Senior Editor Suffers Severe Stroke

On July 20, 2007, our dedicated Senior Editor for NOHA NEWS for over twenty-three years, Marjorie Fisher, suffered a severe stroke! She can only speak a few words and moves only her left side while her right arm is paralyzed. However, both her eyes are open; she smiles, reads, recognizes us, and understands most of what we say. After two weeks at Evanston Hospital, she is now slowly recovering at the Mather Lifeways Pavilion at 820 Foster Street in Evanston, IL 60201, just east of the Foster "L" stop.

The initial diagnosis with a cat scan in the emergency room was a devastating stroke of the left side of her brain. A large blood clot from atrial fibrillation (fast and irregular heartbeat instead of proper pumping in the top part of her heart) had totally shut off the main artery to the left side of her brain. However, a subsequent MRI/A showed that Marjorie has remarkable secondary circulation through the many smaller arteries around her brain so the damage to her left-brain was much smaller than was originally estimated.

To help her recover in the hospital, a temporary peg feeding tube was installed to her stomach (Marjorie had pulled out the uncomfortable nose feeding tube before they could hook it up). In her living will, Marjorie had requested that no "heroic measures" be taken to keep her alive after a severe illness or injury. She was always frowning at all the IV tubes on her left wrist, and toward the end, she was pulling to remove the feeding tube.

Marjorie Fisher, suffered a severe stroke! She can only speak a few words and moves only her left side while her right arm is paralyzed. . . . a subsequent MRI/A showed that Marjorie has remarkable secondary circulation through the many smaller arteries around her brain so the damage to her left-brain was much smaller than was originally estimated.

Initially after she was discharged from the hospital, at Mather Marjorie had her tube feedings stopped and was placed on hospice since we all assumed she would soon die without food. For minimal "pleasure feeding" we bought some organic fruit sauces and baby food. Both of her daughters: Carol - an orthopedic surgeon from upstate New York; and Dorothy - a hydro geologist from near Portland Oregon, flew in to visit her. Your junior co-editor of many former issues (and main editor of this final printed issue), Marjorie's only son, Andrew Fisher, was there too and is helping every day.



Marjorie, Dorothy, Carol, and Andrew at Mather Pavilion

However, again Marjorie surprised us by eating a lot more than anyone ever thought possible - at least three 4oz containers three times a day! She was feeding herself with her left hand (even though she is right handed) and was sitting up in a wheelchair at least once a day! On a nice sunny day, Dorothy and Andy wheeled Marjorie over three blocks to a nearby park in Evanston where we read to her for over half an hour. With Carol, Marjorie was wheeled to the lakefront on two other days.

Due to the large amounts of food Marjorie was eating, the hospice nurse suggested that we return her to Medicare so Marjorie could receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. This was all arranged and the forms signed. Marjorie is learning many more words, and working on strength. On Sunday, September 9, 2007, Marjorie was able to attend the Unitarian Church of Evanston for the meeting of the Green Sanctuary committee, the "crackerbarrell" discussion group, and the first formal worship service on the 2007-08 year.

Due to the large amounts of food Marjorie was eating, the hospice nurse suggested that we return her to Medicare so Marjorie could receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. . . . Marjorie is learning many more words, and working on strength. On Sunday, September 9, 2007, Marjorie was able to attend the Unitarian Church of Evanston . . .

However, there are still at least two major possible setbacks: First, the atrial fibrillation which caused this stroke in the first place is still not completely under control by medication, so Marjorie could have another stroke at any time now, and second, with all of the food she is slowly swallowing, some of it can silently go down into her lungs and cause pneumonia. Marjorie does not want any antibiotics or another feeding tube, should this occur.

She welcomes visitors as well as cards and/or flowers. Due to her great popularity not only with NOHA, but with fellow church members - particularly those on the Green Sanctuary Committee which Marjorie chaired - as well as several choir members who sang hymns to her on two occasions, the Evanston Inter-Religious Sustainability Circle, many of her local neighbors, her grandchildren, the Evanston Food Group which is working on an organic "Talking Farm" in southwest Evanston, the League of Women Voters, and others, the entire south wall of her room at Mather is covered with cards!