Thanks for the New Lease of Life

On the Monday afternoon of the 20/10/2014, I woke up from my deep valium induced sleep. My first angiogram was over, the angiogram team did not find any major blockage and I didn't need a stent. I felt like God has given a new lease of life. I am grateful to the Angiogram team consisting of dedicated professionals like Claire, Sarah and Jono (the Cardiologist).  Right from the start while waiting outside the procedure room, Claire reassured me. I was not anxious and even joked with her about the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I felt an instant rapport with her and the team. And they are a team, a well-oiled operation with the sole aim of ensuring the best outcome for me. They checked out my ticker and get me on my way for the next phase of my life. But the story did not start or end there. In fact there are a whole bunch of other dedicated workers who worked tirelessly to make my new lease of life possible.

Saturday night, the news of my high calcium score (219) was still sinking in, I felt a tightness in my chest. I re-read the letter from the X-radiology. It is time to call the ambulance. Within less than 10 minutes, Ben and Rachel arrived in their ambulance. In no time they had me lying in their ambulance bed and running an ECG on my heart. They checked my blood pressure and quickly relieve my chest discomfort with a shot of GTN. Another few more minutes they got me and my wife Christine into the emergency department of the Wesley Hospital. Adam (the emergency doctor) and his team ran more tests on me and gave me more GTN as I experience more tightness of the chest. Adam and Ben (the Cardiologist) decided to keep me in for observation and an angiogram. In the meantime a church friend (Jennie) kindly offered to take Christine home while I waited for a room in the Cardiology section of the hospital. Poor Christine not only had to accompany me to the hospital but now has wait to find out what was going to happen to me.

One cannot possibly even understand what a huge scourge heart disease is to Australia until you have journeyed with me. The demand for Cardiology beds (even for a private hospital) was so huge that I had to wait till 2am when they could finally move me out of Emergency. Even in Cardiology I was not alone. The first thing Renee (the duty nurse) asked me was whether I was hungry. The sandwich and the bottle water were most welcome. After some sharing, I discovered that Renee is a natural mother and I felt I was just one of her children! I didn't sleep well and by about 5am the sun was already shining into my room but Leigh brought me much needed cup of tea and breakfast which cheered me up immensely.

Later Sunday, Christine came, bringing some much needed essentials like my toothbrush. Thank God for Christine, the hospital may take care of the immediate health needs; it is the spouse who brings the comfort of home. Later still friends from my Salt and Light fellowship group turned up. Eric, Fan, Jenny, Tinkei and Tracy were like my personal cheer squad getting me ready for Monday, the big day where I find out what is wrong with my heart.

After a better night sleep (although still more tightness of the chest), the dawn sunlight came through the window. The orange glow of the dawn sky along with all those wires on my chest made me think that I am an astronaut completing yet another orbit around the earth on the ISS (International Space Station). This is the big day! Ben (the cardiologist) patiently explained to me what is going to happen. Christine came again to check how I was and Jo (the duty nurse) got me ready for the transfer from the Cardio ward to the procedure room where Claire and her team was ready for me.

In this journey of mere three days, I met many people whom I have never met before. Yet they worked tirelessly for me. Please don't be upset if I didn't mention your name because there are just too many names to remember! But be reassure, I and many more patients are very appreciative of all the sacrifice that you have made to give us all a new lease of life.

The battle against heart disease has to go on but I really wonder whether Australia has her priority set correctly when McDonalds recently announced that they will provide a new fast food service. Is the relentless consumption of fast food and the earth resources more important than spending time with relatives and friends? When the world calls us a sport-mad nation, do they really know that the majority of us merely sit on the side line downing yet more burgers and fries?