GEORGE West will begin his league season with Droylsden with a new attitude after a serious health scare.
After suffering one definite heart attack – and maybe three – it is a wonder he is starting the campaign at all.
The Bloods’ captain called it a day after his medical trauma, with the one ‘definite’ episode occurring during their match two days before Christmas.
But striker West had already had one suspected heart attack, with another to come.
However, after being resigned to never kicking a ball in a competitive match again came the news he thought would never come – his heart is fine and the issues may have been caused by an infection, which has cleared.
So he will be lining up for Droylsden’s North West Counties League First Division North opener against Euxton Villa on Saturday, July 27 – knowing what he has been through has changed him.
“I definitely had a heart attack,” said now 28-year-old West. “How many, we don’t know.
“I had three occasions when I had symptoms – the first in October, in December and January.
“If I was to say one was definite, it would be the second. I had to pull over when I was driving but I kept it to myself, I was looking for excuses for it. I was telling myself, ‘I ate too late or I had my armband too tight.’
“In October against Sandbach, I played a game and my left arm started going numb then after it, I had crushing chest pains.
“I didn’t go to hospital the first time but the second time was the worst. I was throwing up and was in a lot of pain, I couldn’t move.
“That was during a game at Eccleshall, two days before Christmas, and I remember I was cautious about playing against Market Drayton on Boxing Day.
“The third one was against Abbey Hulton. I put my armband on my right arm, I made sure I ate really early. When it happened again, I was like, ‘I have to get this seen now.’
“It would happen on a Saturday I’d have a sore chest on the Sunday then I’d be fine again. I didn’t have any other signs. It only showed when I exerted myself.”
An MRI scan confirmed one heart attack and also West’s decision to stap away from playing as its causes were not known.
A subsequent angiogram, though, gave him the news he thought he would never hear.
West added: “The doctors advised, ‘I wouldn’t worry about football too much. We need to find out what’s causing it.’
“The main concern was my arteries. ‘Yes, you’ve had a heart attack. Now we need to make sure there are no blockages. If there was, I’d have needed surgery.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not playing football again. This is serious.’
“It’s very rare for a 27-year-old to be having a heart attack. Cardiac arrest is reasonably common but a heart attack isn’t.
“I said, ‘I’m not playing again. That’s it’ After the angiogram, I asked the doctor, ‘Will I be able to play football again?’ He scoffed and went, ‘Yeah.’
“I was taking blood thinners, statins, everything under the sun. When I had my angiogram, though, it turned out my arteries and heart are healthy – even though there’s a bit of damage to it.
“I’m completely fine. I must’ve either had a blockage that’s been and gone, or a respiratory infection, which is more likely.
“I’d had signs, I couldn’t lie on my left side and felt like I had a heavy heart. I didn’t think much of it.
“Now if anyone feels those early symptoms I had, I’d tell you to get it checked – although I wasn’t in any pain, I had a feeling.”
Droylsden made a successful return to action after being mothballed for three seasons, reaching the play-off semi-finals in First Division South.
A movement across to the North division sees a new set of opponents for Dave Pace’s men.
But the team aims at the Butcher’s Arms are the same and West, who has been restricted to just 45 minutes action in each pre-season game, has a few targets in his mind.
He told the Correspondent: “Now me playing is my priority. When it gets taken away from you, you don’t know how lucky you are to play.
“When I play now, it’s something I didn’t think would happen. Now playing again is about enjoying it.
“I still have nerves. I saw cardio rehab and they put me on an ECG while walking fast on a treadmill, which put my mind at ease a bit.
“It’s not a case of, ‘You’ve got something.’ It’s a case of, ‘You had something, it’s been treated and your heart is fine.’
“I play 45 minutes and it’ll be like that until I build myself back up but mentally, it’s been horrendous.
“For seven months I’ve had anxiety and never experienced things I had before.
“Last season, I scored 29 goals in 31 games and got 14 assists, so had I not had this I was probably going to score 35-40 – that was my target.
“Now it’s just to be playing for 90 minutes. I just want to get back to full health and normality.”