Former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble thankful for a second chance, grateful to be home (+ video)

Former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble returned home Wednesday after a month of rehabilitation following a heart attack at the State House in Mid-April and quadruple bypass surgery.

Coble, 62, said he is extremely appreciative of the medical care he received from the staff at both Providence Hospital and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, but he is thankful to finally be home and for a second chance.

“It was great to get home and see the dogs and just relax,” said Coble, who was mayor of Columbia for 20 years, until 2010.

He said he learned “you don’t get many second chances, so just make the best of it.”

On April 16, Coble was working at the State House as a lobbyist when he reported to the medical staff there that he was feeling ill. According to Dr. Marc New, who was at the State House providing voluntary medical services, Coble had just come back from lunch and said he had heartburn. New said that although Coble was “doing all the right things, taking Aspirin and had undergone previous stress tests, heart disease often mimics symptoms of heartburn, or acid reflux.

Coble said that although doctors said he was living a healthy lifestyle, he could have done better and that his lack of exercise and over-eating were contributing factors to his health issues. Medical staff were forced to cut his tie in order to resuscitate him, but presented his son, Daniel Coble, with a new tie at a news conference May 27 at Providence Hospital.

“I will always keep that cut tie to remember diet and exercise and what a second chance means,” Coble said.

For now, Coble said he is concentrating on getting back to 100 percent health and is still undergoing outpatient rehabilitation treatment.

But he said he looks forward to rejoining the Nexsen Pruet law firm team in the coming months and returning to the State House n next year. Any well wishes may be sent to the law firm, his family said.

This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble thankful for a second chance, grateful to be home (+ video)."