‘A bit of veda or toasted soda bread with butter is a very hard thing to resist’

Gerry Darby, Strategic Manager of Lough Neagh Partnership, tells us about his health

Meditation: Gerry Darby built a small Japanese garden after his illness

Gerry Darby

May 31 2022 11:00 AM

Do you take regular exercise and if so, what?

I do a good bit of walking in spring, summer and autumn but winter seems to mess with my head and body. The indulgence of Christmas is really bad and between excessive eating and staying indoors I generally put on up to a stone, although I can usually lose it later in the summer

What is the worst illness you’ve had?

I had a major burst aneurysm on my ascending aorta, just above my heart, two years ago and after a 13-hour operation I was in an induced coma for five days. I now have a new artificial ascending aorta and mechanical heart valve and will be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. The rest of my descending aorta has a dissection and I have another developing aneurysm in my stomach area. Having said that, it’s not as bad as it sounds, as I am well checked and looked after by the NHS and will probably have to have another operation in a year’s time. I still lead a very full and active life, just one not as physically exertive as before.

How healthy is your diet?

My diet has changed significantly since my illness. I try not to eat red meat anymore although I wouldn’t be fundamentalist about it. Fish or chicken are usually the meat on my dinner plate and generally I eat a more Mediterranean diet with lots of olive oil. My big killer both real and metaphorically is bread. We make such great bread here in Ireland that a bit of veda or toasted soda bread with butter is a very hard thing to resist.

Any bad habits?

I have no real bad habits apart from drinking too much coffee. I would maybe drink seven or eight cups of coffee a day and just love waking up in the morning, getting a big cup of coffee and just relaxing and thinking for 15 minutes before all the hustle and bustle of the day starts.

Do you drink and smoke/ if so how much?

I used to smoke in my twenties and thirties and that probably did the damage to my aorta. I also think I drank too much.

Organising, educating and generally bringing up young kids in your thirties and then trying to balance this with work and developing your career 24 hours a day was, in hindsight, a bit stressful, and I think I drank too much wine during the week and at weekends to try and wind down but of course this was just the wrong thing to do.

I have cut back significantly and drink only socially with good friends at the weekends but my wife still thinks I drink a bit too much.

Do you take any supplements?

I take a bit of vitamin D and zinc supplement to help my immune system but apart form that I am a firm believer in getting your minerals from fresh fruit, vegetables and meat.

There seems to be a lot of quackery and general bulls*** around the topic.

How do you take time out?

I take time out by walking, sailing and also spending a lot of time in my garden. After my illness I decided to build a small Japanese garden and I have gone about it “full works”.

So, in the good weather I am either at the beach, on the sea or I am out just relaxing and doing a bit of meditation or generally tottering about feeding my fish and pruning maple trees.

How well do you sleep?

I sleep very, very badly and snore heavily and have a bit of sleep apnoea. The local Trust gave me a machine to help me breathe better but I just cannot use it. I do some tongue exercises to firm up the tongue muscles but really the main thing I should do is just loose a bit more weight.

Do you worry about getting old?

I don’t really worry about getting old or my own mortality. My son lived in China and he is a great Confucius fanboy and often refers to one of his great quotes which goes something like: “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realise we only have one.” The effect of my serious illness has without doubt changed my philosophical view of life itself. Before my illness I think I played life too safely but I now see it as something of a beautiful twilight adventure and I encourage my sons not to be safe in their own young adult lives but to take risks and push boundaries. In a strange way, my illness has been the best thing that has ever happened to me: I am almost “born again”.

What is your go-to product that keeps you feeling healthy?

None, apart from a small motorbike I recently bought and share with one of my sons.

The sense of freedom mixed with the risk and danger makes you know you are really alive. Very Yin and Yang!

For further information please visit facebook.com/loughneaghartisans

‘A bit of veda or toasted soda bread with butter is a very hard thing to resist’

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