A fitness fanatic who kept experiencing a ‘funny feeling’ in his chest while out shopping was told by doctors he had just three months to live - unless he had an emergency operation.
Carl Clark, from Liverpool, was diagnosed with a serious heart condition in 2016, which meant he had to undergo six-way heart bypass surgery.
A few months prior to his diagnosis, the 50-year-old said he had a strange feeling in his chest when walking to the shops or when riding his bike.
The former Jaguar Land Rover employee, who now works for Liverpool Council, said he would sometimes feel out of breath just doing mild exercise, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Carl said: "There used to be an advert on television of a man cutting his grass and suddenly getting chest pains. I felt like him.
"I was working seventy hours a week and the days were pretty long and stressful."
He went for a well-man check-up at his GP, where a nurse told him he would benefit from losing some weight, and to cut out cheese and coffee.
“I’ve always trained, kept fit by playing squash, badminton, football and boxing, and at 6ft I’m a steady 15 stone,” Carl said.
"I like the odd pizza and Chinese takeaway but I enjoy making home-made soups and regularly eat oily fish like sardines."
He said he was given a diet advice sheet that looked like it had come "straight from the 1970s".
"I started going out on my bike more, pushing myself, hoping to lose some weight. But my chest pains felt worse and my breathing got heavier," Carl said.
His brother, who is a paramedic, suggested Carl went back to his GP, where he was then referred to Royal Liverpool Hospital where he had further tests.
It was here where Carl said he was “lucky” to have had the devastating news, and ultimately had his life saved.
Consultant cardiologist, Dr Scott Murray, who is set to open a heart clinic in Warrington - Venturi - told Carl he needed the emergency bypass surgery, which is the most intricate bypass surgery including all of the major arteries feeding the heart.
"I was told I was a dead man walking and that I only had three months to live," Carl said.
"He was completely straight with me, telling me that unless I had immediate heart bypass surgery I wouldn’t be here in three months.
"I started crying when he told me that but I trusted him and valued his directness."
During the consultation, Carl was asked about his family history, where he revealed both his grandfather and his mum's cousin died due to heart disease.
Following the intricate surgery, he spent four days in hospital and was told he was only allowed home when he was well enough to climb the hospital stairs.
A thankful Carl added: "Today, hardly anyone knows I’ve had a heart bypass because I just like to crack on with life.
"Before Covid-19 I was doing high intensity spinning classes five nights a week but now I walk my dog lots, go out on my bike and play football with friends.
"I’m on statins for life and I take a daily aspirin and a proton pump inhibitor, which is a medication that reduces stomach acid.
"I keep in touch with Scott and if I feel a bit nervous about myself, like I did when the first Lockdown started and I wasn’t sure if I needed to shield, I’ll send him a text.
"He saved my life and I’m incredibly grateful to him."
