Peter's story

“My heart attack was caused by stress. My cholesterol levels were great, and I was at peak fitness, but I still had a heart attack. Now I’m back at work, I have a different take on life. I won’t let myself get into stress mode anymore.” 

Peter had a heart attack on 4 November 2019. Just two weeks before, he’d finished a half Ironman and got his best time ever.  

That day didn’t start well for Peter. He had finished a challenging endurance race the day before and had woken up struggling to breathe with pain in his chest. He put the pain down to muscle soreness and went to work. But at work he could hardly breathe, and thankfully went to the nearest doctor’s surgery. They immediately rang an ambulance and an ECG showed that he was having a heart attack. He went to hospital and had a stent fitted.  

Since his surgery, Peter is gradually getting back to doing the things he loves. But it hasn’t been easy because of the damaged caused to his heart.  

“I’ve struggled to get back into running. I suffer from anxiety and I’m often fearful that my heart isn’t strong enough. At the beginning of a run, I feel like I can’t breathe, and my heart feels like it’s going through my chest. Once I’m in my flow I feel like I could run all day.” 

Peter was told that his fitness saved him, and that stress was the cause of his heart attack. He is still competing and running regularly and trying to overcome his anxiety with help from his wife and his coach.    

Sanjay’s Heart Healing Patch could make a world of difference to people like Peter. Support our research into regenerative medicine by donating to BHF today.