In the summer of 2003, I suddenly felt breathlessness and palpitations in my chest. My wife dialed 999 and within minutes I was rushed to the ER of a local hospital, where the tests revealed a blocked artery of the heart, through a procedure known as angiography. At the time, I was a Principal Consultant working for the UK 's National Health Service (NHS). My life was not particularly stressful, though hectic.

My Cardiologist prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs and a beta-blocker called Atenelol. Weeks passed by but I only felt worse. My wife and I thought of seeking a second medical opinion. That is how I discovered that Drexia medCare offered this service. At the time, I did not have a clue that a few months later, I would be joining Drexia as Director of their Physician & Hospital network in Europe .

Drexia forwarded my records to a Cardiologist, Dr. Cotter who is affiliated with a teaching hospital in Manchester . He advised my doctor to replace Atenelol with Bisoporal to be taken in the morning instead of the evening. This simple change made a big difference and I felt better within 24 hours. My palpitations and breathlessness improved to near normal and two years on, I am free of any symptoms. I play frisbee with my kids, ride the bike and walk up and down the hill as briskly as the kids do. Not bad at 48!

When I came upon the opportunity to join Drexia medCare, I accepted it with open arms because I knew how helpful a second medical opinion can be for the patient and their families. For us, it certainly made a big difference.

At Drexia, we treat our patients like family and take great pleasure and joy in seeing them get well.

Even non life-threatening conditions such as infertility, or fatigue, or chronic gastrointestinal discomfort can ruin one's personal as well as family and professional life. I encourage you to seek a second medical opinion if you are suffering from a prolonged illness or have a health concern – it could change your life too.

Feel free to contact me personally if I can be of any help. Since I travel a lot, E-mail is my preferred means of communication. I promise to reply all E-mails, although at times it can take a few weeks. If your message is urgent, please call our Customer Services. Their details are on the web.

To your health!

Howard Cannon
Director Physician & Hospital Network ( Europe )
Drexia medCare UK .
HowardCannon@drexia.com