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Marco Gabbiadini opens up on worrying health diagnosis and needing triple bypass surgery

Former footballer Marco Gabbiadini opens up on worrying health diagnosis and needing a triple heart bypass surgery later this week.

The 56 year old has recently shared his emotional journey leading up to a significant health challenge and being diagnosed with a condition requiring triple bypass surgery.

Gabbiadini has publicly discussed his feelings of anxiety, frustration, and even anger as he awaits his procedure.

The need for this surgery came to light after Gabbiadini experienced what he initially described as a “slight issue” with his chest, which turned out to be a serious heart condition.

His heart was functioning at about 20% capacity due to an 80% blockage in his coronary arteries. Here’s what he had to say…

He said earlier this year: “It’s been a bit of a traumatic couple of months. I’m well. I’m not in any discomfort or feeling any, too many symptoms, but I’ve been diagnosed with requiring a triple heart bypass.

“So I spoke about it mainly because it’s a common thread with many diseases and and and, illnesses that, you know, us men aren’t very good at reporting these things and keep, you know, try and, keep a brave face and brush things aside. But I started my sort of journey to that diagnosis in September 2022.

So it’s taken a long time for what was just a very slight pain in the chest. And that was I was regular gym goer and fit.

“I’m the type of person who will run up the stairs rather than getting in the lift if it’s not too many floors and mainly to keep my knees going because my knees are knackered.

“But trying to keep fit, trying to keep active. You you you one of the traits of a sports person is that you do feel indestructible and you sort of feel like you you can do anything.

“I do have a lot of residual damage, should we call it, from being a professional sport, you know, for playing.

“You know, I was very lucky. I played, I think it’s 791 games. For nearly 20 years, I hardly missed a Saturday or a midweek game.

“And also on top of that, you know, if you wanna play on the weekend, you have to train most days of the week as well.

“So my body does feel a bit rusty and a bit sore.”

He spoke BBC Derby Sport’s Ed Dawes last week: “We’re aware that you, you know, you try gotta try if you if it’s possible to do so, make the most of the time that you’ve got. But saying that, I wasn’t expecting to get such a serious illness straight away, you know, 3 years into that.

“And the sad thing is that, you know, I reported the issue more than 2 years ago now, September 2022. But, you know, at that stage, we were you know, it’s probably the fittest we’ve been since I stopped playing, because we were back. We’ve got time to go to the gym after our our business life.

“And, you know, really all the stats and everything you had were really good. I was in the green zone for everything. But I’ve just kept getting this tiny little pain in my chest, which I reported to the doctor. And she said, oh, well, you know, you’re low risk. You haven’t got cholesterol. Your heart your blood pressure’s fine. Everything’s fine. But I’ll put, you know, I think the precautionary things to put you on some tablets and put you on on the list to see the specialist. Then he sees you and he says the same and then but we’ll put you through a stress test.

“But it took me nearly, I don’t know, 16, 18 months till I did the stress test, which actually gave the result what I was getting in the gym, which was to make my chest hurt.

“And I’ve been playing tennis, and my daughters have been houses where I’ve been knocking ceilings down and filling skips with rubble and all these things.

“And, realistically, I was probably one of them people who could have just dropped down at any time, and it’s you know, that’s been quite sobering, really, to understand that.

“And then I saw the cert finally, you know, had a angiogram, which showed up what I what I really had, which was major blockages in 3 the the the the the vessels that, support you know, supplied the heart. The heart is fine. You’ve got a strong heart, which is the those tubes were 80% blocked.

“So, you know, I don’t get breath out of breath or anything like that. So it’s just been and then, you know, I had a bit of a chat with a surgeon who was excellent, and I’ve got full confidence in him.

“But, you know, he said he needed to see me soon and that it was quite urgent. But then it took 5 months from that meeting to get an actual date for the for the for the surgery.

“So probably the worst time in history of the NHS to be on that waiting, you know, because it’s just I think they’re still playing a bit of catch up and from the backlogs from COVID, etcetera.

“But, yeah. So it’s been a pretty fraught summer, but at the same time, you know, we’ve all got friends and and family, unfortunately, who’ve got a lot worse things going on and having chemotherapy and all those other terrible things that that people have to go through.

“So I’m moaning, but I’m also thankful that there’s gonna be a good outcome for it.”

Ed Dawes: Have you dealt with it mentally then?

Marco replies: “I would say pretty good. So but I think the last few weeks when I’ve got I got my date a few weeks back, and I’m so borderline angry and, you know, frustrated and happy at the same time because I just I know that I’m fit and healthy and that I’ll be you know, from what they say, as soon as you’ve had the operation done, you feel a 100 times better.

“So but I think I’m just feeling frustrated and a I’m starting to feel a bit anxious, which only really ever had once in my life, and that was, when the banks went belly up in the banking crisis. I think that’s probably the only other time where I’ve ever felt as anxious as this.

“Sport, that was a doddle. That’s no problem there. Go out into the field, knock a few people over, score a few goals. That was easy.”

Ed Dawes: So because you were good at it.

Marco: Well, yeah, to a certain degree.

Ed Dawes: Well, I can speak for every single Derby County supporter who sends you best wishes and love for, the next week. In short, you know, you’ve got it all over the country with the teams you’ve played for.

Marco: Yeah. I mean, it was, very nice to see. I put I did make it public quite early just because I felt it’s the kind of thing that I think a lot of people could easily ignore, you know, the the little the slight I mean, it was a slight it wasn’t like a you know, when I can remember having a stitch in the old days when we used to have a big drink of water and go for a run and, you know, when we were particularly high-tech in our sports science, areas. And that used to hurt a lot.

“Well, this little pain that I used to, go, like, literally was only when I got to the very maximum of my ability, you know, on the treadmill or whatever.

“And then then it would go away as soon as I dropped my heart rate and, you know, so it was very only a very slight thing. So I think it was just good to sort of put the word out there and just say to people, you know, look.

“If if you do feel anything like that, you know, you gotta report it because, unfortunately, it does take a little bit time to to get it all seen to us as as proven by himself. But, yeah, when I did put that story out, the response from, the social media things and obviously, when you’re when you have played for a few clubs and actually not that many.

“I mean, it looks a lot with a few loans in there, but, you know, I spent most of my career at sort of 5 or 6 clubs, really. I’d 5 years at Derby, 4 at Sunderland, 3 at Northampton, 2 at Darlington, and started off with 3 at York. So they’re all pretty good stints.

“But, yeah, the response has been really good. And you forget that people you know, when you move on from club to club, you may, you know, I had always thought I had good relationships with people, you know, whether it was the groundsman or the ticket office ladies or, you know, club secretary or whatever.

“But, you know, sometimes keeping all those people in your memory when you move on to another club and you meet another set of people, I used to I do find that difficult sometimes.

“So but I have heard from a lot of people like that, and it’s been very, very nice to to get their support. And, I also get a lot of support from, teams that I’ve never played for fans as well who who remember I think because I had quite a different name in the era that I played.

“It was before, obviously, a lot of the, international players came to this country. So my name always used to stand out on that team sheet, I think, alongside, you know, the Williams and the, you know, the Simpsons and the, you know, names like that. So, I think there’s a lot you know, people remember my name, which is which is quite nice.”

Fans gave their reaction as Marco Gabbiadini opens up on worrying health diagnosis and needing triple bypass surgery…

@JimmyRamBelieve: They have identified the blocked arteries now so that’s a major thing – they may put stents in – I had 2 – it came out the blue – but after you will be fine. Anxiety and stress and overwork are the big killers – Marco- top Ram❤️

@cjohn101: Have to disagree with Marco at the end of his interview. Fans remember him because he was a bloody good player and always gave 110% for whoever he played for. Fans appreciate that. Nat because he had a foreign name 😀

@AdrianPacey: Get well soon Marco first player I had on my shirt remember my mum saying it’s Marco 10 not Gabbiadini cause of the cost 🤣

@MarkDsmiggy: I can relate to a lot of what Marco is saying. I got diagnosed with the same thing 4 years ago and had a triple heart bypass. Very scary but necessary operation. Well said about getting checked out for what might seem like a minor pain.

@Davy_Craig: Good luck, Marco!

@PeteGerrard: Good luck @marco_ten 🐏

@bainsharjyot: Good luck Marco 🐏🐏

@Krs0774: Legend and probably my all time fav player, just from an era I remember well a shirt era I adored. Good luck Marco 🐏👍🏻

@mattbregazzi: Olé olé olé olé, Marco! Marco!

@johnste20936094: Best wishes for a speedy recovery Marco, you brought lots of happiness in my youth at Roker and beyond …..

@Weetfish0077: Had heart surgery in October 23. Best decision ever. Am a new man at 51. You will be great once it is done. Best wishes, legend! You have got this ⚽️👍♥️😎❤️😉

@2021Wazza: Good luck Marco. You’re in good hands mate. With the NHS👍

@Shelts_6: Ole , ole, ole, ole…

@trucker_euro: All the very best Marco, Get your health back and let’s see you down at Pride Park for a game or two would love to see you

@SAFCNE1: Best of luck Gabbers and hoping for a speedy recovery 🏃🏼‍♂️💨 ♥️

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