Flower Girl
By Elaine Miller
I thought I was having trouble breathing because I was getting old, but I realized I was in big trouble when a local cardiologist told me I needed a triple bypass.
He referred me to a specialist who guaranteed I wouldn’t survive the surgery. That was one of the worst moments of my life. Later that day, I saw a television ad about the promising future that Cleveland Clinic cardiology can offer. That’s how I ended up there. Dr. Soltesz1 saved my life with a triple bypass and valve repair.
Then I started having arrhythmia. I met with Dr. Dressing2, who made my anxiety disappear when he gave me a pacemaker to hold in my hand. I returned home to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, two days later with the tiny device connected to my heart.
Not long after the two surgeries, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere but Cleveland Clinic, so I got in with Dr. McNamara3, Dr. Woody4 and Dr. Vargo5 for six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. They found a bit of recurrence earlier this year, but they’ve gone out of their way to fight it.
In two years, Cleveland Clinic saved my life on three separate occasions. Thanks to the excellent care I’ve received, this 84-year-old has the gift of time.
This past summer, I was able to attend my granddaughter’s wedding. Her other grandmother and I were the flower girls. We tossed little white and peach rose petals.
Elaine Miller is a Penn State superfan.
Elaine Miller, second from left, was a flower girl at her granddaughter’s wedding. | Photo: Courtesy of Elaine Miller
Notes
- Edward Soltesz, MD, MPH, is a cardiovascular and heart transplant surgeon.
- Thomas Dresing, MD, is a cardiologist whose specialties include cardiac device therapy.
- Michael McNamara, MD, is an oncologist specializing in esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer and solid tumor disorders.
- Neil Woody, MD MS, is a radiation oncologist.
- John Vargo, MD, MPH, is a gastroenterologist.