Woman of the Year Nomination

I am nominating my wife, Marilyn Dooley, for Woman of the Year.

Along with working, raising a family, taking care of a household, years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After she was diagnosed, her employer, at that time, made strides to terminate her, to save the added insurance cost. So she faced the future with that hanging over her head.

Went through chemo, hair loss, wigs, all of that. And, was a participant in a "trial" program of some kind. Her group was given a drug and don't hold me to the spelling ... Kumodin or Cumodin .... anyway, many in her group, and of course Marilyn, developed Congestive Heart Failure as a result of the medicine.

The Congestive Heart caused problems, which were controlled my her Pacemaker/Defibrillator, which led to the episode Tuesday, of having in SHOCK her, FORTY times that day. Each shock went with a piercing, horrible, SCREAM.

Now, she has had a surgery to "fix" her Pacemaker problem, but our lives will never be the same. Almost like having a gun pointed at our heads, never knowing when it might go off.

We are married almost fifty years, she has delivered three great kids, who in turn have produced both children and great grandchildren.

ALL that she has gone through is deserving of some recognition, she has gone through a lot. I was going to give out her phone number at the hospital, but thought that might get a bit too busy ....

Her address is    marilyndooley@yahoo.com

When your time permits, drop her a line ..... thanks

PS: The word I had trouble spelling was NOT the cause of her Congestive Heart Failure, it was another drug. When she had  dizzy spells or something else, that is when she went on that drug. I still get corrected all the time by her, even when she is in the hospital. NOW, after all this time, they are recommending a special diet for her, probably something she should have been on all along. Ain't modern medicine grand??????

I'm feeling 80

Not sure whether it is good or bad, but, I now feel like I am almost 80. Tuesday morning, till about 11, I felt like I was in my 30's or 40's, depended on the day and the weather. Then, the episode with my wife, Pacemaker problems, then the problem, the operation, now the hospital time, and worst of all, I suppose there will always be doubt, of when it might happen again, and we could go through this again.

Hopefully, some of this will pass and we will get back to a normal life, but this experience will be difficult to forget. Not like fixing a broken arm or a broken leg, this is something that could occur any time, and heavy on my mind, is, if any damage occurred during this experience.

My hands have a tendency to perspire when I get nervous, just have to get used to carrying my little white towel for support. Life altering, to say the least. Marilyn has gone trough so much. A breast cancer survivor, and some of her medication caused some of her heart problems, which necessitated the Pacemaker/Defibrillator, which led to this episode. She really has gone through enough. Some relatives called her yesterday at the hospital, she wanted to call me, she was worried about me. How great is that?

On Mother's Day, she received flowers from her Granddaughter, her Daughter, and her two sons, and no remembrances where ever so richly deserved. A prayer for Marilyn Dooley, in Newark, Ohio would be appreciated. Thank You from a now, almost, 80 year old husband and Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather to one, Brooklyn, and another one on the way.

UPDATE on Marilyn Dooley

She seemed quite well last night at the hospital. I called her around 11, while talking, a scream, pacemaker went off, 3 more times, total of 40 for the day. I  cannot imagine what she is going through. I doubt that she will make it home today.

To all my readers around the world, focus those prayers and good thoughts toward Newark, Ohio.

Thanks to you all ............................

A VERY Bad Day Today - Still shaking

This has been one of the most traumatic days of my life. I woke up this morning around eight, made coffee, turned on the TV, got out my laptop, ready to start the day. Marilyn, my wife, had been up late watching TV, so I didn't wake her up. I saw some lights come on, and knew she was up. She came out, sat on the couch, grabbed her chest, and said, "My Pacemaker just went off." She sat a moment, and went out to get a cup of coffee, a few moments later, from the kitchen, a scream, one like you have never heard before, coffee dripping from everywhere.

She came in and we decided to call her Doctor. Then another scream, while she was talking to them. They said, "Call the squad," dialed 911, got an answer, seemed like a lot of questions, while talking with them another scream. While waiting for them, screams about every minute, screams when they came, and screams while being taken to the ambulance. I didn't ride with them, decided to follow after them. To be honest, I could not take any more of those horrible screams.

I must admit, I did not want to enter the emergency room, I was concerned and afraid what news they would have for me. After all, what good comes from a Pacemaker going off. I prepared myself for the worst and went in. After a short wait, they showed me to her room. Tubes, oxygen, needles, peeps, pings, all over the room, a doctor, three or four nurses, a mass of activity. I waited outside. Whatever they gave her, stopped the screams, her blood pressure had been high, but it was coming down.

Daughter, Melissa, came, Marilyn seemed to be a little more relaxed, her Cardiologist came in, finally the Defibrillator guy, who puts a thing over her pacemaker, hooks it up to his computer and takes some readings. She had screamed, and had 37 jolts to her heart.

Then he made a diagram, showing a High here, High and Low, and a Low, and this one was giving a false reading, don't  know why, and that is what caused the trouble. The WHY, we figured out. It went back to the "Dish" TV she got. She had spent a week on the phone, not in a good mood, being sent  back and forth from the Dish people to Windstream, etc., etc., etc., probably 20 or 30 hours of stress. They all agreed, that was probably what cause the "short circuit."

Anyway, they are keeping her over night for observation, she is in ICU, at our local hospital, Licking Memorial Hospital, Room 240, I think it is. She had more color and seemed quite well when I left.

Now, I have a problem. I did a lot of praying on the way to the hospital, I was concerned about the news when I got there, so along with the prayers I, well, I did some promising .... IF ..... THEN .... that sort of thing. Now I have to try to remember what all I promised.

Any good thoughts and prayers you have to send this way will be gratefully accepted.

PS - They adjusted the unit, they think all is well and they are just keeping  her overnight for observation.