Oh, what a year 2021 has been, the perils of dealing with covid and related issues of social distancing. I missed hugging my mother, and other friends and family some of which I have been a distant person to, I don’t mean to be like that but it’s just the way I am with people in general, I know that is no excuse but it is me.

But nothing prepares you for that time in your life where you have a near-death experience, and boy did I have one, July 5th at about 4 am I was sitting at my computer watching you-tube videos (don’t judge me) and I started feeling a pain in my chest that felt like indigestion so I did everything I could to alleviate the pains but they just got worse and worse, and after a while, I realised it was not indigestion but a full-on heart attack.

So after some big-time panicking and to be honest big time praying too (you find God quick in these moments) an ambulance arrived and the medic team on board assessed the situation calmly and very professionally and I was put in the back of the ambulance and rushed (110mph down the a120 and a12 to Basildon CDC) and entered the heart lab (known as the mothership) and had a 2hour plus op to get my artery cleared and a stent put in, awake through all of it but couldn’t remember a thing about it.

So having been repaired by a surgeon and moved on to the ward (Roding ward) I started to receive the best care that the NHS can provide even though the details of the diagnosis and operation were given to me at high speed by the consultant who performed it, it was later explained in great detail by the sisters and nursing staff what it all meant.

And the best part of it all was when my brother-in-law brought me my care package, he was a sight for sore eyes and a well-needed person to chat to. although Jonathan the male nurse kept things happy and jovial, always larking about but getting things done in his own unique way. hated when he turned up looking around the curtain with a great big smile on his face and the words “I’ve come to stab you again steve” all in all it was a strange time in there but I have nothing but thanks to everyone that put me back together and basically Re-loaded my life. Second chances are ten a penny in life except for that one time you face death and get a second go.

But one thing I will say is to make sure you have your health checks when you can because I could have prevented all that from happening, I could have been more active in my life and eaten a lot healthier, yes I got a repaired heart but I also walked away as a type 2 diabetic, that takes more getting used to than coping with the heart rehabilitation.

I now have a lot of life changes to put into action some I don’t really want to do but know I have to if I want to live, yeah sure it is going to take a bit of time to break some long-lasting habits (giving up smoking is probably the hardest thing yet) but I have to get them done. I’m calling this the great Re-load.

So join me on my new route through life, I’m going to be doing some things that I have never done before, some things I should have done years before and some things I will probably regret.

Will it be fun ( i hope so)

Until next time have faith in yourself and follow your bliss.

This post was originally posted in 2021 but due to loosing most of my previous blog i thought id add it back