"The story about the day my life changed"

Driving home from my work looking forward to my long weekend. Just as I got to Livingston I started to feel unwell with a shooting pain in my left arm. I phoned my wife and told her about it and she told me to stop driving when I got to the next services, but me being the usually guy I thought this is a lot of nonsense so told her to get me a bottle of lemonade so I could have a hot lemonade and lemsip - I think that's the cure for everything.

As soon as I got home I took my remedy and went to my bed with a sore chest and a fever. I did not leave my bed till Monday morning, by then I though I was dying. My wife called my doctor and got me an appointment right away. As soon as the doctor examined me he phoned Glasgow Royal Infirmary and told me to head there right away.

As I got to hospital they were waiting on me. I was took to examined room and then was told I was a very lucky man as I had a heart rate of 198 beats per minute. The next few days were a total confusion as I have never smoked in my life and I am a teetotal non drinker for well over 15 years.

I spent 10 days on the cardiac ward at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and this has totally changed my life. I was payed off my work after 4 months on the sick because my driving licence was suspended by DVLA, so it was a total shock to me as I have never been unemployed since my 16th birthday when I took my country's siling and joined the army, so when I had to go to the unemployment office it was a total shock.

I felt totally disgusted with myself and useless but with the help I got from the lovely nurse at the cardiac rehab clinics and the doctors I am hopefully getting better and looking forward to my life getting back to a somewhat better life. Only thing that's getting me down is being on so many tablets to take every day, but to put life in perspective I am still here and living life to its full capacity. So once again thanks to the cardiac team at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for keeping me on this fantastic earth.