Before you read further, I suggest that you be seated comfortably. This is a long one.

Since the last time I wrote to you guys, I have been busy attending a part time FIC (Fitness Instructors' Course run by the S'pore Sports Council & S'pore Fitness Instructors' Association) I completed and passed the course with CPR certification in early June. Since attending the course, I've been jogging & working out regularly. I've lost about 4kg and 2" inches off my waist. My 6-pack washboard abs that I lost 20 years ago was coming back. In order to receive the FIC certification, I was required to do an attachment with a recognized Gym. I was to start the attachment on 21 June. Another piece of good news is I've stopped smoking since last couple of months.

20 June 1999: Father's Day - 6.30pm: My wife Jessie was preparing dinner. I told Jessie and the kids that daddy will go for his 4.8 kilometre jog at Seashell Park (across the road opposite my apartment) and will be back by 7.45pm for Father's Day Dinner.

At the park, I did my warm up, ran my 4.8km and started my cool down stretches as I've been taught by FIC. Suddenly, I felt a chill down my back and started to feel giddy. For a moment, I thought it was the wind against my perspiration and maybe I was a little hungry. Anyway, I'd better go home. I had to get down a flight of 76 steps (Seashell Park is on a little hill) and a pedestrian crossing on the road before I could reach my home. In the dizzy state, I managed to get down the steps holding on to the railing. When I hit the pedestrian crossing I held on the traffic light post, waiting for the red man to turn green. Green no come, black came! I collapsed and blacked out. As I drifted in and out of consciousness; these are the few things I remember:

- I saw a lady shouting into her handphone asking why the ambulance hasn't arrived after so long.

- Telling the lady my phone number so that she could contact my family.

- Seeing and hearing a man said, "bye bye and sure you'd be alright taking care of him” while waiting for the ambulance.

- Asking Jessie to take the lady's name and phone number.

- Throwing up - all water.

I also remember being transferred into the ambulance and telling the ambulance officer that my legs were very cold and my left arm was numb. I was shivering. Arrived at Changi General Hospital A&E unit at about 8.40pm(according to records). Can still remember overhearing instructions of certain mgs of morphine and glyceryl something given to me. I was then overwhelmed with the beautiful smell of flowers and had this feeling of going into a peaceful sleep and also the weird feeling that I might not wake up. I succumbed to the sleep.

I awoke in an elevator on my way to ICU. I heard a guy telling a lady," The poor chap was defibbed." Having watched enough ER's and Chicago Hope's on TV, I had an idea of what defib was. I asked the doctor at ICU whether they jumpstarted (defibrillated) my heart with electric shock. He said they did but the important thing was I was all right. I was then asked by the doctor to sign a consent form for intravenous Streptokines. Hey, signing consent form for medication sounded odd to me, I thought it was only for surgery. The kind young doctor then explained to me what the process for the next few hours was all about. Streptokines works like Drainex that plumbers use in choked pipes. The medication would clear the blood vessels of blockage but may burst the vessel if there was a major clot or the vessels are too thin. So if there’s a major choke or thin vessel near my brain, I could wake up as a stroke patient. It was scary. Anyway, I consented but asked to speak to my wife and daughters before they proceed. Imagine the family conversation - it was highly emotional and traumatic.

Just before they proceeded with the Streptokines, my heart rate went down again and I could hear the nurse shouting to the doctor. After watching the monitor, the doctor said it's OK. He was cute enough to comfort me by saying my heart was like an engine and needed restarting. The nurses then cleaned me up coz I was still in my jogging shorts and there was sand all over my body. When they sponged me, I was shivering like I was in the Antarctic even they were using warm water. For the next 6 hours I was kind of dopey, in and out of a daze. I felt so bad for the trauma that Jessie, Min-Li, Ying-Li and my brother, Jeff went through that night.

21 June 1999: - Good news, everything turned out fine the next morning. There was no bursting of vessels. I've also come to realize that I've fractured my little finger and bruised my left arm and my knees. I was monitored in ICU for another 2 days and was transferred to the general ward on the afternoon of 22 June with telemetry attached to my body to monitor my heart rate as well as my position.

23 June 1999: - Telemetry removed and Cardiologist said I was doing fine, everything stable.

24 June 1999: - Went for the 2D Echogram.

25 June 1999: - Cardiologist said that I was fit for Cardiac catheter cauterization (angiogram) and booked me for 29 June.

26 to 28 June 1999: - Making friends with nurses and patients in my ward. Talked to other cardiac patients and check out what to expect in the angiogram. Got plenty of comforting advice.

30 June 1999 - 4pm: Discharged from Changi General Hospital. Discharge Form states that I had AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction). Due to the VF (Ventricular Fibrillation), I was given 200 joules electric shock to jumpstart my heart. ECG showed posterior and inferior MI. No significant stenosis (blockage of arteries).

I am so happy and grateful to be able to communicate with you now. I've been given another chance. Anyway, joke of the decade is nobody believes that Phua Chuan Chin had a heart attack. Especially after going through FIC, working out regularly to improve cardio - respiratory fitness, giving up smoking and so on. Boy, am I glad I’ve completed my marathon and bungy jump! The other joke is Ms Alice Phoon (the lady whose kindness and courage saved my life; who called the ambulance and my family) told me that she was in a taxi with her son when she saw me lying by the road beside the traffic light. When she told the taxi driver, the taxi driver said, "No that's not a man that’s a dog!" Anyway, it was quite dark then and thank God they stopped to check. Joke #3: I am CPR qualified, but you can’t do it on yourself, can you?

I want you to know I'm fine now. Resting and treated like a baby by Jessie, Min-Li and Ying-Li. I've got to take it easy for awhile, no jogging, no workout until I go through a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. I've also got to watch my diet too. For a guy who didn't even believe in vitamins and supplements, it is quite a change to take a dosage of 4 types prescribed drugs everyday (for life!). I'm taking it easy and have accepted the fact that a new lifestyle and adventure awaits. The important thing is I've accepted what has happened and I'm willing to change and I'm so happy that I'm still alive and able to keep in touch with you. My wife, Jessie jokes - 48-year-old man tries to live like 28 year old. After this episode, must live like 68 or 78 for the next few months. I can't agree with her more.

Phua Chuan Chin
August 1999