Sorry to hear of your problems Gerald, and hope the treatment and recovery go well.
On the matter of looking out for signs, I find it hard to work out whether my slowing down on the hills is just part of the natural aging process or a sign of something more serious. The last time I troubled the NHS with leg pain that I thought might have been a sign of something more serious it turned out to just be a trapped nerve.
Caroline M3ZCB.
Phase 1 - my recovery is going well. I am walking around my local 2 mile circuit on a daily basis, seeing the time required gradually reduce. Admittedly, at the moment I am walking without a backpack, but there is sufficient incline to make me perspire lightly. Tonightâs time was 31 minutes. The amazing thing is that I have absolutely no muscle pain in my legs while walking or afterwards, an issue that I did suffer from prior to my heart attack which required regular stops, or to quote Pete M0COP, âstops for photographic opportunitiesâ. 
Phase 2 - today the Consultant confirmed that I will require a multiple bypass operation which might be anywhere between 2 and 6 months away, subject to NHS capacity. I am therefore focused on being fit enough to activate GM/WS-001 in the autumn of 2018, but who knows, I may be able to get up a summit or two before the operation if time and fitness allow.
73, Gerald G4OIG
I think everyone will be pleased hear you are making slow but positive progress. As for the bypass, serious but now a routine procedure, hereâs to the success.
I donât think WS-001 is going anywhere soon and your plan of an Autumn 2018 ascent is a nice plan for you to work to.
Good luck Gerald, sounds like a good challenge for next year. Hope you manage a smaller hilll like DC-002 as you gradually recover. All the best.
Paul
When you do it I will join you to drag this barrel of lard up the hill. I (a) have never activated it and (b) was last up when I was at Uni, which wasnât yesterday.
Anyone else for a celebratory outing (only the currently halt & lame should apply)? 
The only downside to agreeing to join in is being put to shame by guys older than me. I can see Geraldâs âFree-flowâ improved blood plumbing enabling him to to go into Usain Bolt mode. Then when we stagger to the summit, seeing him smiling with a fully set up antenna asking âwhat delayed us?â.
Surely the ultimate disappointment is when you pass the person on his or her way down having completed the activation and you are still to reach the summit. There are certain well-known activators who could easily have achieved that relative to my past performance, even on relatively small hills. My excuse has been that I like to see the flora and fauna, but in all seriousness, in hindsight the tell-tale signs were there in the need to take a break on ascents. I certainly hope that the new plumbing will make it easier going and as a result the hills even more enjoyable.
It would be a pleasure Barry. I will guarantee that the assembly will travel at the speed of the slowest member - it still could be me! 
73, Gerald G4OIG
That topic.
Would be good for sota to compile a brag list of those of us ( i am quite the robot myself) formerly deceased now running on all cylinders due to the miracle of modern cardiology. Show how you need not cash it in. Get out and do it.
Hi Gerald,
Firstly. Sorry for not hearing about your health problems sooner as I have been rather busy of late and not finding the time to get on the reflector. Glad to read that you are improving and that the bypass goes well. At least you are still getting about.
So you wonât want me or anyone else rushing you up a summit too fast for a while.
Secondly, I really need to get myself back in to some sort of routine so I can get back on the hills, really missing the leg ache, the cold, the wet, the fun, the views, etc. Everything is always ready to go with 30 minutes notice so I donât really have an excuse for myself and after reading your post I must get my finger oot!
Anyhoo, you take care and all the best from Cat and myself.
73 Neil
Thanks for sharing this OM, good advice for us all indeed!
Wish you a speedy recovery.
Hi Neil,
Good to hear from you. Thanks for not offering to drag me around a Galloway round of summits⌠we will leave that until you are back in shape. I wouldnât want to embarrass you.
Anyway, it would not be practical - I am now in limbo as far as SOTA summits are concerned. It is my own fault really as I have backed myself into a corner leaving just the larger summits south of the Glasgow - Edinburgh line to activate. Probably the easiest would be Broad Law which could be a bimble up the track from the north, but I have decided to leave that until I have tested myself on a couple of easier HuMPs which will require less driving as well. There are a couple of issues with the medication as well, not least me currently being almost an honorary member of the order of hemophiliacs - the anti-platelet drug I am on works too well, so I donât want to stray too far off into the wilds.
Regards to Cat and I hope you get sorted out yourself for some more Uniques.
73, Gerald G4OIG
Thanks Louis. It was a complete surprise, but it should not have been. I have SOTA to thank for keeping me reasonably fit for the past 11 years and for that reason I am in line for the full service, not just a decoke!
73, Gerald G4OIG
Well, as some regular SOTA chasers will know, I am back on the hills. Yesterday my initial âtestâ was on a couple of HuMPs in southern Scotland. I chose these as the nearest unique SOTA summit was over two hours drive from where we are staying in Northumberland and quite a long walk as well. I wanted to be fairly close to my car in case I had any issues. Thankfully all that I suffered was a bout of indigestion.
Over the next couple of weeks I aim to work up to activating some GM/SS summits with Paul G4MD, hopefully sometime next month. I look forward to working more chasers then.
73, Gerald G4OIG
P.S. Thanks to all the chasers who worked me. It was great to speak to you all.
Great to hear you from the hills again Gerald. It even inspired me to try to re-register with the summitsbase site - limited success.
Hope all continues to go to plan.
73,
Rod
Hi Rod,
It was great to work you yesterday - many thanks for the call which was much appreciated. Mike is doing some maintenance work on the site at the moment. The HEMA database is now on a new site accessed from Summitswatch.
I welcome the scheme as it allows me to activate new summits and keep my hand in between SOTA outings. Very useful when I am keen on new experiences each time I go out. There are some excellent hills in the Welsh Borders. I hope to do a few more quite soon.
73, Gerald G4OIG
I wondered why I was getting rather odd responses to my searches.
Pure chance that I caught you; I was looking out for Martyn
We try to do most of the SOTA WBs each year and the nearer MW and SW. Not really got into HEMA very much. Looking forward to working you if you head over this way.
73,
Rod
Hi All,
Iâm delighted to say that Gerald is once again feeling able to accede to the call of the GM hills and consequently weâll be out Monday to Wednesday next week bagging a few more uniques 
In deference to my lack of fitness generated by my sloth and idleness whilst Gerald has been enjoying a regime of healthy eating and much exercise, weâre going for a fairly gentle expedition on carefully selected targets, and have allowed plenty of bunce in the itineraries so timings are only approximate.
Slightly delayed due to the intervening circumstances, but this will be the tenth anniversary of our collaboration on SOTA activations and Iâd like to thank Gerald for his unstinting support, companionship and friendship over that period and look forward to getting the 20th anniversary activation in on time
Itâll be good to get back on the hills, hope the sky plays ball!
73 de Paul G4MD
Wishing you both a very fruitful trip and hoping for a possible s2s or unique chase.
73,
Rod
Speedy Recovery Gerald! Great news that there was no damage! I will certainly heed your warning!
Kent K9EZ