Stuart Guest is one of the last people you'd expect to have a heart attack

But three months ago, he did.

"I was working at Queenstown over the June long weekend when I began experiencing back pain," Dr Guest said.

"I thought I had pulled a muscle as I had been lifting weights at the gym the day before.

"I did not have any chest pain or shortness of breath, so I shrugged the pain off."

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However, as his symptoms continued to worsen, Dr Guest realised something was wrong.

"When I couldn't eat breakfast, I knew something was not right," he said.

"I had some blood tests which showed very high troponin levels. This was when I realised I was having a heart attack."

Dr Guest was flown to the Launceston General Hospital where urgent surgery revealed a blocked artery at the back of the heart, causing back pain, and another severely narrowed artery in the front of the heart.

"The left anterior descending artery carries around 90 per cent of blood to the heart and mine was 90 per cent blocked," he said.

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"This artery is often referred to as 'the widow maker'. Had it been completely blocked, I wouldn't have made it."

It took four hours to clear the blockage and Dr Guest suffered a cardiac arrest during his surgery.

He said he is still coming to terms with how differently things could have ended for him.

"I wasn't ready to die then and I'm not ready to die now," Dr Guest said.

"There is still too much to do.

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"I've been given a second chance and I want to take that opportunity with everything I have.

"Now I am getting back into things, I recognise how lucky I am."

By sharing his story, Dr Guest hopes to encourage others to be proactive about their heart health.

"Heart problems can occur at any age. You don't have to be 67 like me," he said.

"You know your body best. If you experience something that's out of the ordinary, don't ignore it.

"Time is a critical factor. Ignoring it can be the difference between life and death. Get it checked."

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