Apparently my heart is a bit strange. I have an abnormally sited artery - if it was a washing machine - it would be plumbed in wrong. The operation to rectify this will involve cutting off this artery that goes into the wrong chamber of the heart, and making another hole in the heart and reconnecting it. Quite involved!

As a consequence, I have had to give up work and I can't carry things. I get confused, because they say different things every time I see somebody else - a surgeon (usually fairly hot to trot) or a cardiologist or my GP (all of whom say I should lose weight before entertaining hopes of surgery, fear of a stroke being a factor).

Anyway everybody agrees I should lose weight and exercise more. I was going to private swimming pool at a hotel. Til some bright spark decided at the onset of summer (early may) to reduce the temperature of the water. it was so bloody cold I was getting angina.

I've got an exercise bike and a rolling stones record and I've started to count calories. I have a lot to lose - maybe seven stones (98lbs). I am going to check out another swimming pool this week.

I don't want to join a slimmers club as I have lost weight before with them, but they take too long a time - I need something a bit more drastic. Looking back I can understand my weight problems were due entirely to this heart condition - which was only revealed after nearly two years of tests, after I first got angina. It forced me into a lifetime of sedentary pursuits, without my hardly knowing it.

Of course, I didn't understand my body so I put weight straight back on - the moment I stepped off the slimming club regime. i wonder if my experiences of slimming ring any bells with any of you.