A two-time Gonzales Middle School teacher of the year and coach is sharing his story about how early detection of heart issues and a small medical device helped him recover and get back to living an active life.
Reuben Ruiz, known as “Coach Boo” to his players, spent nearly 40 years coaching several sports and teaching P.E. at Gonzales Middle School. At 73 years old, he’s in good shape now, but a few years ago he was 50 pounds heavier and noticed he was getting fatigued climbing stairs.
“Where I substitute at, they had this big, massive set of stairs when you walk in the door and you go up,” Ruiz said. “And I was getting to where I had reached a point where I’m getting to the top of those stairs and I’m starting to breathe a little heavy… a little perspiration and stuff.”
Ruiz never had a stroke or heart attack, just high blood pressure, but his family had a history of heart issues. His daughter, who works in cardiology, pushed him to establish care with a cardiologist.
“I would answer the phone and friends and family would say, boo, why you breathing heavy?” Ruiz said. “And I would make up something. Oh, well, I just came in from out of the yard working and stuff. But the signs were all there. But I was in total denial.”
Dr. Niksad Abraham found heavy calcification in Ruiz’s arteries. Ruiz then underwent surgery to have stents inserted, with the surgical team assisted by a device called the Impella temporary heart pump at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital St. Elizabeth in Gonzales.
Dr. Roberta Bogaev-Chapman worked as a practicing cardiologist for 20 years before joining Johnson & Johnson as the Vice President of Global Heart Failure. Johnson & Johnson is the parent company of Abiomed, which makes the Impella pump.
