At Texas Health Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, a patient who had to have double bypass surgery due to serious coronary artery disease gained new health and a lifelong relationship with his therapists, which led to the formation of a running club and the completion of races together.
More than 600,000 people die each year from coronary artery disease, which affects more than 20 million Americans.
Although the National Institutes of Health’s statistics are alarming, it need not be a death sentence.
“It starts with a single step and it starts with a single workout, then a week worth of workouts, then a month worth of workouts,” Eric Prisbell stated.
Prisbell’s quest for a fresh start began when he became aware that he was having trouble breathing after taking more than a few steps.
“I tried to jog around the block and my heart rate would spike immediately to 195,” said Prisbell.
He was aware of the problem.
“It turned out, after visits to my doctor, that one artery was 100% blocked and the other one was 75% blocked,” said Prisbell.
Hope in cardiac rehabilitation
Prisbell went to the Texas Health Cardiac Rehabilitation Center following double bypass surgery. He met Jaclyn Raiback and Sierra Proctor there.
“He’s awesome,” said Raibeck, a registered nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen.
Proctor, an exercise physiologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen, stated, “We just latched on to him.”
A few months after his double bypass, Prisbell wanted to run a 5k. That caused Proctor and Raibeck’s minds to race.
“A bunch of us here just kind of talked about, like, why don’t we start running together,” Raiback stated.
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“Now we’ve created a little group and continue that bond with Eric outside of him graduating from cardiac rehab,” Proctor stated.
Together, the three have completed one 10k and four 5ks. However, their bond is much more than just running.
“He was our patient, and now he’s our friend,” Raiback stated.
As a father of three children, Prisbell’s first priority is their joint health improvement.
“Being there for my kids, especially with my daughter when she gets older. Walking her down the aisle, knowing that I have a second chance and I made the most of it,” he stated.
