At almost 80 years old, John Rowell is living a life of wanderlust.
"I'm doing what I should have done when I was 20," the Melbourne grandfather tells AAP from Turkey - the latest stop on his travels.
"Until you start travelling, you don't realise how big the world is."
But as well as exploring the globe, Mr Rowell has also spent the past decade navigating cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens the heart muscle.
And were it not for the technology implanted in his chest, both his family and medical team may have clipped his wings.
"I'd probably be grounded ... that's the bottom line to it all," he says.
Rowell relies on a biventricular pacemaker-defibrillator linked to a remote monitoring system, allowing doctors to track his heart health from anywhere in the world.
The device was implanted after his condition worsened following a trip to the United States in 2022, leaving him with swollen ankles and struggling with fluid retention.
"I know it's there. I know I'm tracked. I hate the idea of Big Brother watching but I know I don't have a choice," says the seasoned traveller.
"But it does give you that confidence that you can go out and do it."
While Mr Rowell likes to think he'd still be globe-trotting regardless, he knows without the device he would be much more nervous.
His cardiologist, Dr Sue-Ling Ching, says the technology has helped patients like Mr Rowell maintain their independence while providing an extra layer of protection.
"He's obviously not someone who is risk free but he's able to travel and maintain this degree of independence and wanderlust," Dr Ching tells AAP.
"It allows him to be able to do this and with that reassurance and peace of mind for him too."
That reassurance was put to the test during a trip to London.
After travelling from Sri Lanka to Boston and then on to England with next to no sleep, Mr Rowell suffered a serious cardiac event shortly after arriving.
His implanted defibrillator detected the dangerous heart rhythm and delivered a shock to restore a normal heartbeat.
As Mr Rowell fell to the ground, his device was sending his doctor alerts on the other side of the world.
The device transmitted information about the episode directly to his medical team, allowing Dr Ching to review the event remotely and understand exactly what had happened.
At the time, neither doctor nor patient was in Australia.
Using data sent from the device, Dr Ching was able to review the heart rhythm disturbance, determine the therapy had worked appropriately and help guide Mr Rowell's ongoing care.
"I found a way to work out what had happened over there," she says.
"We were able to change his management or at least optimise it to a point where I felt comfortable."
And Mr Rowell was treated so immediately and effectively, he was able to carry on with his travels, seven stitches to his head his only souvenir.
For Dr Ching, the episode highlights how dramatically cardiac care has changed in recent years.
In the past, patients with implanted cardiac devices might only attend hospital once or twice a year to have them checked.
Between appointments, doctors had little visibility over what was happening.
"Whatever else was going on was anyone's guess," she says.
Today, information can be transmitted from a patient's device constantly, allowing clinicians to monitor heart rhythms, check device performance and respond to potential problems much sooner.
"We are now responding earlier and, as I say, pre-emptively or proactively," Dr Ching says.
"It's not just John's scenario. I've seen many different scenarios where that's played out. The benefit is real."
For Tanya Hall, chief executive of Hearts4heart, a leading patient advocacy organisation supporting people living with heart disease across Australia and New Zealand, that can be life-changing.
"For many people, a heart condition comes with an invisible weight, the anxiety and uncertainty that can sit in the background of daily life," she says.
"It's not just about symptoms, it's the 'what ifs' that can affect confidence, independence and peace of mind."
Ms Hall says remote monitoring is easing those fears by allowing clinicians to keep a closer eye on patients without the need for constant hospital visits.
"It's helping to change that," she says.
"By allowing clinicians to keep an eye on a patient's heart without the need for constant hospital visits, it can make care feel more accessible, more responsive and reassuring, particularly for people living in regional and remote areas."
As more Australians live with cardiovascular disease, Ms Hall says improving awareness of technologies such as implantable devices and remote monitoring will become increasingly important.
Back in Turkey, Mr Rowell is focused on his next destination on his travels rather than the technology helping him get there. His daughter is with him and they are heading to Georgia next, before going on to London, and there is no time to slow down.
"I keep looking at the world going, I've probably only seen one per cent," he says.
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