Farming News – May 2022

A month ago, I had the feeling that I was starting to catch up with my work. The sun was shining and the land was drying out after winter. My greatest concern was the cattle movement restrictions brought on by bovine tuberculosis in a herd about two miles away; one of my arable fields fell into the restricted zone. Then on 6 April we tested positive for Covid, but because animals have to be fed, farm work still had to be done. Easter Sunday was the first day we could safely go out after 2 negative tests so we went for a coffee in the Dales. At this point I started to feel unwell. My lungs were on fire and I was certain that Covid had returned to bite me.

I drove home slowly and rested a couple of times before I finally got back. After calling 111 the medic asked “Did I have any Aspirin” and told me to crunch one up with my teeth and put it under my tongue. He suspected I was having a heart attack. The ambulance arrived almost immediately. I was taken to Darlington and after an hour in a corridor I was rushed to Cardiology and then ‘blue lighted’ to Middlesbrough. By 1 am on Monday morning I was in Theatre talking to the surgeon while he fitted a stent inside one of my main arteries. 20 minutes later I was heading for the recovery ward and home by Tuesday.

We wish Malcolm a speedy recovery.