bulletproof”, so we hope
that your Wake-up Call will help others to
realise that we are all human, and to heed the
signs.
According to the American Heart Association,
symptoms of a heart attack can include:
• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve
discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts
more than a few minutes, or that goes away
and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable
pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper
body. Symptoms can include pain or
discomfort i