Dad’s heart attack shock whilst at gym (From York Press)
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Dad’s heart attack shock whilst at gym
9:08am Thursday 18th February 2010 in News
Heart attack patient Roger Whitehead on the Coronory Care Unit at York Hospital receives a blood presure test from deputy sister Safak Kocu
A 39-YEAR-OLD father who suffered a heart attack while working out at the gym will undergo a triple heart bypass operation on Monday.
Roger Whitehead said thoughts of leaving his seven-year-old son Alex without a father flashed through his head as he suffered the heart attack while in the gym’s changing rooms.
The painter and decorator, who lives in Barlby, near Selby, said: “It started with hot and cold sweats so I thought it was just me doing too much, but the pain – it’s difficult to describe. It felt like someone just grabbed my heart and squeezed it. Out of ten in pain it was like a seven or eight.
“But the thing I was thinking about at the time was dying and losing my son.”
Roger, who is engaged to be married to partner Deborah Jones in April, said he now wanted to warn others that just because they feel healthy is no reason not to get themselves checked out.
He also wanted others to make sure their insurance covered them for serious illness as well as death. Roger is self-employed and is now unable to work for three months, but must still find money for his mortgage and bills.
The non-smoker, who used to be a gym instructor, said he had not been to the gym for about six months and went for the first time again on Sunday. He spent ten minutes on the rowing machine before he began to feel dizzy. He had previously been to his doctor complaining of fatigue but perhaps because of his age, cholesterol and heart disease were never considered an option.
Following the attack, he was rushed to hospital and doctors discovered furring up of his arteries. He is now in hospital awaiting a triple heart bypass operation.
Roger said: “I am the youngest person in the hospital with a heart attack.
“People have been coming in to see patients who are in their 60s and 70s and I’m in next to them.”
On Monday, doctors will open his chest and will use arteries or veins from elsewhere in his body to bypass the blocked arteries.
Roger said: “I’ll be in hospital for three weeks and out of action for three months.
“People need to be aware it’s worth checking their health.”
