Steve Lustig
Steve had his 1st heart attack at the age of 38 in 1978. He was treated at the Far East Rand hospital, then transferred to the Milpark hospital in Johannesburg.

In 1987 he had bypass surgery after a failed angioplasty. As a result an emergency bypass was done. Later he was fitted with a pacemaker and then a defibrillator. When these no longer worked he was put on the list for a donor heart, he literally had weeks to live. Before the transplant he could hardly walk and was very weak.
He received his new heart on the 18th February 2001.

Post the transplant he has had numerous procedures. At one stage after an artery was pierced during an angiogram, he started bleeding badly. Luckily a vascular surgeon who was about to operate on another patient at Milpark, put everything on hold to operate on Steve, thus saving his life.

On the 17th February 2008 he had a hernia operation. On the 2nd of December 2009 he had a partial hip replacement, which has made him all the more fragile.  In 2010 he twice had to have fluid drained from his body due to poor circulation. He also developed cellulitis, and septicemia last year that required blood transfusions in the icu.

On the 18th February 2011 Steve celebrated the 10th anniversary of his heart transplant. To mark the occasion he invited all his life long friends as well as numerous doctors and nursing staff that he has become well acquainted with over the years.

He is very meticulous about taking his anti-rejection medication and never misses a doctor’s appointment. This is the reason he has been able to overcome the obstacles in his path and enjoy the life the donor heart has given him.

The family is ever grateful for the gift of life given by the donor and the miraculous work that the doctors have performed.

June 2010

Drinking, smoking, over-indulging, these are the things many of us do, without really comprehending the consequences of our actions, or perhaps we choose not to.

My name is George Govender, I am 59 years old, an entrepreneur and a prime example of someone who suffered these consequences and lived to talk about it.

I smoked an average of 40 cigarettes a day, drank alcohol at least three times a week and hardly exercised. Despite these unhealthy habits, it came as a shock to me when I suffered my first heart attack in July 2005. An angiogram was performed –a stent was inserted, I was given medication and advised by my cardiologist Dr C Conradie to make some drastic changes in my lifestyle. The first of which was to quit smoking. I chose to ignore it as I was not overweight and ate healthily, took my medication regularly however I went back to my old habits.

My second heart attack was 4 months later Oct 2005, the situation was dire enough for the medics to advise that triple by surgery was the only option to save my life.

The surgery was successful but within 24 hrs my lungs collapsed, I lapsed into a coma. My comatose state lasted 3 weeks. The Drs admitted to my family that there was little hope for me. I was put on a ventilator. When I came to 3 weeks later, I had lost about 15kgs in weight, cannot walk, was on oxygen-,had to learn how to walk again. It was sheer strength of character and willpower as well as the tremendous support and love from my family that I fought back slowly, but surely regained my strength and will to live. I know I was given a second chance to live. Since my recovery to date, I eat healthily, have stopped smoking and drink alcohol moderately. I also tried to keep my stress levels down. After both incidents, I realized just how much of a contributing factor stress was. Right now, I am on chronic medication, exercise regularly, 1 ½ hours three times weekly at Flora Clinic Rehab Centre under the supervision of Sr Annette Hill. I also cycle do lots of walking have 6 monthly check ups with my cardiologist Dr C Conradie. Its five years now since I had my heart bypass.

Heart Disease can be beaten if you make the necessary changes in your lifestyle, do everything in moderation and live the best life possible.

Regards

George Govender

26/05/2010

My story started at the end of February this year, I was visiting my son for the weekend in Ramsig Johannesburg. On the Saturday night
I felt a tightness in my chest and found it difficult to breathe so I went to lay down. I didn’t say anything to my family until about 20 min later when my wife came into
the bedroom and asked what was wrong. I told her then, but by then the pain had already passed. My wife wanted to take me to Hospital then but I refused being as stubborn as
I am. Then it happened again about 2 weeks later at work, but this one only lasted about 5 min, again I didn’t mention this to anyone. About a week after that I was
sitting watching TV at home after supper and it hit me again, but this time it was a hard one. I still refused to go to Hospital because it passed after about 45 min.
The next day my wife made an appointment with our Doctor, at the Doctor’s I was feeling fine, but he checked me over and said I need to see a Specialist. I saw
a Specialist a week later and he put an ECG on me and put me on a tread mill. He said to me that my heart was only operating at 37% and that he needed to do an
angiogram on me, so on the 31/3/2010 that’s what he did and he found 3 arteries that was blocked he said he put in a balloon to help my heart, He said I will
definitely need a bypass, so he booked me into a ward until he spoke to the Surgeon. The Surgeon came and saw me that afternoon and said he had seen my
results of the angiogram and said my heart had deteriorated to only 30%. He operated on the 1/4/2010 and I had a triple Bypass. About 4 hours into the operation
a doctor came out of the operating theatre and told my wife and son that the op was not going so well, but after 6,5 hours they wheeled me into ICU. I was out for 6 days before they
brought me out off sedation. I was in ICU for 13 days and a total in Hospital 21 Days. I am at home now and getter better each day. My message to anyone who reads this: if you get a tightening off the chest, don’t be stubborn, get to a Doctor…immediate help will save your life!
Since my episode, I don’t take any moment on earth for granted…neither should you.

Regards
Colin Richardson

2 February 2010
“At about noon on a beautiful winter’s day on 10 June 2006, I felt tightness in my chest, was feeling weak and perspiring heavily while watching my wife playing bowls. I dismissed it as indigestion or “something else” and went to lie down in my car for about an hour. I then felt better but a friend of mine advised me to have my ECG done as a precaution.

On my way home I stopped at the Montana Clinic in Pretoria, where after an examination I was told that I had a heart attack a few hours earlier. I then suffered another heart attack in the hospital and also had a cardiac arrest. I only woke up two days later.
A few months later, after a period of hospitalization for congestive heart failure, I underwent triple bypass surgery from Dr. de Wet Lubbe at the Panorama Medi-Clinic in Cape Town. After developing atrial fibrillation, Dr Tom Mabin of Vergelegen Medi-Clinic in Somerset West  equipped me with a bi-ventricular pacemaker and for the first time in two years I almost felt as normal as before my heart attack, but not quite . I was ready to get on with my recovery and plunged into a rehabilitation program.
With my new lease on life, I set out to raise awareness of heart disease and its risks. I started to learn ways to change my lifestyle and decrease my likelihood of another heart attack. The professionals at the Heart Foundation introduced me to these objectives, which included a focus on exercise, a proper diet, and ways to cope with stress.
For two years I have been involved in patient visitation at Vergelegen Medi-Clinics where I am now the chairperson for the Helderberg Cardiac Support Group. I also am a member of the Mended Hearts Support Group established by the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

I’m trying to give back to the community for the years of good life that I’ve enjoyed with my family since my heart attack, I want to help with the good work that the Heart and Stroke Foundation is doing to raise awareness and save lives. I found out the hard way and if I can help others become aware of heart disease, then I may help someone else have extra years with their family.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has touched my life and I use their publications when talking to patients, do research on their website and their “Wally’s Heart”  initiative led the way to my attending a heart bypass operation as an observer.
I am lucky to be alive and I know that with the instruction on a new lifestyle and taking care of myself with the help of the very professional and caring staff at the Heart Foundation, I will reduce my likelihood of having another heart attack. “
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.
Hermann Steyn, Somerset West

2 February 2010
„22 September 2002 ,  die sondag na kerk besluit  ons gesin om die dag te gaan ontspan langs die see. Wyl ek my kerk pak uitrek begin ek sleg te voel , simptome ; brand gevoel in bors met ‘n drukking , soos wanneer ‘n oliefant op jou sal staan , dit was 12 uur gewees , die simtome het al hoe meer versleg etc. , 12h45 is ek in die dokters spreek kamer  ( Dr. Walter Keuck van Vredenburg ) , na die pilletjie onder die tong en EKG lesing . Het dr. My  n kalmeer pil gegee , en rustig laat sit en die diagnose bekend gemaak . Die skokgolwe het oor my gevloei , 39jr jonk !!

Maandag 23ste Sept. middag 13h00 ondersoek Dr. Pierre Roux – Kardioloog Panorama Medic Clinic – Kaapstad  my ;  tydens die inspannings  EKG sak ek in mekaar , en word opgeneem in ICU vir onstabiele angina !! ‚ n Uur later kry ek weer ‚ n aanval  en my hart gaan staan !! Later die aand / middag toe ek my bewussyn herwin het , groet ‘n baie bekommerd span dokters en verpleeg personeel my , dit was long & hart masjiene om my bed gewees.
Die 24ste  doen hul ‘n aangeogram op my en bevind dat my hart are verstop en verbrokkel het . Die 25ste 10h00 is ek teater toe tot 19h00 die aand . n  ses kroon aar omleiding is gedoen , tydens die operasie het my longe plat geval etc . ‘n Baie bekommerde kardioloog & hart chirug Dr. de Wet Lubbe  het my vrou gegroet en vertel hul moes behoorlik soek na ‘n geskikte are in my lyf vir die omleiding en rekonstruksie van my hart are . Jou man lei aan veelvuldigge aar verkalking etc !!
Na 12dae in die hospitaal is ek huis toe , en is vir 4 maande afgeboek , met ligte diens vir 6maande  daarna . Die sielkundige impak was die ergste gewees vir my , skielik is jy n  patetiese vader met n klomp moenies in die lewe etc . Ek moes behoorlik weer leer loop van voor af . Met ‚n vrees van wanneer kry ek weer n aanval etc. Gemoeds versteurings was aan die orde van die dag .
Ek het my self begin bemagtig  : Ek het begin navorsing doen op die internet  oor hart kwale en oorsake . Die tydskrifte by die hospitaal gelees en toe ontdek ek die HEART tydskrif en skryf in  , en ontvang gereeld inligting per epos.
My leef wyse is soos volg aangepas met behulp van die HEART tyskrif:

• Elke dag loop ek 3 km. ( 3 keer per week doen ek 6 km , met interrvalle  van hardloop , dra ‘n Heart Montitor horlosie waarvan die target zones ingestel volgens die kardioloog . ( Target zones tussen 60% - 80% van hart se volle sterkte inspanning )
• Die stap oefeninge wissel ek af met n oefen fiets in die huis .
• Dus word my energie verbranding en in name gemonitor -  Gewig beheer .
• Eet 3 dae ‚n week vis , 2dae hoender , en naweke sal ek 150gram rooi vleis geniet ( Volstruis & Bees – Vermy skaap vleis ). Met slaai en groente.
• In die oggend eet ek , graan kosse etc. En vrugte en drink baie water deur die dag .
• Middag ete ; Provitas & Vis smeer of  met n blikkie Tuna Vis .
• Elke 3 maande besoek ek die kliniek vir ‘n vinger prik toets om risiko vaktore te meet . Al daai inligting word op n grafiek en data basis aangebring .
• 1 maal n jaar besoek ek die Kardioloog & Pulmonoloog en die data basis word dan saam gebring plus my laboratorium bloed toetse waar al my risko vaktore getoets is en sodoende kon die kardioloog vergelykings doen  en my kondisie bestuur daarvolgens.
• My cholestrol vlakke is gemid. 4 en die res van die ander risiko vaktore binne perke.
• Alle kosse wat ons aankoop word gemeet aan die hart stigting merk , die % vet inhoud van die 3 soorte vette ; Monosaturated , saturated en polyunsaturated  en cholesterol % .
• Ek geniet Whisky & Rooi wyn matig en vorm deel van my eet plan .
• Ek Rooibos en Heuning bos tee .
• My motto is om ten minste 80% van die 7 dae waarin daar 21 etes is ‘n laevet ete te geniet .
• Tydens feestye en verjaarsdag geniet ek ook die lekker dusse , maar met die verstande dat die volgende vdag weer  n lae vet dag sal wees.

Weens n gemodireerde lewens styl het my gesondheid wonderbaarlik herstel en dus geniet ek die afgelope 7 jaar weer ‘n kwaliteit lewe . My self vertroue is herstel en ek voel goed oor my self .
Die slotsom is: die pasient het die verantwoordelikheid om sy lewenswyse aan te pas , die dokters kan net hul bes doen , maar jy as pasient bepaal die volhoubaarheid en sukses van jou herstel en kwaliteit lewe na so groot mediese ingryping.“
Hermann Coetzee, Vredenburg