Success Story
Tom Metcalf
For many years I had been an active member of the Gym taking part in Body Pump classes with the Blues brothers a.k.a. Damien and Doug, Body attack, Body Balance and most of all the Super Spin classes particularly the raucous Sunday morning sessions.
All of this working out was taken in the knowledge that I had a hereditary heart condition, which at some point in time would result in major surgery. I had known for about ten years that I had the condition and was on medication to help defer the need for surgery.
I had used all of these sessions to help support my skiing, which I had taken up in my early fifties and which quickly became quite a passion.
I had noticed however that each time I was picking up a cold or flu it was taking longer to recover and my doctor eventually referred me to a liver consultant who advised that I had some liver issues but that the plan would be simply to monitor the situation on a regular basis.
He however referred me back to the heart specialist who following tests in December 05 advised me that the medication would only be useful for another year and that plans for a heart valve replacement would need to be put in place.
The avid skier that I am asked if it could be carried out in the summer which would allow me to get the season in. In March 06 I went to St.Anton with my daughter but it was becoming obvious that the specialists were correct and that the sooner the heart work was done the better.
Plans were put in place for the operation to be completed on June 16th 2006 however the week before I caught a very bad chest infection and on the 9th June I was admitted to Vincent’s hospital. On 14th June my liver consultant advised me that the heart operation had been cancelled and on the 16th they came to discuss with me the philosophy of how the dual operation could be completed.
This was the first time I was aware of the need for a dual surgery and that my liver had collapsed. The team advised me that the dual operation of heart and liver had not been carried out in Ireland before and that the team would meet to discuss the situation. In consultation with the heart transplant team in the Mater it was decided that they would go for the dual surgery and that they now needed to meet to decide how they would carry out the work.
They immediately started to put me through what they call the liver program however during that time I picked up a hospital infection just to add to my problems. By the end of June I had recovered enough to be discharged from hospital with my name on the transplant list.
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For someone who had always been fit and heavily involved in some form of sport. It was depressing to see how much weight I had lost, how weak I had become and I knew by the look on peoples’ faces how concerned they were because I frightened myself when I looked in the mirror. I began what seemed like the long wait for a liver. In February 07 my heart started to cause problems and one Friday night my wife rushed me to Vincent's where my condition stabilised but they kept me for observation. That weekend a liver became available and I was transferred to the Mater hospital where the 14-hour surgery was carried out. That night and the early days to follow were an extremely difficult time for my family as all they could do was watch and wait. I was looked after by outstanding medical teams who got me quickly back on my feet, trained me how to take my medication and within three weeks I was discharged.
The road to recovery then began; my first walks were on the street where I live starting with the length of our drive. I must have been quite some sight as in the first month I had to wear a mask to prevent infections. My walks then moved to Dun Laoghaire Pier where day by day, together with my wife, I increased my distance and by the end of August I was ready to return to the Gym. I heard from people that Damien had become a personal trainer and their comments were positive about his methods and results. Starting from where my body was at that time I considered that working with someone like Damien would be an ideal opportunity to build correctly from scratch. In the first month the program was designed to build strength. As we know Damien's no nonsense approach can be tough but to me it was positive. It meant that I had someone who would not let me give up and as I progressed my personal confidence also started to improve. By the end of the first month I was strong enough to start skiing in Kilternan.
Damien noticed that my posture was extremely bad - part of which was probably a reaction to the surgery where you feel that you will tear all of the scars if you try to stretch too much. Exercises for month two were focused on improving my posture and as the month progressed I began to realise that I could stand up straight without tearing myself apart. Friends could not believe that I was back in the gym and those I met were amazed to see the progress I was making. It gave me the boost to continue training and at this stage I was also attending two serious coaching sessions in Kilternan each week.
The ski club holidays were being booked and I felt confident to commit to the January trip. Having made the booking I went back to tell Damien that I needed to prepare. I suggested that I needed some aerobic training the response to which was that he would get me ready which included a comment about ' kicking ass' which I quickly realised was to be my 'ass'. I didn't need aerobic training because the routine he set had my heart coming through my chest.
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To say that he prepared me for my trip would be an under statement, we were skiing off piste all week with an instructor starting at 9.0 a.m. in the morning and finishing at 4.00p.m. His training had improved my core stability allowing me to hold a balanced stance centered on the skis whatever the terrain. I was still going strong at the end of the day while all of my colleagues were complaining of leg burn and were longing for that last run home.
As we know good diet is a key part to fitness but when I joined Damien I was still within my fist twelve months following surgery and the medics were reluctant to consider any change from the pattern I already had in place. My general diet would be focused towards organic home cooked foods with a low fat content. The times when I can eat are very much regulated by my medication patterns, which essentially mean that there is no snacking between meals.
The drugs themselves can have an impact on the stomach therefore you have to limit the volume of food you consume at any one time; so overall I have a natural weight regulator. I do hope at some stage to slowly switch my food pattern, which I hope will allow me build further strength.
So what is in the future, no doubt it will be the transplant games. The summer games will be first but I certainly have my eyes set on the winter games. Meanwhile the slopes of Colorado are calling where I am heading with 20 people from the ski club. Colorado is high level skiing, which again will be a challenge to my system.
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There are many psychological issues to be addressed by people who have major surgery and they are very dependent on peoples support to help rebuild their confidence. Damien's guidance and his belief that I could do the tasks he was setting was a special type of support for someone like me and the condition I was in and I look forward with his help to becoming even stronger after I celebrate my 60th birthday in mid April.
Every day I think of my donor and their family and I know that I will never be able to find sufficient words to thank them for what they did for both me and my family.