Phil's interview
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How did all start?
On the day I dissected I had a ripping sensation through my upper body followed quickly by being paralysed from the waist down , all this happened in the first 5 minutes..
Do you already have a diagnosis? How long did it take you to get it?
Yes following a ct scan I was diagnosed almost instantly with a type a dissection..
For what medical specialties have you been treated? What has been the most useful specialty for your?
I had my dissection repaired and an aortic valve replacement with a mechanical valve,
What has been the most useful thing for you so far?
I believe I have most definitely benefited from taking control of my own wellbeing, researching my condition and understanding what's best for my new body, for example. How to maintain a stable INR level, the right level of exercise, keeping my BMI low , and eating the right food.
What have been your biggest difficulties?
Accepting my condition and the restrictions that come with it. I have found once you do accept the new you, the quicker you can move on and start to rebuild what you have left.
How has your social and family environment reacted? Have your social or family relationships changed?
I have found so much support for my friends and family, I think it's good to let everyone in your life know what you're going through, this helps them to understand you're situation, Relationships do change after such a major illness, that's inevitable.
What things have you stopped doing?
Eating crap food, drinking alcohol totally, a business that was to demanding, and anything that gives me any kind of pain.
What do you think about the future?
Although I am a very positive person, my future is on a cliff edge but I am doing everything I can from not falling over that edge, I think being in a minefield you learn to figure out the best and most beneficial way forward.
So far, which years have been the best years in your life? What have you done during them?
I am 1 year into recovery so I would say this past year had been my finest quite simply because I survived a whole year with a killer inside me.
What would you like to do if you didn’t have your condition?
Have a more active lifestyle.
If you had to describe your life in a sentence, what would it be?
I can describe it in one word "challenging"
Finally, what advice would you give to a person in a similar situation?
Never give up, share your experience with anyone who will listen and keep yourself in good shape.
