Being told that you have a hole in your heart and you need to take a break from football is not what Alloa defender James Creaney ever wanted to hear however he is glad that he did.
The 25-year-old former Kilmarnock, Stranraer and Dumbarton player is taking the rest of the season off after having an operation to insert a valve and fix a heart problem that could have seriously affected him in later life and as he puts it itself, “I have not been unlucky, I have been very lucky.”
Creaney explained what happened to him: “I was playing with Dumbarton about a year and a half ago when I suffered terrible chest pains. They were so bad that I was sent for a scan at the Southern General Hospital and the result of that was that I had to go for a MRI at Ross Hall.”
“I was told it was nothing to worry about and things would be looked into as a matter of course so I kept playing away for the next 12 months as I waited for my date for the MRI.”
“I got that done in November and then I was sent for two months ago and told that there was a problem in my heart. The problem was that I had a hole in it.”
Creaney added: “The left side of my heart has been getting stretched and whilst it was not a problem now, if nothing was done I could have a problem in my forties or fifties.”
“Of course it was a bit of a shock however I opted for surgery which involved getting a valve fitted via a procedure that saw them operate through my groin.”
That took place last month and Creaney said: “The operation went well and I am really pleased that it has. The alternative was to have open heart surgery to get it done and I am glad I avoided that.”
The procedure means no football at the moment but that will not always be the case with Creaney saying: “I have decided to write the rest of this season off and get myself ready for next season. I could have pushed things and tried to play again in this campaign but everyone agreed that it was best not to rush back.”
“Some people may say ‘oh that’s a shame that you have a hole in your heart’ but I view myself as lucky. Football had to become secondary for a while and whilst those chest pains 18 months ago were the most extreme pain I had ever experienced, they saved my life.”
Those pains however were unrelated with Creaney saying: “However they were nothing to do with my heart. No-one can work them out yet but they have never come back but if I did not have them I may not have been so lucky and found the hole in my heart which has been there since I was born.”
“There is no added benefit to me just now in the operation and I have not survived anything just because as I was fit and a footballer. The right side of your heart should be bigger than the left side but for me both sides were the same. What this has done has made me better for later in life.”
There is another reason Creaney wants back into action as he explained: “I want to get back playing again as my last game for Alloa was ironically against Dumbarton and it was a disappointing day. We lost 5-1 and it was a day to forget.”
“I need to get back playing as I don’t want that to be my last game.”
Alloa have been good supporters of their player with Creaney adding: “The club have been brilliant and the physio Niam Mohammed, as well as the club doctor Robert McElroy, have helped me a lot. I never spoke to anyone else about it but they both said that I would get back to playing after my operation.”
“They told me to go for it as soon as I could and then get ready for playing again.”
When Creaney was diagnosed the Wasps were going through a change in management after Paul Hartley had left and new boss Barry Smith came in.
Creaney opted to keep quiet until the dust settled as he was due to be sitting out for a couple of weeks due to an ankle injury.
“The new manager was just in the door and I did not tell him until he had been in for a while,” said Creaney before adding: “I had suffered an ankle injury so it was not like lying to him about my fitness. Once I got my date in for my operation I went in and spoke to him and he was terrific.”
“He told me to have the operation and then come back and prove that I am good enough to be in his team. He has been very understanding and he will help work with me to fit during pre-season.”
Kind hearted Danny Swanson sent a message of support to Creaney after discovering that the duo have both overcome heart problems to keep playing football.
The former Berwick Rangers and Dundee United player got in touch after hearing about the operation and told Creaney had a future in the game.
Creaney was delighted with Swanson’s support just a couple of days after helping the Posh to Wembley success and Creaney said: “When my story got out in Scotland Danny’s mum told him all about me. He got in touch and said that he has been able to have a good career despite having had two heart operations when he was a baby and one when he was 13.”
“He has been able to go out and play every week and he had not long won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy when he contacted me.”
“It was really good of him to do that as I had never played against him or knew him from his time playing up here.”
“Alloa have also been very good with me and I will pop in and see them next week once I have had a scan to check that the device in my hearts is all okay. I have had to let things heal as you can imagine after surgery.”
After the expected thumbs up at the check-up Creaney is hoping to get ready to be playing next season as he explained: “Hopefully I will get the green light to start jogging once I have been checked over and be in decent shape for pre-season.”
“I started off at Kilmarnock and they had a spell at Ayr United and then Dumbarton before coming to Alloa. I have had 8 years in the game and I am to get another 8 years at least as after all I am lucky.”
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