Dart 15 Forums

Just to let you know that in the early hours of Wednesday morning Steve had a heart attack.

He was rushed to hospital & thankfully is now back home.

I have had a chat with him & he is in pretty good spirits, given he has been told to stop doing pretty much everything he enjoys:-

Beer, unhealthy food, getting wound up, even sailing!!

...he didn't mention "the other", but I'm guessing that's out for at least another week!!!

He said he is going to take up fishing again, until he's allowed to try a gentle sail again.

If you've got any recommendations for him (useful or amusing!) let me know & I'll pass them on when I see him.

Thanks

Charles,

Could you please pass on to Steve (and the family) the best wishes of all of us at Seasalter and our hopes for his speedy (but steady) recovery.

It is great to hear that he is at home already, nothing worse than trying to sleep surrounded by the machines that go beep and the constant checks by nurses.

Regards

Steve W

Hi Charles
Give Steve my regards but don't think you have got rid of the opposition as we did at Shanklin when Keith had a heart attack 3 years ago. The only trouble was that though I told him to take as mutch time of sailing as he needed ( nothing to do with giving me a chance) 3 months on he was racing again and this year thought he could do three days at the Nationals and look what happened.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Steve.
We hope that you are soon out & about.
Cheers
Bob

Please pass on to Steve our very best thoughts / wishes from all at Carsington Sailing Club for a speedy recovery and hope to see you back on the water soon.

Regards

Ray

Hi Guys

Many thanks for all your best wishes and encoauraging comments.

Earling is the Keith you are talking about Keith Newnham who came 3rd at the nationals

It seems that the heart attack has put a damper on my sailing plans for the rest of this year, which is a shame as I was planning to go to Carsington and Grafham TTs plus doing the winter events this year to see how they pan out for travel time verse time on the water etc. try that next year instead then I guess.
If I feel up to it I may still go to these events as a spectator only.

Ray can you or George recommend somewhere near Carsington so I can enjoy the meal and get my head down in comfort eg B&B nearby

On the bright side I will be going to the re-hab classes and should be fit as a butchers dog by April/may next year when in the words of the Governor of California 'I'LL BE BACK'

So once again to everyone thanks

Steve,

Yes, Erling WAS chatting about Keith Newnham.

When I saw Keith 2 years ago at Saundersfoot, he was still recovering - but there to enjoy the company. I felt uneasy that I was there sailing just 2 months after my heart surgery, while Keith wasn't.

This year, Keith looked so healthy that I almost didn't recognise him, and he produced the performance to go with it. My result this year -

All the very best for your successful recovery.

PS Anyone else unlucky enough to pick up swine flu going to/at/fro Pentewan? I won't be active again until I recover fully.

George

good to hear from you, hadnt realised that you have had a heart complaint and get rid of the Flu soon I hope.

It helps to know that there are others among the sprint community that have had Heart problems, as the re hab Nurse that I spoke to said I may have to give up sailing as it was the wrong type of exercise (not cardio vascular) I'm sure those of you out there who know me can imagine the very short and to the point answer she received

Wrong type of exercise? Not cardiovascular? Only go out in strong winds and you're sorted, no sitting about there.

Steve,

Great to hear you so hearty!

Tell your rehab nurses to watch the u-tube kickit70 video when Brian P filmed Gabriel.

I was trying to explain Sprint15 sailing to my physiotherapist last year and she watched it - next sesssion she said "oh, not what I expected".

Just get Ben to do the boat pushing though - good excuse.

Steve

Hi guys

Know what you mean about the high wind sailing Robin the sunday before my little trip in an ambulance while you were at the Nationals, (well done 4th place great) It was blowing a gale and only the sprinters went out and stayed out for all 3 races, some monohulls joined in the first race an ISO 2 super novas and of course about 3 Lasers.
The ISO finished the race then packed up and went home the rest retired during the race

Steve, Ben has already volunteered to do the tugging and pulling involved in getting the boat to and from the water etc. He wants to keep up the competition at the club, there is usually a minimum of 4 sprints on the water on Sundays and sometimes up to 6 he needs the pressure keeping on him provided by his dad, Charles, Dave Walker and Steve Davison, the regular Sunday cat pack action hunting down Monohulls as they start 1 minuite before the Sprints, (sort of a fleet start which the club is trying this season as monohulls and cats dont start well together). We have got quite a fleet now if all the sprints decided to go out on the same day we could put out 9 boats 10 if the Sea scouts joined in.
I also took out our new member Andy Smith on his renovated Spark on that same sunday, he loved it and plans to be a regular Sunday racer when he gets used to just sailing the boat around and getting the hang of the basics of sailing a Cat, he was a Dinghy sailor years ago

Hi Steve

All the best for a speedy recovery. Cardiac rehab is pretty good these days, despite all the bashing the NHS gets.
A friend of mine had an MI some years ago, was told to stop working and have complete rest at home, did a bit to much of 'the other' with her in doors, which resulted in son number two nine months later !

Regards Kevin 1615.

Hi Kevin

The NHS has been absolutly brilliant (apart from the food) we have posted a big thank you to the Calderdale NHS Tust on their web site from the ambulance team to the cleaning staff a big thank you.

On all the surveys you hear about bad NHS calderdale/kirklees is never mentioned, and no one ever coments on the good ones, its not newsworthy to praise something in the beat them up paperatzie of today

As for a bit of the other son no three would be a miracle as her indoors had me newtered about 10 years ago

Hi Steve,
well it's 2 months I guess since that life changing, dreaded heart attack, hope you're getting on OK, I think that I was sailing after about 4 months, but only on "absolutely perfect days". Trips to the local cardiac club gym twice a week soon got me up and running (sorry, up and walking, slip of the pen) and then I was almost back to my old determined self, and now I'm sailing as much as I did before, and no "internal problems" so far. You'll find that there are lots of fellow "sufferers" out and most going great, good luck, and hope to see you soon at maybe the next nationals.
Keith Newnham.

Hi Keith

great to hear from you and for the encouragement, you are correct with the 2 months time scale and I am making great progress.
I have been walking nearly every day and am now up to my normal walking speed of 3 mph and usually do about 2.5 miles a day increasing it every day.
I have just started at the rehab gym this week and its great, (not sure thats the way I should describe the aftermath of a heart attack), The NHS staff (they are great) have given me a workout programme to suit me plus starting Stress management on Tuesday.
My youngest Son Dan took me on my first bike ride since the event and we picked the canal towpath for a 10 mile (round trip) on friday.

I have already set myself the goal of being back on the water when Halifax's season starts again in April next year that will be almost 8 months off the water but will keep up the health eating and the gym even when I am back to work looking forward to meeting you at the next Nationals in 2010 I will be there

Thanks again for the encouragement Keith