After Health Scares, Natalie Cole Changes Breakneck Pace

Cole is hoping to get her doctor's approval to do a few concerts here and there; she's itching to get back on the road, even if that means dramatically changing her set.

"I'm getting stronger every day. As much as I don't like dialysis, it absolutely is giving me the strength and the endurance that I need, so I'm happy for that," Cole says. She pauses to kiss goodbye to her mother, Maria, who says she needs to look into her daughter's eyes to see that she's healthy.

Cole doesn't love the idea of getting dialysis while traveling for work, "but it is what it is, you know?"

It'll be a different life on the road, but those who know her best doubt that fans will notice the difference.

Given where Cole is now, "I don't know that people expect Natalie to run across a stage," says Tena Clark, her album's executive producer. "Her voice is still gorgeous. Natalie could sing the Yellow Pages and people would sit there on the edge of their seats."