I’m left with about 25% heart capacity
JOHN Tobin counts his blessings that he is alive. This is not just because he survived a heart attack last year, but – like Thomas Power – he too was rushed to Cork because the University Hospital Waterford cath lab was closed.
He lives in Tramore, just 15km from the hospital. But although his life was spared, the delays appeared to have led to an impaired existence.
Although John, 56, looks healthy, his heart is running on just 25% capacity. And doctors link this to delays in treatment after the heart attack he had on September 23, 2015.
Every detail of that night is etched into his memory. He said: ‘I went to bed that night. Maybe about 1am I sat up on the bed, and broke out in a cold sweat. I just knew it was a heart attack.’
His wife Pam called an ambulance, and for her eldest daughter to come to the house where their 11-year-old son was sleeping. First responders from the Order of Malta were at the house in less than 10 minutes, and an ambulance followed.
John said: ‘They were trying to raise the helicopter to bring me to Cork, but there was a fog bank over Dungarvan so that was out.
‘They worked on me for about 30 or 40 minutes, then they drove me to Cork in the ambulance.
‘I don’t know how they did it but they covered the distance in 1 hour 15 minutes and we arrived in Cork at 4.15am.’
‘Pam was in the ambulance too, I was just out of it.’
His daughter Sarah drove behind the ambulance, with her young brother beside her.
John’s eldest son Philip was summoned to Cork from his home in Dublin. John was told his left artery was blocked, so the bottom half of his heart was not getting any fresh blood and the muscle was dying.
He was kept in ICU in Cork for six days, then in the hospital for another 10. Now a trim 14 stone – down from his old weight of 18 stone – he continues to receive care in Cork, travelling back to CUH for appointments, even if it means a day off work for both him and Pam.
Even today, he feels the impact. While he’s grateful to be alive, everything is different.
He said: ‘My life has totally changed. It was a struggle for the first 15 months with my own health, with trying to get back to work.
‘Pam did everything to get our finances in order.’
John was unable to return to full-time work in the transport industry, and now works parttime as a manager in a restaurant. Financially, they worked with Bank of Ireland to reduce their mortgage payments for a period. However, from October they will pay the full amount again.
He said: ‘People say, “You’re looking well”, but physically and mentally I’m not what I was.
‘It’s a needless journey: we have a perfect hospital here. The Minister for Health took that report over the word of more than 200 doctors in the south east. They will tell you we need this cath lab.’
John added he would like to see support for the Waterford Hospital from people within the region. He points out that what happened to him could happen to anyone visiting Tramore, for example, on holidays.
He said the effects of that delay still linger, saying: ‘When I spoke to the doctor on my last appointment, I went through all my questions. I said to her, “Tell me: had I been seen in Waterford, would I have had less damage to my heart?”’
‘She said, “Yes, you would have.”
‘She said the length of time that your heart was out of fresh blood your heart was dying.’
‘Pam was there, and heard that. She explained how it all worked to us. She said because of the blockage and because time is of the essence, I’m at 25% now. That’s what showed from the last angiogram. I’ve another echo (echocardiography test) [from] January, I’ve had a couple of them and there is no improvement.’