CRAIG Martin won't be at his usual post at Wingham Services Club tonight running the weekly raffle for the Wingham Tigers Rugby League Club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Instead he will be at his Wingham home, recovering after having a stent inserted in a partially blocked blood vessel. He had the procedure at John Hunter Hospital on Tuesday after having what he described as a 'minor' heart attack the previous week.
"No raffles this week,'' he smiled.
"I've been told to rest for a while, but I'll be back as soon as possible and I'm feeling a lot better.''
He's hoping to make it to Wingham Bowling Club on Saturday, February 12 when the Wingham Rugby League Old Boys meet their Taree counterparts in the annual bowls challenge. However, he assures he'll be a spectator, not a participant this year.
In retrospect, Craig said there were probably a few warning signs.
"I had noticed that for the past six or eight weeks I was feeling lethargic. If I have an early start at work and get home early in the afternoon I usually look to do something - go to the footy ground, work around the yard, go into town,'' he said.
"But I was getting home and having a lie down.''
RELATED: Craig's timely warning
He was the subject of an online story in the Times the week when he had the heart attack. Here he stressed the need to act quickly should anything heart-related seem to be untoward.
He was still in Manning Base Hospital when the report appeared.
"I think every nurse at the Manning Base read it,'' Craig laughed.
"And when I got to Newcastle, people kept asking me if I was the bloke whose story was in the Taree Times for having a heart attack.''
Craig added he has been overwhelmed from the support he's received from the Wingham community and beyond.
"Blokes I played footy or cricket with or against from 30 or 40 years ago contacted me to see how I was going,'' he said.
Craig said it was a timely warning.
"If you feel that something is not right, go straight to hospital,'' he said.
"Don't muck around with these things. You may not get a second chance.''
Craig is 59. His dad, Johnny, the Manning's only test cricketer, died of a heart attack in 1992 when he was 60. Johnny had a history of heart problems.
As such Craig's made changes to his at times hectic lifestyle in recent years, but he promised there'll be further modifications.
"This has been a reality check,'' he emphasised.
"No-one is bullet proof.''
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram: @manningrivertimes
