Perhaps thankful I was in the UK

[Anarita John]

After reading the thread about Lawyer arrested for filming at the hospital, and Allesley's friend dying there in what appears to be in tragic circumstances, (my condolences to Allesley) perhaps I have to be very grateful I was not in Paphos during the Christmas holidays. We usually arrive at the beginning of December and stay until after Epiphany.
I suffered a heart attack at 7am on the 31st December. Rosemary rang for an ambulance and within minutes a paramedic was at our house, followed shortly by an ambulance.
I was treated in the ambulance and given morphine and arrived at a&e. The only hiccup was I spent two days in a&e, but I was seen by the cardiac team and my chest wired up to their monitoring system, so I was being treated.
Due to the Bank Holiday, I did not have a heart cat scan until the Wednesday. However, I was stable and not now an emergency case, although I was being monitored 24 hours a day.
I had to wait three weeks for a quad heart bypass, which was done at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. One week later I was home and feeling very thankful I am still here.
Six weeks after the op, I can walk around two miles and have not smoked for 64 days. Checkup on Monday in Liverpool and hope I will be cleared to fly.

[Poppy]

Oh sorry to hear this Anarita John but so pleased you seem well on the way to recovery AND have stopped smoking! I had a very serious bout of streptococyl pneumonia 11 years ago which nearly saw me off but it did stop me smoking and have never smoked since.It is not easy and I still enjoy a bit of passive smoke but never think you can just have one or a quick drag cos you can't!!

[Dominic]

Yes, giving up isn't easy, but you had the perfect incentive.

[Anarita John]

On New Years Day, when I was still in a&e I would have done anything to have had a ciggie. Rosemary refused to give me one, and the next day I was given patches and a nicotine inhaler, which really helped. After the operation, my lungs were in a mess, as were everyones, so the inhaler was not used again, and the nurses did not put on the patches. At least I had three weeks of being smoke free before the operation, and was treated with a nebuliser, four times a day, whilst waiting for my operation. I am sure this helped my quick recovery.
People who had been smoking prior to their op really did suffer with extremely painful coughing attacks.
There is no way I would smoke again. Rosemary has also given up. She has now started decorating the kitchen to get rid of the nicotine stains and the smell of smoke, which can still be smelt.