We’re taking control and keeping active

Dec 12 2008

GEORGE Smith had a heart attack at the wheel of his car – and still managed to drive himself to hospital.

Doctors reckon his quick action saved his life.

Six years on and this 66-year-old is a new man.

George grabbed his second chance at life with both hands and today he’s the picture of health and fitness.

The heart attack was a rude awakening for the Ayr man – whose determined effort to recover has earned him the respect of his doctors.

George was a stressed-out smoker with a poor diet and worked long hours when nature gave him a wake up call.

He explained: “I was told that if I hadn’t got myself to hospital when I did I wouldn’t have made it.

“It was a life changing experience for me.”

George received 12 weeks of cardiac rehab at Ayr Hospital before being referred to the Activity for Health scheme run by South Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

He said: “I was given an assessment and given a plan.

“I attended a cardiac class to start with and worked my way up to different kinds of exercise as my fitness and health improved.

“The scheme was just starting at that time and I was one of the first to take part in it.

“It was a great experience. Everyone was very supportive and understanding of what I was going through.

“If I was worried about something the people around me understood because we were all going through the same thing together. And the staff are fantastic.”

Over the next three years George dedicated himself to changing his life.

He added: “Eventually I got to a stage where I was capable of much more. I didn’t want to stay a patient forever. So I moved on to doing other things in the gym.

“These days I’m fitter and healthier that I was before my heart attack. Taking responsibility for my own health with the support of Activity for Health is the best thing that I’ve ever done.

“It’s not a quick fix though. You have to stick with it. It’s about looking at your life and changing the things that made you ill in the first place.”

And it was a similar story for Maureen Fullerton of Ayr.

She suffered chronic back pain for years before telling her GP she was no longer prepared to treat the symptons with painkillers.

The grandmother of two explained: “I was referred to a physio who treated me for several weeks before telling me about the back class at Ayr Hospital where we did an hour of exercise and had a half hour lecture on how to look after our backs.”

Maureen was then referred to Activity for Health where she was given a programme designed to improve her condition.

She said: “I do Pilates, circuit training and I work out on my own.

“I still have a back problem, I always will. But I can cope with the pain without painkillers now.

“The important thing is not to give up. I can’t just walk away now and expect everything to be fixed. It doesn’t work that way. You have to commit yourself to making exercise part of your life.”

Jacqueline Munroe is one of Activity for Health’s newest clients.

Along with her husband Ian, the 71-year-old attends a low intensity class at the Citadel every week since she recovered from her triple heart-bypass operation last winter.

She said: “I’m still waiting on a hip replacement and this has helped improve my general health and fitness in preparation for that.

“I do the exercises that I learn in class at home as well. It’s good fun, I really enjoy it. I’m going for an assessment at the hospital soon so here’s hoping that they say I’m fit for surgery.”