A local man, who taught in the public school system for 37 years, has a full circle moment when one of his former students becomes his physician.
A local man, who taught in the public school system for 37 years, has a full circle moment when one of his former students becomes his physician.
It Began in Biology
Mike Mason was in his 20s when he started teaching biology at Putnam City High School in the mid-1980s. George Chrysant was in his class. “He was brilliant, even back then. But he also worked really hard,” Mike recalls. “George was driven, as a student and an athlete. He knew then, he wanted to be a physician.”
George has fond memories of Mike as a teacher. “He was my biology teacher in high school, and we played rugby together when I was in high school and medical school.” Sitting in that classroom all those years ago, George never dreamt that he would one day play an integral role in saving Mike’s life.
The Heart Connection
Fast forward to 2022. Mike is now in his 60s and he and his wife, Julia, decided to get a heart scan. The non-invasive scan measures calcium deposits in the heart that can indicate early coronary artery disease. The higher the calcium score, the higher the likelihood of having a cardiac event.
Julia’s score came back very low, while Mike’s score was nearly 4000! “I was shocked,” admits Mike. “I was also really scared.” When he asked his primary care physician to recommend a cardiologist, he was given a familiar name - George Chrysant.
The Heart Emergency
Mike began a regimen of blood pressure and cholesterol medications and made some healthy lifestyle changes. Things appeared to improve, until Jan. 20, 2026. “I was getting ready in the morning to go substitute teach when I tried to take a vitamin and it got stuck in my throat,” Mike explains. “I’ve taught CPR and first aid, so I knew immediately that I was in trouble.” Since his wife wasn’t home, Mike drove himself down the street to the Mustang Fire Station. “I could still breathe a little but was coughing a lot. The firefighters helped me dislodge the pill - and that’s the last thing I remember."
Apparently, the episode sent Mike into cardiac arrest. He flatlined for about two or three minutes while the firefighters performed CPR and used a defibrillator to bring him back. Mike was transferred to the INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City, where George Chrysant, M.D., as he goes by now, is an interventional cardiologist with INTEGRIS Health Cardiovascular Physicians.
“It was a full circle moment for sure,” says George. “As a cardiologist, you always have some consternation when a patient comes in with cardiac arrest. When someone who has known you for over 40 years comes in after an arrest, there is another level of consternation."
Mike says he knew he was in good hands. “When you’re lying on your back in that vulnerable state, familiarity matters. I know George and trusted that he would care for me just like he would his own parents. That’s how he treats all his patients.”
The Meaning of Life
The procedure was a success and Mike continues to recover nicely. His ejection fraction, which is a heart failure indicator, is improving and he is participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Dr. Chrysant is pleased with his progress. “I am certainly very happy to see him make a full recovery.”
Mike says this experience has changed him and given him a new perspective of life. “None of us are promised tomorrow,” he declares. “Make that call, write that note, visit or make plans with the people you care about - today.”
He is looking forward to spending time with his wife, two grown sons, his grand daughters who are four and six years old and meeting his first grandson who is set to be born in July. Another relationship he says he will continue to foster, is the one with his former pupil turned physician. “People come into our lives for a reason; we just don’t always get to find out what it is,” he states. “I know now exactly why George and I were meant to cross paths, and I’m certainly glad we did.”
