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<\/p>\nA 60-year-old man who spent a day working on his farm before driving himself to hospital with a heart attack is urging people not to ignore symptoms.<\/p>\n
Portrush farmer Robert Nevin woke in the middle of the night in February 2024 with what he believed was indigestion.<\/p>\n
He got up early the following morning and worked for five hours on his farm, before driving himself to hospital.<\/p>\n
It was only then that he was told he was having a heart attack.<\/p>\n
When Nevin woke up that morning, he said he had a “defined pain” in his chest.<\/p>\n
“I described it like someone smacking me with a fist”.<\/p>\n
At the time, Nevin worked on his farm with his brother, milking and feeding cows each day.<\/p>\n
“It has to be done, it doesn’t matter what is happening, that has to be done every day,” he said.<\/p>\n
Despite experiencing the chest pain, Nevin ate his breakfast and went to work on the farm for five hours.<\/p>\n
He arrived home for lunch at about midday and his wife Lorna, who is a nurse, saw he was still in pain and told him she was taking him to hospital.<\/p>\n
Nevin insisted on driving himself to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.<\/p>\n
At this point, Nevin said the pain in his chest was “ramping up”.<\/p>\n
Tests were carried out at the hospital and Nevin was informed he was having a heart attack. He was then blue-lighted by ambulance to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.<\/p>\n
“It was quite a shock,” Nevin said. He said the news of the heart attack hit him “like a ton of bricks”.<\/p>\n
“I had just come off a working day. Every day previous to that I had no symptoms that were leading up to this that I was ignoring. You’re just coming from total normality and routine to ‘bang’.”<\/p>\n
A heart attack happens when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. This is a medical emergency. A lack of blood to the heart may seriously damage the heart muscle and this can be life threatening.<\/p>\n
‘A massive weight off my mind’<\/p>\n
Portrush farmer Robert Nevin with wife Lorna, sons Jack and Peter, and dog Callie [Darren Kidd\/BHF]<\/p>\n
Nevin went on to have a stent fitted and was put on medication. A number of weeks after leaving hospital, he began a 12-week cardiac rehab programme.<\/p>\n
Since his heart attack, Nevin has adjusted his daily farming routine.<\/p>\n
“Dairy cows just demand every night and every morning,” Nevin said.<\/p>\n
“Long story short, we sold our milking cows,” he said.<\/p>\n
Now, Nevin has more flexibility with his mornings and evenings.<\/p>\n
“We just don’t have to be there every day,” he said, adding: “That’s a massive weight off my mind.”<\/p>\n
Nevin is hoping his story will help others, especially those in farming.<\/p>\n
“The easiest thing for all of us is just to ignore signs or feelings within your body,” Nevin said.<\/p>\n
“Be aware of your blood pressure, your cholesterol, go along to a health centre and get that taken and at that point at least you can be proactive,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We service our cars, we service our tractors, but wouldn’t it be good if we could have a little check up on ourselves now and again. Look into your health and don’t ignore signs.”<\/p>\n
How many people die of cardiovascular disease in Northern Ireland?<\/p>\n
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