After weeks of unexplained fatigue, a frightening trip to the emergency room brought a diagnosis: a heart condition requiring urgent attention. Tony Jackman writes candidly about the shock and the enforced pause as he prepares for surgery.

Just when I thought it was safe to wade back into the waters of my life, after an episode in Johannesburg that I told you about only a week ago, life has thrown me a much bigger curveball.

This means I have to beg your indulgence for some weeks while, first, I wait for a medical procedure to be done and, thereafter, recover from it.

Daily Maverick, I must tell you, is not only brilliant at exposing corruption, helping to dismantle State Capture, and the many investigative exposés that have had our nation agog for many years now.

This newspaper is also wonderful to work for, supremely kind to its staff, and has now told me not to do any work until all this is over and I have recovered.

All this? Last Sunday, settling down for a nap -- I have been getting very tired daily for a long time now, and naps have long been a normal part of my days -- I rolled over and was suddenly in pain all down the left side of my torso, and across the chest, as well as all the way across my lower back and even in the left side...