I had a lot of feedback and emails after my last blog post which I wrote on 26th March, so given the time that has elapsed I thought that you deserved an update. I would love for this to be a super positive ‘return to health’ story, but instead it is one of ongoing challenges and somewhat life changing events. Just a few days after my last post, having been increasingly unwell over the preceding month, I was diagnosed with a deadly bacterial infection in my heart.
I was admitted to my local hospital in Plymouth, and the next day transferred via blue light ambulance to the specialist congenital heart centre in Bristol. Without wishing to be overly dramatic, it became obvious that my life was in the balance, and I went on to have emergency open heart surgery (my third) a few days later to replace a valve and repair the damage.
After time in ITU and high dependency my recovery proceeded to plan, and a week later I was moved back to Derriford so I could be near my friends and family whilst continuing with treatment. Over a month later, I am still an inpatient whilst I receive regular antibiotics to ensure that I am completely rid of the infection and that my heart is getting stronger. My care whilst in hospital has been wonderful, and I recognise how fortunate I am to be alive to write this for you today. I know that we are bombarded with negative media messages about the NHS, from long waiting lists, cancelled elective operations, missed diagnoses, staff shortages and lack of beds, but having experienced healthcare limitations and costs in other countries, I will never be anything other than grateful for the quality of service I have access to here in the UK.
Future Plans
I have been using this enforced downtime as wisely as I can, and far from seeing it as a negative I have been enjoying the opportunity to focus on myself and my future without the usual distractions. It is often said that life-changing events can cause people to take a good look at their current priorities and make some changes. Whereas I don’t think I will be doing anything dramatic, I certainly have a clearer vision of the legacy which I want to leave when I pop my mortal coil and, perhaps more importantly, the experiences I want to have before I do.
One project which has been on the back-burner for several years is to write a book, and having refined the subject matter I am now putting pen to paper – or more accurately fingers to keyboard. My life experiences have taught me so much about overcoming adversity and using my inner strength to lead an amazing life, that it feels appropriate to share my philosophy so others can hopefully benefit.
It makes me sad when I see people who have allowed a health challenge to radically downregulate their expectations of themselves, or as an excuse not to live up to their best potential. Sometimes it is fear of the future, but often they simply don’t have the right ‘tools’ to maintain a positive mindset or the understanding of how to move forwards. I believe these skills can be learned, and want to use bits of my life story (and that of others) to motivate and inspire.
In tandem with the book, I am going to develop my skills as a public speaker, with the longer-term aim of becoming a keynote speaker at conferences and events. For someone so inherently shy this is going to be a real stretch, but I have already booked onto a speaker academy course so I can get started on my journey. I want to continue to lead a life without regret, as I owe it to myself to make the most of this extra opportunity at life which I have been given. My deepest desire is to leave a legacy which extends beyond my physical presence, and the book and future speaking engagements are two of the ways I hope to do that. My life will not be defined by what I own or the money I have earned, but the lives I have touched along the way.
Lessons learned
If I ask many people what their most valuable possession is, their initial reaction will often be their house, car or another physical object. Dig deeper, and most will ultimately conclude that it is their health, as without that the other things often aren’t able to be fully enjoyed. I have always done my best to prioritise my health, likely because I have experienced several periods of significant illness when my quality of life has been seriously impacted. I have thankfully never lost my self-belief or expectation that I will get better, and I tend to use my ability to take regular exercise as a gauge of my current level of health.
Even though I have been stuck in hospital, I have still set myself mini-goals and targets as I know that is what I need to do to rebuild by health and fitness. As soon as I could get out of the bed, I did. As soon as I could leave my chair, I did. As soon as I could walk to the end of the ward, I did…….and so on. Has the journey been easy – no. Have there been ups and downs and days when I felt frustrated and annoyed that life had thrown this new obstacle in my path……absolutely! I am still limited to a gentle stroll several times a day, but am pushing on and expanding my horizons daily.
Movement is medicine
My view has always been that movement is the best medicine for the human body, and if we all prioritised daily exercise/movement (along with being more mindful about the quality and quantity of foods we consume) then the number of people suffering with lifestyle-related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and obesity would go right down. I am not being harsh, we all need to take fuller responsibility for our future health, myself included!
One of my biggest fears in life is that I add a preventable ‘lifestyle-related’ illness to my existing congenital heart history. I have always known that the road ahead would not be smooth (what has happened over the last few months has absolutely proved that), but I simply can’t afford to add unnecessary complications which I could have avoided into the mix. It is true that even if we do our best, bad things might still happen health wise, but we can do so much to reduce those odds by taking some simple measures. Better still, the joy of being as fit and healthy as we can be, even given our limitations, is in my mind a priceless commodity.
I think perhaps this is one of the biggest reasons I love my work with people who have already had their medical wake-up call, be it from heart disease, cancer, stroke, COPD or a host of other diagnoses. Now of course, not all health problems are caused by having a less than optimal lifestyle, but it often has a bearing in prognosis and ability to maintain a quality of life after a health scare.
Perhaps the most inspiring aspects of my business is that I get to meet people who, following a host of challenging diagnoses, have still chosen to incorporate regular exercise into their lives. They recognise that is a brilliant way to rebuild confidence, get peer support and likely reduce their chances of future problems. I have incredible admiration for people who could have every excuse to give up and feel sorry for their situation in life, but instead embrace their future with a determination and courage.
Scientists have recently said that up to 95% of disease is preventable through making better lifestyle choices, so maybe it is time to ask yourself if you could be doing more to help your body stay fit, healthy and problem free? I think we would all acknowledge that we could and should do better, but often fail to take meaningful or consistent action. I find it a shame that sometimes it takes a huge wake up call, such as a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a heart attack or a preventable cancer for people to evaluate the direction their life is going. Prevention really is a whole lot better than cure. It is the reason I promote the virtues of a healthy diet and regular exercise to everyone – it absolutely is the best life insurance policy you can have!
You don’t have to be perfect!
I think one of the barriers to making a lifestyle change is that there is an unwritten expectation that those changes must be large or 100% perfect, when in fact it is small habits, repeated consistently, which get results. So, I would like you all to ask yourself what new healthy habits you can integrate into your life, starting today? Maybe it is drinking another 2 glasses of water, taking a 10-minute walk, getting a guaranteed 8 hours of sleep each night, adding an extra portion of vegetables to your dinner plate or not having a biscuit every time you enjoy a cup of tea. Over time, those small changes build on each other and leave us feeling healthier, happier and hopefully with a longer life ahead.
So in conclusion, I am massively looking forward to finally being discharged from hospital on May 18th. Although I sense that it will take some time for me to get back to full strength, I am determined to enjoy the journey with its inevitable ups and downs. I know with absolute certainty that I do not want the rest of my life to be defined by how I feel or my ability right now, and my expectations are that I will make a full recovery. I may not end up as fit and strong as I was before, but I will strive every day to improve and be the best that I can be. Are you with me?
