Interesting month that October. 

It started off early when I was sitting down just about to have a serious discussion with my Greggs baguette, Tottenham cake and orange juice. I don’t even know if I took a bite, when out of nowhere I had a heart attack.

It is best described as a belt about a centimetre wide being pulled tightly around my heart. I sat motionless while this occurred. I couldn’t do a thing. It continues for about a minute or so then it went away as quickly as it came. I sat there stunned for a few minutes trying to make sense of it and reason with myself.

Did I just have a heart attack? 

Can’t be I’m still alive.

It was definitely the heart! You don’t have two like Dr Who.

I then decided that since there were no ill effects it couldn’t have been serious so nothing to see here.

It crept in and out of my head for the rest on the day. You know, if you have a large elephant in the room and you put a tablecloth on it – it can become a large table. The next morning, I was still going backward and forward with it. I am such a big advocate for guys getting tested for prostate cancer and yet here I am dithering about this. Finally I decided to call 111, our non-emergency health support number.

The person on the other end took me through a battery of questions for the next 15 minutes. At the end of it I had amassed enough ‘points that I won the prize of a trip to a local surgery that was open to the special few on a Sunday.

I didn’t have to wait long at all to be seen. If only all waiting areas were as empty as this one. 

I told her what had happened, and she gave the doctorly nod at my answers. She then went through a couple of physical tests. 

Ear temperature – OK

Blood pressure – Sizes up biceps and says she will need the bigger size sleeve.

One grinning patient. 

I might be prostate-less and have a wonky heart but muscular biceps, I do have. High blood pressure but on medication.

Check of pulse

“Oh”, she said.

Now as you can imagine not a lot of good can come from a non-descript ‘Oh’ from a doctor. Patients face drops. What could it be?

“Are you a runner? You have a runner’s pulse”.

Cue biggest and longest grin of the week.

“Yeah, I run a little”, still grinning of course.

“Hop on the bench and let’s take a look”.

I showed her exactly where it occurred, and she had a prod. Put top back on and some more questions.

Were you lightheaded or unconscious at any stage?

“No”

“Pins and needles or weakness on left side?”

“No”

And a few more questions.

“Was it temporarily debilitating?”

“Yes”

“Well, you didn’t have a heart attack. You would know if you did”.

That was reassuring – I can ask my heart next time what’s happening.

“I don’t know what it was, but I think we should arrange an ultrasound to get some answers”

Next month on the 18^th November is the next big 10km run for prostate cancer. This year will be the biggest yet for us with 16 runners in total. My training has been good, compared to the struggle I had just after the radiotherapy, but it could be better. I have not quite made the achievements that I had hoped but I still have time. I am running 7km in about 45 minutes but with a number of stops with the clock still running. I had expected by now to be running nonstop and can expect to take at least 5 minutes off the 45 minutes total time. I should be grateful though as I have not been chased by man nor beast in my morning ventures, so something at least is going right.

Unfortunately, we had high hopes of getting to that £10K in sponsorship with the number of men running but we are nowhere near that, in fact we have not quite made the £1500 mark. We just have to hope on a late burst and/or a rush of donations after the race.

Though Prostate Cancer UK are no longer advocating the personal awareness talks, I have spoken one to one to two men who were contemplating the radical operation. These men are really clued up, so by the time I get to talk to them, I just provide the personal element. The last guy I spoke to was given the choice of the radical operation or brachytherapy. He had read about the chance that the prostate cancer could return but hadn’t really appreciated the complexity of the operation if he needed it. These talks are rewarding but it’s nothing in comparison to the group dynamics that I miss. I have also been the guest speaker in one of their new starter’s meetings. This is where new starters to the charity are given an introduction and I give them a talk about my experience.

Busy, busy me.