"I was having serious fatigue issues, it affected my marriage and maintaining my responsibilities around the household. I got blood tests back then and they found nothing.

“It was a real emotional rollercoaster at first but as time has gone on, I have just gotten more bitter and angry now.”

The 44-year-old said stonemasonry wasn’t just a trade for him but it was a passion he loved.

“I would brag to my mates that I did this kitchen or wall features and it was fancy stuff, high-end houses, it was a very hard pill to swallow,” he added.

“I get a bit frustrated as I was in this situation, doing what I did and loved it, but yet what I was doing was slowly ruining me.”

Since his diagnosis, the Victorian man hasn’t been able to work and he lives with debilitating health issues.

Unless he is sitting still, he is short of breath at all times, even from simple tasks such as making the bed or drying himself after a shower.

The dad of daughters, aged 10 and six, is also severely fatigued, and as the day progresses he gets worse “going downhill quickly”.

“I’m always tired. If I sneeze it hurts, I get chest pains, I get real sore and aches in my joints and knees, particularly in my legs and lower body, particularly in the afternoon. The afternoons are worse as the day progresses,” he said.