Phil's Heart Story
As part of our partnership with the British Heart Foundation, we are share incredibly moving heart stories from inspiring PureGym members, all to raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases.
Phil was diagnosed with hypertrophy cardiomyopathy when he was 23. Over 10 years on, he’s reflecting and sharing his story to prove you can still live a fulfilling, active life with his heart condition.
This is his story.
How did you learn about your condition?
I found out about my heart condition when my dad died in 2013.
It was only when I saw his death certificate that I was a little shocked that he had a heart disease without me even knowing. That was when I decided to go and get myself checked out at the doctors.
I had a lot of tests completed in terms of Eco scans of the heart, MRIs, and DNA testing to see how damaged my heart was. After a few ECGs and blood tests, that's when I found out that I had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophy Cardiomyopathy is an inherited disease that causes the muscle wall of the heart to get thicker, which over time can affect how well the heart can pump blood around the body (BHF).
Can you remember what was going through your mind after your diagnosis?
When I got the news about my heart condition, the first thing that went through my head was that I was going to die. I was thinking about all the worst things that could possibly happen to me. Would I ever be able to have kids? Would I ever be able to play sports again or go to the gym? And what happens next because there’s no cure for this?
I was in a bad place after my diagnosis and would often get in my head. As soon as I would feel a little pain in my chest, I was straight on the phone to the doctors.
I had to come to terms the fact that this condition was a part of me now, and I have to live with it.
I think when I got to that point, I just wanted to know how serious my condition was, and I needed to get answers from the doctors.
What have you since learnt about the condition?
Although I know that there is no cure for my condition and the likelihood of my ventricle getting bigger is slim, there are things to help reduce the risk of it getting worse. For example, the right diet and light exercise helps.
How has it changed your day-to-day life? Any significant lifestyle changes?
At first, my day-to-day life did change after my diagnosis. Until I knew what was going on and how I could manage my condition, there was a period of time where I became insular and essentially just shut down. I had to stop playing football and basketball, which were both sports that were really important to me and that made a big impact.
Today, still one of the biggest things I miss is playing competitive sports, like football.
However, now I know that I can’t do this because it’s a high intensity contact sport, instead, I choose to play five a side - I just make sure I'm aware of how hard I'm playing to stay safe. The same goes for playing basketball. I still play for fun, but all the competitiveness has now stopped so that I’m not putting too much stress on my heart.
For me that felt like big sacrifice for a long-term gain. It took a while for me to get used to that, but I enjoy it now and keeping myself safe is my priority.
What are your hopes going forward?
Going forward I would like people to know that they are not alone.
People who haven't got heart conditions may find it hard to understand what someone with a condition is going through. Therefore, it can feel isolating. However, those around you can be your biggest support – you just need to reach out and be open.
I also hope people who have the same condition as me can look at me and see that it does get better. You don’t need to stop living your life to the fullest, there are just small adjustments that need to be made.
What would be your message to others experiencing a similar journey?
There’s more awareness of heart conditions now than there was before, and there is more information out there to help you make sense of having a heart condition and the impact it has on your life - make sure you use this information to support you.
Make sure that you’re also reaching out to people, whether that’s loved ones for a chat or professionals for support – you're not alone and we can all help each other through tough times together.
Inspired by Phil’s story?
It is estimated that 1 in 2 of us will have a heart of circulatory disease in our lifetime, so it’s important to keep educating yourself about heart health and what you can do to support your own heart health.
We’re here to help...
We are proud to be the official gym partner for the British Heart Foundation. We're working together to help inspire a healthier nation, one heartbeat at a time.
Free blood pressure checks: All PureGym's offer free blood pressure checks for members, just ask your gym team for further details.
Defibrillators in each gym: Each PureGym has a defibrillator on-site and these can be lifesaving in a critical situation. You can find out how to use a defibrillator on the BHF website.
Free CPR training: The day you need to do CPR comes when you least expect it. This #RestartAHeartDay learn CPR with the British Heart Foundation's free online training tool, RevivR. It only takes 15 minutes. Start your CPR training here.
BHF Heart Helpline: Experienced cardiac nurses at the British Heart Foundation Heart Helpline are on hand to help answer questions or concerns about heart and circulatory diseases, and their risk factors.
For more information visit BHF Heart Helpline.
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