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There
are certain things that stand out
in Terry Caro’s heart.
The first is his family. Then comes
football. He’s a former player for
Oklahoma State University and the
Dallas Cowboys.
Then comes youth athletics. The
55-year-old Lancaster resident serves with
U.S. Track & Field and founded Lancaster
Lightning Youth Sports, a nonprofit that
helps young athletes improve their skills,
stay in school, and earn scholarships.
But on April 29, what stood out most
in Terry’s heart was a 100 percent blockage
in a major artery of the heart.
“It’s kind of like how Muhammad
Ali shocked the world when he knocked
out Sonny Liston, and nobody had
expected him to win that fight,” Terry
says. “I shocked the people in my world,
because they could not believe I had a
heart attack.”
Terry couldn’t believe it either when
the paramedics told him en route to
the hospital.
“I had never had a heart attack before,
and I wasn’t having any chest pain or
numbness,” Terry says. “If my wife hadn’t
been home and called 911, I would have
been gone for sure.”
Taking back the field
At Methodist Charlton Medical
Center, interventional cardiologist Tim
T. Issac, MD, FACC, went to work
opening the blocked artery.
“There was a large part of the heart not
getting any blood flow,” he says. “Terry’s
story drives home the fact that you can be a
fitness warrior but still have a heart attack.
He had a remarkable recovery, but we can’t
underestimate the importance of nutrition.”
Terry has since cut fried and high-fat
foods from his diet, and he underwent
cardiac rehabilitation at the Fitness Center
and Fit Zone at Methodist Charlton
Medical Center.
“I’ve always worked out and trained,
but having them be able to monitor
my heart rate, take my blood pressure,
and keep an eye on things was great,”
Terry says. “If I was out there doing it by
myself, I’d be overdoing it.”
A new kind of role model
Terry couldn’t wait to get back on the
track with his young athletes, and he
now knows he’s a walking testimony to
the importance of taking heart health
seriously. His words of advice:
“Don’t think it can’t happen to you,
because I never thought in a million years
that I’d have a heart attack. I’m thankful
to the people who rushed to take care of
me, and now I know that I need to take
care of me, too.”
HOW’S YOUR HEART?
The best way to find out is with
biometric screening. To find a physician
today, visit
Answers2.orgor call
214-947-6296
.
After being sidelined by a heart attack, Terry Caro has learned to prioritize his heart health
Chef Cassondra Armstrong of Master of Culinary
Concepts, LLC, shares a baked take on one of
Terry Caro’s favorite foods: fried catfish.
Ingredients
4 catfish fillets (if very large, cut fillets in half)
1 10-ounce bag of Louisiana-seasoned fish fry
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Instructions
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Combine all dry ingredients in a large zip-close bag.
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Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry slightly.
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Place fish fillets in the bag and shake till fish are coated with the
dry ingredient mixture.
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Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place
fish on the baking sheet and spray fish, making sure it’s coated
thoroughly. This will give the fish a nice, even crunch.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve up hot, and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
Favorite food makeover: Spicy baked catfish
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Methodist Charlton Medical Center
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Fall 2015
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