Derek's Angina

by Rosie Peters
^{(creative writers at www.morewriting.co.uk)}
"Your Dad's got angina," said Ann. "Those chest pains he got at work when the lift broke and he had to go up all them stairs. That was it. Angina. He's had blood tests, and today he went to hospital. They wired him up to a heart machine while he exercised. The doctor said the tests prove he's got angina."

"Oh no!" said Brad. "He's only fifty." His hand was shaking as he got out a cigarette.

"Sorry Brad," said Ann. "You can't light up in here. Your Dad's been told to stop. He'll need all the help he can get. Fags have contributed to his problem. The doc said some of your Dad's arteries have got clogged up. His blood pressure's high too. We're going to have to make changes if we're to help him reduce the risk of a heart attack."

"Heart attack! I didn't realise it was that serious." Brad put his head in his hands and screwed up his face.

"No, he's not had a heart attack but this leaflet the doc gave us says if you have angina you're more at risk of a heart attack than someone who doesn't have angina. It's those furred up bits in the arteries. If a sticky bit of blood gets caught up inside the artery where it's narrowed then a blood clot could form. It's clots that cause the heart attacks when they make a blockage in the coronary artery and stop the blood getting to part of the heart."

"Goodness," said Brad his face blanching. "Has he got to take it easy then?"

"No," said Ann plonking herself down in an armchair. "He can carry on with his job. In fact he needs to take more exercise. Five times a week for half an hour, the doctor said, and it's got to be something that makes him feel warm and slightly puffed out."

"Crikey, that's gonna be hard for him," said Brad. "The only exercise he gets is a stroll to the pub and back."

"We must give him our support," said Ann firmly. "Perhaps if we join in all this healthy living business you and I can avoid angina in the future. I mean look at us Brad. You're only twenty and getting a beer belly. I'm forty eight and bursting out of all my clothes. I've got a smokers cough and I get puffed out doing the housework. My turn next for angina if I don't do something quick."

That night the family sat down to unusually healthy meal of baked fish and an array of brightly coloured mixed roast vegetables.

"That looks great Mum" said Brad. "Smells good too."

"This meal is my first step to helping us change our lives," said Ann. "And I've decided that from now on I'm a non-smoker and I'm going to exercise. If I can do it, we all can."

"Right," said Derek. "Well I'm with you then."

Brad shook his head. "I can't do it like that. I'm not ready. But I'll cut down the fags." Later that evening, Ann and Derek set off for a walk. "This'll be a change love," said Ann. "Have you got your GTN spray, just in case you need it?"

"I'll always have it," said Derek tapping his trouser pocket. "And if we have any big hill to go up I've just to squirt it under my tongue first."

Forty minutes later Ann and Derek returned from their walk, slightly breathless and flushed.

"Well that was good eh love," said Derek leaning on the kitchen worktop.

"It was nice to do something together for a change," said Ann. "It's usually me sat here with my book and you off to the pub."

"Well I still want to have a beer," said Derek.

"You can," said Ann. "Just remember what the booklet says. No more than twenty one units spread over the week. I tell you what lets have a drink together and you can explain to me about your new tablets. I just didn't take in all the doctor said. Everything has been such a shock to me."

Derek put the tablets out on the coffee table and Ann placed down two glasses of beer.

"Well this one's aspirin," said Derek. "It's just a tiny dose to stop the blood getting sticky so it should stop me getting a stroke or heart attack. This next one's a statin to lower the cholesterol because raised cholesterol is a risk for me. And this last one is called a beta blocker. It slows the hear rate down so that less oxygen is needed. It sort of makes things easier for the heart to work." Derek sipped his beer. "And of course there's my spray I have to carry around."

"How often do you need to take that?" asked Ann.

"I only need to take it if I have a chest pain," said Derek. "Or I can take it if I'm about to do something that might bring a pain on. For instance if I was going to go up a big hill, or if we were going dancing, I would take it first."

"I see," said Ann. "Is there any other treatment?"

"Well there are other medicines available but I only need these. I've been reading about angina. Some people need surgery on the coronary artery to improve blood supply but I guess it's for those whose angina is worse than mine. I only get chest pain with exercise. Some people with unstable angina might have chest pain when they're not doing anything much."

"I want to help you Derek. I don't want you to get any worse, and I want to try and prevent the same thing happening to me and Brad. I'm going to plan the meals for the next week so that we always have plenty of healthy food in the house," said Ann. "We need to check our portion size too if we're to lose weight."

"Perhaps it's not too late to take up some kind of physical activities together," said Derek. "That would bring some weight off. Ballroom dancing for instance. We used to enjoy that."

Ann nodded and smiled as she recalled how Derek used to tread on her toes.

"I shall come up with some exercise for us to do together my dear," said Derek with a wink. "Are you ready for bed now? Perhaps we could have an early night I've got my spray."