Brian May, virtuosic guitarist of Queen, “suffered a small heart attack” earlier this month after doctors found three blocked arteries.
After shredding the muscles in his backside while tending to his garden, the legendary guitar player has revealed further details of the medical problems he has had since the episode which led to his “very near death”.
Brian May experienced a series of serious health-related problems after tearing muscles in his rear-end while gardening earlier this year.
The legendary guitarist had three stents fitted into his heart due to the artery blockages. Brian May expressed that he was still in critical agony a week after he got out of hospital from the gardening anomaly. The 72-year-old explained that “he wanted to jump at some points,” resulting in him being readmitted for an MRI scan and angiogram.
Although May clarified that he did in fact rupture his gluteus in the garden, the severe pain he had was caused by a compressed sciatic nerve.
“And … why did those discs in my spine get so squished? Well I think 50 years of running around with a guitar strap over my left shoulder holding a heavy guitar might have something to do with it !” revealed Brian May on his Instagram.
“But it probably WAS all worth it!”
During the period, May said he experienced chest pain and tightness that ended up being a small heart attack. He was advised to undertake open heart surgery but decided on taking up the alternative procedure of having three stents implanted in his chest.
He also expressed his dissatisfaction for the drugs he was prescribed to ease the pain caused by the sciatic compression.
“It was a “horrible trip,” he said. “I don’t know what’s worse: the pain or the painkillers.”
The heart problem came as a shock to the 74-year-old as he considers himself to maintain a generally healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. Brian May suggested that everyone over the age of 60 should have an angiogram to be on the safe side.
“Everyone says, ‘You’ve got great blood pressure, great heart rate’, I keep fit on my bike, a good diet, not too much fat. We’ve all got to really look at ourselves as we get to the autumn years. What seems to be a healthy heart may not be.”
Looks like Brian May might need someone else to get down low and weed his garden in the future…
