By Staff
Talks about heart attack, changes he must make
By TED STRONG
Staff Writer
Jeff Moss had been running at his gym for 28 minutes when the heart attack hit.
After being admitted to Beaufort County Hospital he was airlifted to Pitt County Memorial Hospital.
He only spent a few days in the hospital, and a few more resting at home.
Monday he was back at work, attending the Beaufort County School system’s opening-day ceremony.
Friendships that lapsed over the summer are renewed as everyone gets ready to get back to work, he said.
Motivational speaker Matt Collins talked about teachers’ mental health and the need for teachers to look out for their own mental health, he said.
Moss will be working half days the first part of this week and then will evaluate how he feels, he said.
He’s also balancing three days of cardiac rehabilitation each week with his work schedule, he said.
Robert Belcher, chairman of the Beaufort County Board of Education, had a chance to speak with Moss on Monday morning.
The system’s staff, including Assistant Superintendent Crystal Ange, has been stepping up to keep things running while he’s been out, he said.
Belcher praised Ange’s work.
But even when he was resting at home, Ange was running things by him, to make sure everything was heading in the right direction, Moss said.
There’s no good time for a heart attack, Belcher said, but Moss’ heart attack did not come during a critical time in the school year.
Moss praised the system’s staff and faculty for the job they’ve done.
Moss is also thankful for the outpouring of cards and flowers he’s received, he said.
His cholesterol levels were fine, and he exercised regularly before his heart attack, Moss said. He ran three miles daily, during his lunch break, he said, though that all has to change now.
With a stent in his chest, he’s limited in what he can do for a couple of weeks, he said.
But, the overall prognosis is good.
He said he’s planning on making it to plenty of sporting events and he’s excited about the school year that’s beginning.