I'm Still Standing!

Fast forward to 2013, Monday 1st July.

The day before, I was fixing leaks in the garage after a most horrendous storm we had here in Cape Town the previous week. I had to allow the walls to dry before I could sort out the problems.
As a result, I was up and down the step ladder and stretching in all sorts of awkward positions.

My handyman skills have improved over the years and I can now fix almost anything except my motorcar.
In the 80's and early 90's, I had a Volkswagen Combi 2l Air cooled engine. After six engine replacements I almost knew how to fix it if something went wrong.
That old faithful was finally ruined by some genius mechanic that assured me that he could convert the Van to a water cooled vehicle.
With my naivete, ignorance and faith in the human race blossoming in all directions, I said fine, how long will it take?
About five days was the reply.
I give the go ahead.
Five WEEKS later, having borrowed Laverne's car (Mazda 323 at that time) to put all the gear in to play some crummy gigs, I take receipt of said or rather unsaid Combi.
This twit had assured me he would put in a 2 litre water cooled engine.
I received my poor old Van powered by a Golf 1600 engine with a 1400 carburetor and as a result the van could barely do more than 60kmh unloaded! and was overheating!!
The genius mechanic was nowhere to be found.
I then moved on to another Volkswagen. This time a 2.5 Caravelle fuel injection with all the trimmings - this was the luxury we'd all been missing. Electric windows, air conditioning, central locking, power steering...

Except when I opened the engine compartment - I thought I'd been transported to a NASA convention seminar - I didn't have a clue.
Talking about power steering, my dear old van needed a week's workout at the gym just to turn the steering wheel..

Getting back to Monday!
That morning I woke up with pains in both arms and tightness in the chest.
I thought "you poor fool, you've over done it with the D.I.Y. again."
Took two pain killers and it went away.
Even though I think I'm still 19, I'm actually living in the body of - dare I say it - an aging rock and roller.   
Later in the morning I was recording some music in my home studio and the same sensation returned. This time it was a tightening of the neck, jaw, chest and arms and my fingers wouldn't play the notes I was looking for on the keyboard.

Five years previously (2008) I suffered a major heart attack and the symptoms were the same.
At that time I had no idea what was happening to me. The first "funny feeling" was on the Monday (1st July 2008!) - I had a tightness in the chest and felt strange.
The next day I experienced another "funny feeling" but slightly worse and the following day (Wednesday 3rd July 2008) everything went ballistic.
Crushing chest pain, pain in both arms, hands, neck, jaw, head and I thought - I've got terminal cancer and am not going to make it!
I was rushed to the local Medi Cross, thanks to my family's quick thinking and actions.
Then off to Vincent Pallotti Hospital where this brilliant heart surgeon fixed me up with a stent. My main right artery was completely blocked.
Whilst he was sorting me out (I was awake during the procedure), he's talking to me and says, 'You look familiar, what do you do?'
I'm a Professional Musician, I reply.
Didn't you play in The Beatles tribute show at The Roxy Revue Bar at Grand West Casino? he asks casually, as I'm lying there thinking that any thing I say may be my last words.
Yes, I reply, I was on Keyboards, 12 String Guitar and Vocals.
Yes! that's right, he says. You were brilliant, don't worry, I'm not going to let Anything happen to you!
Later that night I thought, lucky he saw me on a good night...

Getting back, once again, to Monday 1st July 2013!
So this time round when that excruciating pain hit me I thought this is what I really hope it isn't!
But it was - another heart attack. Almost 5 years to the day!
Once again, by ambulance off to Vincent Pallotti. This time 2 stents - 2 blocked arteries.
Because I was aware of the symptoms this time, the damage was not as severe as before and it was regarded as a minor heart attack.
Seemed major enough to me I tell you!  


I now have a plan.

In five years time - July 2018 - I'm leaving town, so that if it happens again I'll be able to avoid it!