117 – How Do You Mend a Broken Heart? Part 1: 11 December 2024

I took this photo on Tuesday 7 April 2020.  It shows the very rugged nature of Morialta Park.  When I had my breath attack on 30 August 2020, which I describe in this Blog, I was high up on the track shown in this photo.  There is no phone coverage in this area and even if there were phone coverage, the ambulance staff would not have been able to reach me quickly except by helicopter.

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Two days after Margaret’s diagnosis of terminal cancer, I developed disturbing health symptoms of my own.  Shortness of breath, a strongly bloated stomach and severe abdominal pain were my first symptoms.  Within a short time, I began to regularly experience this array of symptoms.

•  Periods when I had extreme difficulty in breathing.  I called these episodes Breath attacks.
• Extreme stomach bloating, accompanied by extreme pain.  When these symptoms were present, it was impossible for me to eat.
• My persistent, terrible cough returned.
• Persistent diarrhoea, accompanied by great pain.
• Painful vomiting at irregular intervals.  Because of the stomach issues, when I vomited, there was usually very little in my stomach to vomit up.  This made the vomiting particularly distressing.
• My optical migraines started coming at least once every week and usually lasted about 30 minutes.  In the past, my optical migraines numbered about one every six months for about 20 minutes.

Some or all of my symptoms occurred every week.  In some weeks, I experienced some or all of my symptoms every day.  Despite what my body was doing, I was determined to maintain as normal a life as possible.

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My first consultation with lung specialist Dr Aiyappan was on Thursday 30 July 2020.  At that time, the coughing was still in remission and the coughing had been the specific issue for which I had been referred to Dr Aiyappan.  Because the coughing had – at that point – vanished, he did not need to do anything to identify what had caused the coughing.

Dr Aiyappan recommended that I return in four weeks so he could again examine my ability to breathe.  My next appointment to see Dr Aiyappan was set for 8.45 am on Thursday 3 August,

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I was lucky when 3 August 2020 arrived.  

Before Margaret and I left home to go to the appointment, I had a breath attack.  This meant Margaret had to drive me to the appointment.  

When I arrived in front of Dr Aiyappan, I was gasping for air on the other side of his desk and he gave me emergency medication in his room to restore my ability to breathe.   He then prescribed medication to lessen the inflammation in my lungs in addition to the Ventolin Inhaler which had already been prescribed by the GP.

Dt Aiyappan’s emergency medication worked and my ability to breathe was restored.  

I did not die that day.

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Sunday 30 August 2020 was the date when I realised how dangerous my symptoms really were.  on that day when I tried to do my usual 3 ½ hours walk at Morialta I could only manage three hours of walking. 

On 30 August I had a breath attack when I was in deep within Morialta and the Ventolin puffer did nothing to restore my breathing.  On this occasion, the only practical way for me get to help was by walking to the nearest car park.  In ordinary circumstances, this would have been an easy downhill walk taking about 30 minutes.  Unfortunately, I discovered it was not at all easy when I could not get air into my lungs.  On that Sunday, it seemed unlikely I might ever reach the carpark while alive.  To survive my lack of air in the lungs and reach the carpark, I dramatically narrowed my personal focus down to only one thing - walking one step at a time.  I forced my body to do what seemed impossible; placing one foot in front of the other and keep moving along the track.

I eventually reached the carpark and got help.  

Anne Ryan was with me on that Sunday.  When I finally reached the carpark, she said “If I am ever in a tight spot, I hope you are there to help me.”

Just five months later in February 2021, Anne Ryan ceased all contact with me.  If she ever is in a “tight spot” at any time in her life, she knows she has personally made it impossible for me to ever be able to help her.

Back on 30 August 2020 when I nearly died in Morialta, I certainly would have helped her.  I thought she was a dear friend to me and Margaret.

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In November 2019, I had seen a dietician for advice about my weight.  It had increased to 108 kilograms.  The dietician had recommended changes to my diet and regular exercise.  He also recommended I keep a diary of my daily food and exercise.  I regularly recorded my exercise as recommended by the dietician.  Because of these diary records, I can identify in a tabular form, my deteriorating health in late 2020.

These two Tables cover the months of September and October 2020.  They show the exercise I was physically unable to do because of the continued worsening of my health.  The Tables identify the exercise I wanted to do and would have done, but was unable to do because of my poor health

Exercise I was Unable to Do in September 2020

Date	Scheduled Exercise	Exercise Actually Done
Monday 31 August	55 minutes at home	Nil
Tuesday 1 September	55 minutes at home	Nil
Wednesday 2 September	55 minutes at home	Nil
Sunday 6 September	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Tuesday 8 September	55 minutes at home	Nil
Wednesday 9 September	55 minutes at home	Nil
Thursday 10 September	55 minutes at home	Nil
Sunday 13 September	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Thursday 17 September	1 hour at home	Nil
Sunday 20 September	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Wednesday 23 September	1 hour at home	Nil
Sunday 27 September	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Tuesday 29 September	1 hour at home	Nil
Wednesday 30 September	1 hour at home	Nil

 

Exercise I was Unable to Do in October 2020

Date	Scheduled Exercise	Exercise Actually Done
Sunday 4 October	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Saturday 10 October	30 minutes yoga	No yoga
Sunday 11 October	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ½ hours at Morialta
Tuesday 13 October	30 minutes yoga	No yoga
Sunday 18 October	3 ½ hours at Morialta	1 ¾ hours at Morialta
Sunday 25 October	3 ½ hours at Morialta	2 ¾ hours at Morialta

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Margaret was dying and I was broken hearted.  How can you mend a broken heart?  I believe it may be impossible.  I am certain this was a major contributor to my terrible health

Apart from my broken heart, there were some other reasons why my health crisis became so threatening and nearly terminal.  Giving help to Anne Ryan, the woman we wrongly thought was our wonderful Irish friend added greatly to my health decline initiated by Margaret’s terminal diagnosis – but I discovered that only after Margaret had died and two years after the truly wonderful Dr Aiyappan saved my life.