After triple bypass, father takes health tips seriously
Last month, Peter Ingham’s life changed forever.
The 57-year-old had come inside after working on his rural property in Warkworth, north of Auckland, and was on the phone to his father when an odd feeling came over him.
“As soon as I hung up, I felt a pain in my arm. I thought it was weird but maybe because I’d been doing a lot of digging . . . and then I felt a tightness of the chest. Not longer after that we called the ambulance.’’
The father of four — who has never had high cholesterol or blood pressure problems — had suffered a heart attack.
He has spent the past few weeks in hospital and last week had a triple bypass operation. He said the experience had opened his eyes to his health.
Since he had been admitted — first to North Shore Hospital and then to Mercy Ascot — he had been given “loads of information’’.
“They’ve given me literature on how to get my fitness back over the recovery period. I have to do a bit of walking, I’ve got rehabilitation and they want my wife here with me too.”
Mr Ingham said he particularly appreciated hospital staff’s willingness to give him as much information as they could, given he had never had cardiac problems in the past.
“All the information they’re giving me, I’m really taking to heart — pardon the pun. I want to hang around for as long as I can.’’