By Grant Dixon –

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, I was out on my usual five-kilometre run. My custom was to run the length of the Hobsonville Point walkway three times a week. But this day was very different.

During my run, I normally take a brief rest halfway, sitting near the local wharf and adjacent to the new restaurant precinct. The rest of this story I’ve pieced together from others, as I’ve lost all memory of the following event and the week following.

Apparently, once rested, I got up to continue my run and then fell head first onto the concrete and received a severe head wound. A cardiac arrest is suspected, although I may have simply tripped – I was trying out new orthotics for the first time. A woman who discovered me then yelled, “There’s a dead man here!”

This got the attention of Dan from the Air Force, who was waiting for his girlfriend to arrive on the ferry. Dan immediately sprang into action and took control. He couldn’t detect a pulse or breath – for all intents and purposes, I was now dead. Dan then began CPR while an employee from the Fabric Cafe dialled 111.

Rupert, the manager of Little Creatures Restaurant, rushed over their AED device. The machine was then hooked up to my chest and I was shocked. This got my heart going again. Soon arrived no less than two ambulances, a fire engine and an on-call volunteer fireman who lived up the road! As well a church friend got involved, who had just arrived off the ferry. Recognising me he gave my personal details to the medics and then went around to my house and informed my wife.

Less than 10 per cent of cardiac arrest sufferers survive, and even fewer leave hospital without neurological damage. I was very fortunate indeed to have so many neighbours around me who responded so quickly.

What followed was four days in Auckland Hospital intensive care, where I was immediately put into a coma so that I could be intubated. Then followed another 34 days in North Shore Hospital Cardiac Ward. For most of this time I was being treated for a blood infection and then finally I was fitted with an ICD, – my own personal in chest, automatic defibrillator.

This wharf-side collapse happened 10 years after my original heart attack, which resulted in four stents. It was also nine years after I discovered Dr Caldwell Esselstyn’s book; ‘Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease’.

So, did the advice I followed in this book work or not? Well, yes, it did. In hospital no further heart plumbing or artery work was considered necessary and my cholesterol was recorded at an amazing 3.0 mmol/L, – way below the 3.8 mmol/L Dr Esselstyn considers to be cardiac safe. On the other hand, the thickening in my heart arteries hadn’t lessened. But while I credit my Whole Food Plant Based diet for my main artery stent being just as clear as it was 10 years before, a lesser artery or two may have degenerated. However, my heart no doubt had grown new vessels to compensate, so it’s hard to compare apples with apples.

I also have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, I’m not one of the three out of four who can cure high blood pressure through a plant-based diet. A while ago, I tried increasing my medication, but the next day was hot, and while watching a soccer game, I fainted. So I then chose to live with the blood pressure. However, in light of this collapse, I’m now endeavouring to again increase my medication.

For the record, assuming at the wharf I had a cardiac arrest, the doctors think that it would have been caused by historic scarring across my heart that momentarily stopped the electric current and my heart. Most of this scarring would have occurred prior to my plant-based diet change, caused by my high blood pressure.

So, will I go out running again? Younger, fitter athletes have ICDs inserted above their hearts for various medical reasons, and they continue to compete. So there is no clinical reason why I can’t resume running, even though some family members think I’m mad even to consider it. I still feel fit and would like to get out there again, so I probably will, but this time, I’ll try to find a minder or two to run with me.

And what about my loss of memory? Apart from that week, I believe my memory and brain is back to where it was (although my wife may think otherwise). Apparently, during that week, I thought John Key was our current Prime Minister (actually 2008-2016) and I later got caught on the “What year is it?” question (it’s not 2008). So if we meet out there and chat, please be gentle; who knows what else is still missing!

Note: This is the second of a two part article. Click Here to read part one.