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You
could say a lot of things about Michael Cole:
encouraging, committed, friendly, giving, and always
moving. He’s not exactly the kind of guy to let life pass
him by.
“I’ve been with Coca-Cola for the past 39 years
as an account executive for the national retail sales
team,” Michael says before quickly adding one of his
other passions.
“I’ve also helped support the Dallas Cowboys public
relations department for 23 seasons. I manage the
phones on the sidelines for the visiting NFL teams.”
But that’s not all Michael dabbles in. He also has a
colorful past in the music industry — one that says a
lot about his present.
“In the early ’90s, I was 320 pounds,” he says. “Now
I’m 230, but back then, I was big. I mean, I played
Bubba in Shenandoah’s ‘If Bubba Can Dance (I Can
Too)’ video.”
A close call
Back then, Michael knew he needed to
take charge of his health if he wanted to
keep going. Through diet and exercise,
he dropped the weight and gained
another life, but still, family history
worked against him.
“My sister died at 42 from a heart
attack, and my mom had two stents
placed after a heart attack of her own,”
he says.
These factors culminated for Michael
on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this
year. He was eating with his wife when
he started to feel a lot of pressure in his
chest. Paramedics got him to the hospital
just in time to be stabilized and hold off a
full-on heart attack.
Rehabilitated confidence
Michael had three stents placed to restore blood flow
to his heart, but the difference between a healthy future
and a heart attack depended on lifestyle changes —
ones that he learned in the Methodist Charlton Medical
Center cardiac rehabilitation program.
“Our patients experience a shift in both their
physical lifestyle and their emotional and mental
outlook,” says Mike Crayton, RN, CCRN, supervisor
of cardiac rehabilitation. “Even 10 years after
completion of the program, the majority of our patients
are still reaping the benefits of what they have learned.”
Crayton says he saw a shift in Michael’s physical
appearance as he adopted heart-healthy eating habits
and an exercise routine. But more important, he saw
Michael’s attitude change.
“Here’s the key: They aren’t just a rehabilitation
facility for your body,” Michael says. “They rehabilitate
your confidence, too.
“I used to walk with my
wife almost every day, and I
was honestly afraid to get back
to it. But they teach you not to
be afraid, and they’re with you
every step you take.”
Now many months past
his stent placement and
that close call, Michael is
back to walking, golfing,
working, volunteering with
the Cowboys — and doing
it all with the confidence
of a healthy man with a
healthy future.
“I got a second chance,
and I’m not even close to
done yet.”
How Methodist Charlton helped Michael Cole trust his heart again
The
real
rehab
Trusting his health, Michael Cole
is taking walks with his wife,
Donna, again.