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27

Sustainability, Safety, Health & Wellbeing

August/September 2012 www.esb.ie/em

Health&Habitat

ARE YOU A SAFE DRIVER?

Updates from the Private Drivers’ Handbook
page 30

Health Services
Case Study
Alex Keogh

Becoming ill and recovering from heart surgery has taught Alex some important lessons in life. The most important, he says, is to be aware of your body and being proactive in managing your health when you feel things are not right.

In 2009, I began to suffer from reflux and following medical intervention I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia. This is a condition in which the upper portion of the stomach protrudes into the chest cavity through an opening of the diaphragm. Some sufferers of the condition like me developed a pain / restriction in the chest and neck area. I was prescribed medication which I took for the condition and it seemed to control the problem.

I considered myself relatively fit in that I regularly cycled to and from work from Sutton which is a round trip of 26 kilometres. In addition I am a vegetarian and as such I was very conscious of food and diet.

Over the following eighteen months, I suffered from the condition and learned to manage it with medication, although the incidents of tightness of the chest and neck area became more frequent. When this occurred I took the medication which helped. I also rested and this eased the pain and discomfort.

On holiday abroad last year the pain and breathlessness became worse and even walking up an incline was difficult. Again I put it down to the hernia but I began to question the fact that my ability to finish my regular walk in the evenings without stopping for a rest was unusual and worrying.

Over a short space of time in 2011 even climbing the stairs at home became difficult. At this stage I knew something was not right and that perhaps I had a more significant health issue which was being masked by taking the medication when I suffered from reflux. Up to this point, like many men, I suffered with the pain and lack of energy and again considered it was a result of the hernia which was being medicated for.

I made an appointment with my GP and following the consultation where we discussed my condition I asked him to book me in for a stress test as in a short space of time I now found it difficult to walk a few hundred meters without stopping due to pains in my chest and neck.

My GP made an appointment that day for the Sports Clinic in Santry. I attended and as a first step they did an ECG. Following the results of the ECG, they declined to carry out the stress test and made an immediate appointment for me to attend the Mater Chest Pain Clinic. I knew it was serious when they told me I could not drive to the clinic. Luckily my wife was with me and she drove me in.

Within the hour I was examined, tested and diagnosed with angina and had seven blockages in the arteries around the heart which required immediate angioplasty. Some of the arteries had 90% blockages and these were very difficult to insert the stents into.

I had ten weeks of rehab and now have a daily exercise routine to build up the heart muscle strength which had suffered during the period when I was not exercising and feeling unwell. I exercise now for at least one hour per day and must get the heart rate up to a certain agreed rate. My cholesterol level of 5 was not particularly high but now I have to reduce this and keep it at around 3 for the future.

In retrospect, the fact that I was diagnosed with hiatus hernia and this condition can result in chest pain and discomfort did not immediately alert me to the fact that I had a more serious heart condition. Furthermore I never experienced one of the common indications of heart problems - pain down my arm which would have alerted me earlier to a heart condition. It is only when you suffer a serious health condition such as this that you really value your health. I managed my health, diet and fitness fairly well over the years but I was lucky that I recognised that things were not right and I asked my GP for a referral for a stress test. The team at the Mater Chest Pain Clinic said I was extremely lucky that I presented in time as I was a candidate for a heart attack and potential bypass.

During the ten weeks I was out from work I kept in contact with my manager. This was very helpful in discussing and agreeing options for a phased return to work programme. This was really important for me as a major health scare like this does indeed affect your confidence and you sometimes question your ability to do certain things. However I am now on a programme and am building up my fitness levels again. Overall I have learnt the importance of listening to my body and being proactive in managing my health and I would encourage people to do the same.

BRINGING ART TO THE COMMUNITY

DURING July Jeanette Lowe, retired ESB employee, converted a flat in Pearse House into a gallery to show her engaging photographs of the people and architecture of Pearse House.

The novel idea is bringing art into the heart of a community and attracted large numbers of visitors into Pearse House.

Lough Nahangan, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cms.

SHAY O’BYRNE SOLO ART EXHIBITION at Dunlavin Festival of Arts

FORMER TURLOUGH HILL and Liffey Stations staff member Shay O’Byrne held a solo exhibition in the Blue Door Gallery at the Dunlavin Festival of Arts, County Wicklow, in mid June.

The exhibition, titled Above Hollywood, consisted of a group of paintings produced in the past year, portraying scenes and landscapes from remote places off the Hollywood to Wicklow Gap road. This is a road that was well-travelled by Shay on his daily commute when working in Turlough Hill.

Some of the works concentrated on the King’s River, which flows from close to the Gap down to Poulaphouca Reservoir, the river so gentle in low water and so wild when in full flood, provided great inspiration. Other works depicted Glendalough. Of note was a painting of Lough Nahanagan, a beautiful dark lake that is the lower lake of the Turlough Hill pumped storage system.

There was a great turnout at the opening and, over the festival weekend, Shay’s work was well-received, with a little flurry of red spots. Shay also has a large painting, Intruders, that has been selected for this years RH A Annual Exhibition, which runs until mid-August.

Shay recently won first prize at the International Art Competition in Abu Dhabi, UAE with a work titled, Surprise Enc-ounter.

For further information check out: www.seamusobyrne.com

ESB ATHLETIC CLUB UPDATE

THIS YEAR’S Athletics Club AGM was held in Head Office, where a good turnout with some fresh faces should help the club to improve and grow. A review of the year with reports from the incumbent Secretary, Treasurer, PRO and Chairman was followed by the election of the 2012/13 committee and the presentation of prizes from the recent Trinity Track Races. This included the special presentation of the St. Patrick’s Chalice to Edel Haverty, Helen Hennessy and Cera Slevin as the best overall team on the night. This prize had never been won by ESB teams previously! The Men’s “A” Team were also notable winners of the Grade “A” Team prize, while Darren Reilly won the blue riband Men’s Grade A 1k.

St Patrick’s Chalice.

AGM and 2012/13 COMMITTEE

Recent BHAA Results

• RTE 5m Road Race: Men 4th and 8th in Grade A, WINNERS of Grade C and 8th in Grade D
• Govt. Services 5m - Dunboyne - Fantastic 10th place overall for Darren Reilly. Gents Teams 4th and 9th Grade A, 9th Grade B, 7th Grade D and 4th in the Ladies event.
• Trinity Track Races - ladies’ win St. Patrick’s Chalice, Gents Teams win Grade A and Finish 2nd in Grade C
• Irish Prison Service 5km Trail – Gents 3rd Grade A, 4th Grade B, 3rd Grade D, Ladies 2nd
• Dublin City Council 5km Road Race – Results TBC see BHAA website

Next BHAA Races

• Wed. Jul 25, 2012 BNY Mellon 1500m Track
• Sat. Sep 01, 2012 Zurich Morton Mile
• Sat. Sep 08, 2012 Finding the Run of Ourselves - Firhouse 10km
• Sat. Sep 15, 2012 Dublin Half-Marathon.

Further ESB AC information: http://esbnet/athleticclub/