I regard myself as one of the fortunate ones who have been diagnosed with FH therefore receiving the necessary treatment unlike so many poor souls who simply die suddenly and it is only afterwards that the cause is known.

I was 35 years old when I suffered a heart attack. At that time I was, I thought, fit. I exercised regularly, was well within my prescribed weight, but I was I concede, at that time, playing rather too hard in my then job as a Detective Police Officer and I also smoked. I think some may say that because of my then lifestyle, my heart attack saved my life.

Because of my ‘dicky ticker’, I was taken off CID duties and a few months later forced to resign. I was lucky enough to obtain alternative employment in the job I am now doing, completely opposite my previous job as a Police Officer and became a Criminal Defence lawyer.

About 5 years after my heart attack – now a non smoker, but still reasonably fit or so I thought, I began to develop chest pain and to cut a long story short, in 1987 underwent triple bypass surgery. After the operation I felt fantastic. I hadn’t realised how poorly I was getting before the operation and I was told by the doctors to ‘get on with life’ as I was cured.

Within months I began to feel unwell again. I was eating, I now know, all of the wrong foods as I believed I was ‘normal’. It was only at this point that I was told that I had FH, some seven years after my MI.

Regrettably, even with strict diet and the prescribed drugs, my cholesterol levels kept creeping up and it was quite obvious that old age was certainly not looking much of a prospect. Again, as luck would have it, I found out about LDL Apheresis, which is a form of dialysis, where the blood is taken out from one site, the LDL filtered out and the ‘clean’ blood returned. I still have to take all of the drugs and stick to a strict diet, but have now been travelling from my home in Salisbury to Llandough Hospital in Cardiff every two weeks for treatment and have been doing so for approaching 16 years.

Without doubt, without this treatment I would by now have been just a memory to my family, but I regard myself as extremely fortunate, still in fulltime employment and enjoying my glass (or two) of red wine!

My main regret, it must be said, is that having carried on the family tradition with FH. I have passed it onto both my children and in turn grandchildren, but with luck, as they know they have inherited the disease, they will live life accordingly and be monitored, hopefully, preventing damaging heart disease.

As I say, I regard myself as fortunate compared to many with FH sufferers and with the support of my long suffering wife who has supported me throughout and continues to do so when I get a little fed up with needles, hope to one day retire and maybe even make old age. I already have my bus pass so I’m well on the way!

If my wife and I can offer any support or reassurance to anyone who has either just been diagnosed with FH or simply can’t get their head around the problem, we are only too willing to have a chat and offer our experiences.

Finally, the photo just proves that life can go on with FH, that’s me and my grandson (also FH) with our catch of the day.

David Fisher