Blain MLA Mark Turner suffers unexpected cardiac issues
An NT politician is urging everybody to get their heart health checked after he spent time in hospital with sudden cardiac issues.
Northern Territory
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He towers over just about everyone in the Territory but an unexpected encounter with an ECG machine has forced Mark Turner to lie down and take it easy.
The Labor member and Blain MLA will undergo a procedure and tests on Wednesday to determine if the sudden incident was a heart attack.
The six-foot-nine politician was visiting his doctor last Monday for back issues when he started feeling unusual.
“I was at my GP getting results from an MRI after I did the disc at the bottom of my back with old mate at the servo,” he said.
“I then turned around and went ‘oh, my heart feels a bit funny’.
“It was a tightness in my chest, almost like somebody squeezing my heart.
“It wasn’t particularly painful … you get more pain from indigestion.”
Lucky to be with his wife Gemma, who is a nurse, and in a medical centre at the time, the father-of-six was immediately taken into an examination room and put on an electrocardiogram.
Mr Turner was then lucky to see a consultant “fairly quickly” at Palmerston Regional Hospital after there was a cancellation.
“The waves on the ECG indicated there’s some damage, so they’re now trying to work out what that damage is” he said.
“I have a procedure on Wednesday where they will do a CT scan and some radiation to see how my blood is flowing.
“It was completely out of the blue, I have no family history of heart problems.
“It makes you slam the brakes on when you can feel your ticker doing funny stuff.
“When something goes wrong with your heart, it definitely makes you consider your own mortality.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed it’s stress rather than anything more nefarious.”
Mr Turner is reminding Territorians to look after their heart, not least during the silly season.
“Heart disease is an issue for so many Territorians, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said.
“One of the things this highlighted to me is how incredible our nurses and doctors are.
“It’s never nice getting hospitalised, but they’re worth their weight in gold.”
Mr Turner is still undertaking some electorate duties as he recovers in his Palmerston home.
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