Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 138, February 2021 Feb 2021 | Page 59

MULTISPORT
A familiar sight … Nicholas alone in the finish straight , coming home for another win
Nick in action at the Torpedo Swim-Run in Cape Town
But then in June that year , it happened again , and this time it was far from home … and far more serious .
“ I was racing in Mauritius and blacked out again during the race , so they rushed me to the public hospital , and even though I was really out of it , I was apparently fighting them , even ripping out the drips ,” says Nick . “ They did a lumbar puncture on me , because they thought I had meningitis . I eventually signed myself out of that hospital and just flew home , against the Mauritian doctors ’ orders , and when I arrived home I went straight to hospital . The South African doctors found that I did indeed have bacterial meningitis , and had picked up septicaemia in Mauritius as well . The doctors also told me I was lucky to survive , as the meningitis was full-blown by the time I flew back , and I only just got treated in time !”
Identifying the Problem
Having survived that ordeal , Nick decided it was time to get his heart problem sorted out , to stop the blackouts , so he saw a cardiologist and underwent a full battery of tests , then went for a second opinion . After 15 ECG and seven stress ECG tests as well as sonar and MRI scans , the doctors found that Nick had Wolff-Parkinson-White ( WPW ) syndrome . This congenital condition means one has an extra electrical pathway between the heart ’ s upper and lower chambers , which can cause a rapid heartbeat .
“ Most people have one AV node , but I have an additional pathway , which operates only under high pressure , but then basically acts like a short circuit , causing heart arrhythmia , causing me to black out .
All smiles , in spite of heart surgery …
This happens especially when under pressure in events , with all the extra adrenaline ,” says Nick .
He decided to go ahead with exploratory heart surgery at the beginning of August 2019 , whereby wires were inserted through his neck and groin in order to reach the heart , with the plan being to cauterise the extra pathway . However , the doctors were unable to go through with the planned treatment . “ The problem was that in my case , the extra pathway was very close to my normal pathway , so the doctors said it was too risky to cauterise , but they did put in a chip to monitor my heart at all times ,” says Nick .
“ This was an extremely hard time for me , because I didn ’ t know whether I would recover or not , and I thought it meant I would not be able to do top level sport again . The doctors just said they couldn ’ t give me any definite answers . Sport is my outlet , my stress relief , and now it was being taken away from me , so I buried myself in my studies to take my mind off it . I was busy with my Honours degree , so at least I had that to fall back on .”
Alternative Therapy
Nick ’ s next step was to have another MRI to check his heart for structural damage , and the doctors found he had a slightly enlarged heart , but said that was probably due to his athletic career . They recommended he take two full months off , with no sport – not even walking – to allow his heart to shrink to its original size , so that it could be assessed properly . Fortunately , they found there was no structural damage . “ That was a massive relief , but they picked up that my heart ejection rate was very low – much lower than male norms – and as an athlete , you need your heart to be as efficient as possible , so a heart pumping at a lower rate puts you at a disadvantage ,” says Nick .
Nick also decided to completely change up his training regime , in an effort to return to some semblance of normality in his tri career . “ I moved back home in Worcester and began training by myself , instead of doing group training in Stellenbosch , and I went back to my former coach , trying to find a balance of being at ease , calm , because that would be the only way to still compete at the highest level . In other words , I just started with the basics again , all monitored by my doctor … but just being able go out and train again was a massive achievement for me !”
“ The great news was that it worked . Five months after changing my lifestyle , my doctor found that I had reversed my ejection rate . He still says he doesn ’ t know how it happened , as it normally only happens with medication , and even though the extra pathway is still there , he has given me the go-ahead to compete again . Since then , things have been a lot better , and from January to November 2020 I only had one attack , whereas before that I was having numerous attacks , some without even knowing it . The doctors think I could still have attacks , but they shouldn ’ t be fatal , and in my head , I am able to compete again . It is a risk , but not a great as before .”
“ My doctor said I could take beta-blockers to control my heart rate , but normally they ’ re only used by people in their 50s and 60s , so like the suggestion to install a pacemaker , he felt I was a bit too young for that . I told him I want to get to the Olympics , and to keep that dream alive , I was prepared to try anything , so after that I went for alternative treatments . I changed my diet and eating habits , and I went onto CBD products made from the cannabis plant – and even picked up a sponsorship deal to use CBD products . The bottom line is that the calmer I can be , the less chances of the pathway problem , and that ’ s why CBD helps .”
… and all smiles to be back in training
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