Sam Newman’s Health Journey and Future Travel Plans
Sam Newman, a well-known figure in Australian media, has been open about his recent health challenges while also sharing his excitement for an upcoming overseas trip. At 80 years old, he is still planning to travel this year, despite the recent medical concerns that have come his way.
Newman recently revealed he is preparing for another surgery just three months after suffering a stroke that left him temporarily unable to speak. This candid admission was made during the latest episode of the You Cannot Be Serious podcast alongside co-host Wayne Carey. The conversation took a casual turn as they discussed travel plans and AFL footy tips.
“I’ll definitely be in hospital at some stage next week,” Newman told listeners, before quickly shifting the topic to a game of poo bingo he had discovered at Big W. His approach to the situation was light-hearted, showing that he remains unfazed by the upcoming procedure.
The former Geelong Cats champion appeared unconcerned by the upcoming surgery, even though it came only months after he spent 10 days in hospital following two transient ischemic attacks, commonly known as mini strokes. Carey remarked on how well Newman seemed to have recovered since the incident.
“You’ve recovered beautifully,” Carey told him during the episode.
Newman confirmed he has been taking blood thinners since the stroke and described the medication in his typical colorful manner. “I’ve had to go on blood thinners since the had the two-stroke since you know it’s like putting two-stroke fuel in instead of four stroke fuel,” he said.
The discussion about surgery came up during a conversation about Newman’s plans for an overseas trip. Carey raised concerns about the dangers of long-haul flying after a stroke. “You get um deep vein thrombosis DVT… does that come into [it]?” he asked.
Newman explained there had been restrictions on when he could safely travel following the stroke. “It’s got to be three months after,” he said. When Carey pointed out the timing had arrived quickly, Newman replied: “Oh, three months.” “Jeez, that’s gone quick,” Carey responded.
Newman did not disclose the exact nature of the surgery or provide much detail about the severity of the stroke beyond discussing the medication and travel limitations. However, he previously shared that he suffered the mini strokes while out in Port Melbourne with partner Sue Stanley, who realized something was wrong and called an ambulance.
Doctors later discovered a narrowing carotid artery in the left side of his neck, which was allowing small blood clots to travel to his brain. Newman temporarily lost speech and strength in both arms during the episode. “A little fleck of blood went into my brain, and I lost speech temporarily, and I lost strength in both my arms, but that was very short lived, five minutes,” he previously explained.
Surgeons later performed a procedure to widen the artery. Despite the seriousness of the latest health update, Newman and Carey largely kept the podcast light-hearted, spending more time joking about hospital grooming standards than discussing the operation itself.
When Carey quipped that Newman should “make sure you shave down in case the orderlies and the nurses want to have a look at the plumbing,” Newman replied without hesitation: “I’m waxed to the minute.”
