I’ve spent most of my life working in the marine field, half my time on the tools and the other half on the drawing board. I’ve always considered myself reasonably fit. I played soccer for 40 years, and for 50 years I’ve been a proud member of the RFS, with 40 of those years spent fighting fires.
Back in January 2007, while I was living and working at Yamba, I went to the local GP about a cut on my finger. It was nothing major, it didn’t even need stitches. But while I was there, I mentioned that a couple of times when I got up in the morning, I felt like I’d just run a marathon or played a hard game of soccer. The GP sent me to a cardiologist, who started with some preliminary tests. Then he looked at me and said, “We won’t be doing the stress test after all. Don’t lift anything heavy – in fact, don’t lift anything at all. You need a heart operation.”
Within two weeks, I was at RPAH having tests, and then on 6 February 2007, I had a 10-hour operation with surgeon Nic Hendel. I ended up having my aorta, aortic arch, and aortic valve replaced. The aneurysm they found was large. Just two weeks after that operation, I collapsed in the bathroom and was momentarily knocked unconscious. I was taken to Hornsby Hospital and then transferred back to RPAH, where I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Thankfully, it corrected itself and hasn’t returned. Rehabilitation after surgery kept me busy with lots of exercises. At first, I thought about the operation a lot, but these days I don’t dwell on it. I just try to eat well, take things easy, and keep going.
Life went on, and I eventually returned to light work in Newcastle. But in November 2011, I felt an unusual discomfort in my chest one evening and decided to admit myself to John Hunter Hospital. It turned out I was having a cerebellar stroke. Looking back, I was lucky, the stroke happened while I was already in hospital. Rehab this time wasn’t just the usual physical work; I also had to relearn how to speak and do extra coordination exercises, like writing.
These days, I make sure I have regular check-ups with my GP, my cardiologist, and a neurologist who monitors me for epilepsy and possibly early Parkinson’s disease. I share my story in the hope it helps others who might face similar challenges. The Baird Institute does incredible work in this space, and if sharing my experience adds to that, then I’m glad.
