LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Watching Coach Paul Page work with his team in the Frenship High School gymnasium, you’d never suspect what happened just months ago.
This has been Page’s routine for 30 years, and for 12 of those years right here at Frenship High School, coaching with the energy and intensity that define his coaching style. But that coaching career nearly came to an end last August.
“Be a dog,” Page calls out during practice.
On Aug. 26 during open gym, Page felt pressure in his chest. Not sharp pain, just tightness. Like many coaches, he did what came naturally, he pushed through it.
“I really didn’t know what it was. The fighter in me, I tried to fight it off like I’ll be better later. That never happened,” Page said.
Five hours passed before he finally went home, where his wife immediately recognized something was wrong.
“I felt like I was in the best shape of my life when it happened,” Page said.
An ambulance rushed Page to Covenant Hospital, where doctors discovered a 99 percent blockage in a major artery supplying his heart. That same day, they placed a stent to restore blood flow.
Dr. Haley Hughston, a cardiologist at Covenant, treated Page and explains how his case illustrates a common misconception about heart attacks.
“He didn’t have any medical problems, he didn’t take medication. He’s a very healthy and fit man but because his symptoms weren’t getting any better he went to the hospital and found he was having a heart attack,” Hughston said.
Just four days later, Page was back in the gym with his team.
The experience gave Page a different message to share with fellow coaches about the demanding nature of their profession.
“We are the last ones that we worry about most of the time. We are so into these guys on a daily basis that we forget about ourselves,” Page said.
The stress, adrenaline and long hours that define coaching create a perfect storm, and heart disease doesn’t wait for a convenient time to strike.
“I think the biggest thing…cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in men and women, it’s very common,” Hughston said.
Since sharing his story, coaches, including younger ones have contacted Page asking about symptoms and when to seek medical attention.
His advice is straightforward: “Go to your PCP, always tell people, know your numbers, know your numbers. It’s important from your cholesterol to blood pressure.”
Doctors emphasize that chest pressure, shortness of breath or pain that doesn’t improve should never be ignored, regardless of age or fitness level.
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