(Q)
Joey : Albert, how did having a heart attack affect how you have done
things since?
(A)
Albert: How did it affect me? Well, things certainly changed. You can
see this hand and my two feet. I lost both feet, the right hand and
my fingers, and the ends of some of my fingers so that's how what happened affected me. Since that, I have been in the process of
reacquiring all of my facilities and being able to look after myself.
(Q)
Joni: What were the symptoms that you personally experienced at the
time of your heart attack?
(A)
Albert: That one is the most difficult to answer because it's only
long after that I realized I missed things. I missed symptoms like
when I was out shoveling snow or something physical like that, I would begin to get headache and I would need to come in and rest for
about a half hour before going back out and continuing on. The day I
had my heart attack, about an hour before I started to go for a walk
and I just got down the street and I felt pain in my shoulder and arm
and I turned around came home went to the hospital. I collapsed just
inside the emergency just as I got though the doors...that's how
short a time it was for that to happen.
(Q)
Joey: How has having a heart condition affected your lifestyle?
(A)
Albert: Readjusting, because I am still involved in a
lot of things and I am carrying on. It has made very little
difference in the practical things that I do but relationally with
other people, a positive effect is that I am finding that I am being
able to motivate and encourage others and that is a good thing.
(Q)
Joni: Were you alone when you had your heart attack?
(A)
Albert: No.
(Q)
Joey: How many heart attacks have you had?
(A)
Albert: Just one.
(Q)
Joni: How old were you when you experienced your heart attack?
(A)
Albert: 79
(Q)
Joey: Did you have have to have any surgical procedures? If so, what
type?
(A)
Albert: They had to take my hand, my fingers and take my two legs.
(Q)
Joni: What was the recovery process like for you? Challenges?
(A)
Albert: I was 20 weeks in the hospitals between Saint John,
Summerside, and Charlottetown. In
Saint John they did open heart Surgery at 2:00 am in the morning. My
body reacted to one of the drugs that they used and they had to
operate. Then they sent me back to Summerside at Prince County
Hospital. I healed after the operation and recovered. Once that had
taken place I went to Charlottetown for rehabilitation and I was very
fortunate as they were able to make me new legs and and an arm right
in the Hospital.
(Q)
Joey: What advice do you have for people about heart health, having
been
through
all your experiences?
(A)
Albert: We have to take our own health into our own hands and think
in terms of preventive medication rather than rely on catastrophic
medication. It is fortunate we have the facilities but I need to and
each of us needs to think in terms of our own heart, our own health,
because it is our responsibility.
(Q)
Joni: What advice do you have for someone who recently had a heart
attack or stroke?
(A)
Albert: Don't feel sorry for yourself! Look at it as something that you want to deal with and recover as much of your function and your independence as possible. If you don’t have that as your view, you will find yourself becoming depressed and you will begin feeling sorry for yourself. But if you look for the positive and move forward, you'll find you can do just about anything. There are very few things that I can't do that I did before, very few.
Interviewers: Joni Miner and Joey Blacquiere
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