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Mick Noteboom, 58, of Champaign didn’t believe in getting regular checkups or going to the doctor. The insurance and investment broker for more than 30 years ate well and exercised regularly, which to him meant he had nothing to worry about. That all changed last year.
One March evening, Noteboom wasn’t feeling right. He told his wife, Julie, he was going for a drive around midnight. He ended up calling Carle and was grateful to reach Tanya Hubbard, Patient Advisory Nurse. He ended up driving himself to the Emergency Department. While that’s often not the safest option, Hubbard helped him by staying on the call and supporting him.
“I’ll never forget her voice,” he said.
Quick assessment followed with surgical intervention by Dale Geiss, MD, was essential to saving Noteboom’s life. Great care in the hospital followed by Cardiac Rehabilitation helped Noteboom get back on his feet quickly after his unexpected triple heart bypass.
Now an advocate for his healthcare team and others during American Heart Month and every month, he’s the first to say, “Don’t skip your appointments because once you have had an event like this, you’re automatically at a greater risk.”
As soon as Noteboom woke up after surgery, Julie asked him if he was over his “white coat syndrome.”
Not only does he see his cardiologist, Reinaldo Sanchez-Torres, MD, regularly, but he has several close contacts in Cardiac Rehabilitation. The Carle exercise physiologists who really stood out and worked with Noteboom the most are Cory Fanning, Craig Munson and Sophia Marquez.
Noteboom says you’re going to get out of the program what you put into it, and he is where he is today because of it. Noteboom strongly believes everyone scheduled to partake in cardiac rehab sessions should. He's sure doing all 36 sessions, which was critical to his success.
Although he worked well with all the exercise physiologists, Fanning's and Noteboom’s personalities meshed well, and they developed an unbreakable bond.
Fanning could see the potential in Noteboom.
“To have an impact on Mick is the most rewarding part of my job, Fanning said. "What Mick went through is the entire reason I choose to be in this profession. I don’t do it for the recognition, but when someone shows appreciation and passion and gratefulness for what we do, that’s why I got into this field.”
Noteboom feels very strongly about Carle and the care he received.
Noteboom said, “You have to do the same thing with your health that you do with your car. If you don’t take care of your car by getting the engine checked regularly and getting the oil changed, would you really expect it to be any different with your body which is made up of so many facets?”
Noteboom is a busy, active man and grateful for the many who helped him along the way.
“I feel the best I’ve felt in two years," he said.
Learn more about heart health from the American Heart Association and Carle's Heart and Vascular Institute.
Categories: Staying Healthy
Tags: Carle, Champaign, rehabilitation, cardiac, bypass, Noteboom, heart and vascular