Derryn Hinch, 80, admitted to hospital in Melbourne with ‘scary’ heart issue amid ‘pretty serious’ battle with skin cancer
Derryn Hinch has revealed he was admitted to hospital last week with a heart problem.
The 80-year-old suffers from atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat, and underwent electroshock therapy to reset his heart rhythm.
After being diagnosed a month ago, Hinch was treated at a Melbourne hospital and released the same day.
“I noticed I was getting short of breath and I thought ‘this isn’t normal’ so I went to my doctor and had an ECG (electrocardiogram),” he told the Herald Sun on Saturday.
“My cardiologist admitted me to hospital and on Thursday they gave me an electric shock to my heart, which was quite scary, but it worked,” he continued.
‘It has gotten my heart back into a normal rhythm and I will see how it improves my breathing in the coming weeks.’
Derryn Hinch (pictured) has revealed he was admitted to hospital last week with a heart problem
Hinch said he is recovering well and is in “good shape.”
It comes after the television star revealed he is dealing with a ‘pretty serious’ battle with skin cancer.
The Australian media personality said he is currently undergoing five weeks of daily radiation therapy in an attempt to get rid of a melanoma on his forehead.
The cancerous spot just below his hairline was first discovered by doctors in February and he had it removed, but doctors were unable to remove the entire area.
He then visited the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center to undergo another operation to remove the melanoma and is now undergoing radiotherapy as ‘insurance’.
Derryn said he takes the medical issue seriously and is just focusing on each day as it falls within the daily treatment schedule.
‘It’s not good. “I’ve had two operations on my face and they still need radiation,” he told the newspaper Herald Sun.
“The only good news is that they looked at a spot where I had surgery about eight years ago, on the other side (of his forehead) and it’s clear.
Hinch said he is recovering well and is in “good shape.”
It comes after the television star revealed he is dealing with a ‘pretty serious’ battle with skin cancer
“I tick off each day and once that day is over, it’s over. It’s quite serious, but as someone once said, that’s life.’
Derryn remained optimistic and said he is ‘feeling good’ as he has three weeks of radiation treatment left at the Alfred Hospital.
Earlier this year, Derryn revealed he almost lost his life in 2011 during a liver transplant during his first battle with cancer.
The former Victoria senator told how he died on the operating table and had to be resuscitated, as he shared how grateful he is for every day of his life.
‘I heard from my surgeon, Bob Jones, that I died on the table and they managed to get me back. “I have now lived thirteen years longer than I should have because it bothered me,” he told the newspaper Herald Sun at the time.
‘Since then I have had a political career, I have been a senator. I have been in journalism for over sixty years.’
The politician underwent a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer, and the organ was donated by Heath Gardner’s family.
But in 2020, the New Zealand-born broadcaster said he hasn’t spoken to the Gardner family in more than two years after he started drinking alcohol again after surgery.
‘They got very angry when I announced: ‘yes, I have had a drink again’. Even though I had my doctor’s clearance, they didn’t like that,” he told the Herald Sun’s Showbiz fired podcast.
“I will always recognize that family for what they did and for the fact that without them I wouldn’t be here,” he added, praising their generosity for keeping him alive.