My life was saved after I went for a £189 health MOT

I’ll never forget the moment my cardiologist looked at me, shook his head, and said: ‘You were cutting it fine, Mr Howells.’. I was sitting in his office, gripping the arms of the chair a little too tightly, as he explained that one of the main arteries in my heart was dangerously blocked, and could have failed at any moment.

When I signed up for a health assessment, I wasn’t expecting much more than a reassuring nod from a doctor, and to be told to keep doing what I was doing. I was 73, living a busy life as an artist in Cornwall, and felt pretty healthy all things considered. I walked my dog every day, I’d quit smoking years ago, and hadn’t experienced any major health issues.

But something nagged at me. A little voice in my head said, Just check, it can’t hurt. So, on instinct, I booked the test. I’d seen Bluecrest’s ads online for these full health MOTs, and since they weren’t offering them through the NHS where I lived at that time, for £189 I thought it was worth the money.

I went to a clinic just around the corner from me, had a few blood tests, a body composition scan, as well as testing things like blood pressure, and heart rhythm. The process was easy, and I was told I’d have my results within a week – so to be honest, I didn’t think much more about it after I left the room.

What happened next changed everything. The first red flag came in the initial results: an irregularity in my heart. It wasn’t something I had ever worried about before – I’d never had chest pains, never felt faint. That’s what was so scary about it all.

I took the report to my GP, who immediately referred me to a cardiologist and everything happened quickly after that. A series of tests followed, each one seemed more urgent than the next, and finally, an angiogram confirmed I had a serious blockage in one of my main arteries.

The cardiologist was very clear with me. Without intervention, I was at high risk of a heart attack. I sat there, stunned. I’d gone into this process expecting a routine check-up and was now facing the reality that my heart was apparently a ticking time bomb.

I underwent an angiogram – where a dye was injected into my arteries to highlight the blockage – and there was no debating the result. It was clear to see most of the blood vessels filled smoothly with the dye, with an obvious gap where the blockage was. Seeing it for myself really drove home the seriousness of the situation.

A stent was fitted immediately to restore my blood flow, and though it was uncomfortable and sore for a little while afterwards, it was nothing compared to the likely alternative outcome. I thought I was in the clear at this point. It was an ordeal, but something I could move past and continue what I thought was a healthy life.

As I got my strength back over the next few weeks, I felt grateful that this had been picked up early and was seemingly in the past. But my health journey didn’t stop there. A follow-up CT scan a few weeks later revealed new abnormalities in my lungs. After further tests, I was diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung condition.

It’s typical symptoms go unnoticed and begins to show gradually. The symptoms include:. This was news to me, and if I hadn’t had been in the doctors following up on my health MOT results, they would have never taken a closer look at my lungs. I’d just overcome one issue, to be hit with another felt insurmountable.

I had assumed that my breathlessness was just a normal part of aging, or due to my use of pastels in my artwork. To learn that the damage had already been done from smoking, even though I had given up 25 years ago, felt like a huge blow. I overhauled my lifestyle: while I had always been active, now, I was focussing more on breathing exercises and ensuring my environment was lung-friendly (goodbye smoky venues, dust and pet hair).

The diagnosis also forced me to reconsider how I worked. I said farewell to the pastels that had helped me to create beautiful (but dust heavy!) pieces, and shifted to acrylic painting – a cleaner alternative. Artistically speaking, it’s been a challenge as I feel like I’m starting from scratch again. But I also knew it was a necessary shift, and one I’m glad I made as I’m getting better every day.

As for my nutrition, whereas before I’d eat red meat, roast dinners, the lot, now I follow a plant-based wholefood diet. If you’d have told me 10 years ago that I’d genuinely be enjoying meat-free dinners and wholefood salads I’d have laughed!. How to eat your way to a better night’s sleep.

But what happened to me is no laughing matter, and I’m determined to take it seriously. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. Arrow MORE: I thought my baby was sleeping – then blood poured from his nose.