A Bendigo man who suffered a mild heart attack admitted he felt a wave of relief, as it struck just hours before he was due to help a mate move house.
Brad Sutherland, 47, was taken to Bendigo Hospital on Saturday morning after he experienced severe chest pain and shortness of breath, which he described as "perfect timing, all things considered."
"Look, I'd rather not have a heart attack," he said. "But honestly, Damo has so much crap. Seriously, it's a lot. And none of it is packed right."
Three weeks earlier, Sutherland's friend Damien Kowalski had asked him to help with the dreaded move. Sutherland agreed, but admitted he had a bad feeling about it from the beginning.
"I tried everything," Sutherland said. "I faked a busy calendar, claimed I might have work, even thought about staging a bout of food poisoning. Then my left arm went numb, and I thought, 'Thank Christ for that.'"
Paramedics said that after confirming Sutherland was having a heart attack, his first words were, "So, I should probably let Damo know I can't make it, hey?"
Kowalski, still busy with the move, said he completely understands.
"Mate, if I could have a heart attack to get out of this, I bloody would too," Kowalski said as he carried a box to his Nissan Cube.
Doctors say Sutherland's heart attack was minor and he will make a full recovery. They advised him to avoid stress, guidance he is now using to avoid helping friends with anything for the near future.
"The cardiologist said I need to keep my stress levels down," Sutherland explained. "So that means no helping people move, no going to engagement parties where I don't know anyone, and definitely no overseas weddings. Doctor's orders."
