In the early 1980's, the first of two family tragedies struck when Sherry was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Over the next 20 years Bobbie was Sherry's primary caregiver until he passed away in 2008. For the first time in 55 years, she was alone.
It was only 3 years later when, out of the blue, tragedy struck for the second time.
No one knew it at the time, but that tracheostomy - one that she should never have needed in the first place - had been badly botched. It was the beginning of a ferocious, grueling, year-long war as Bobbie fought and fought to free herself from dependency on the ventilator. She went from the original hospital to a respiratory facility to two different, awful nursing homes, to more hospital stays, home briefly two different times on a portable ventilator, back to the hospitals, around and around, nearly dying too many times to count. In the end, to the amazement of her friends and family and, even more so her doctors, she beat the dreaded vent.
As impossible as it might seem, and it's a story longer than can be told here, Bobbie learned to her astonishment and horror that she had no legal or financial recourse. Within 5 years she spent every penny of the modest portfolio that was to see her through the rest of her days. She had been utterly and completely failed by our country's disgraceful healthcare and legal systems.
But not long after she lost Sherry, in an awe-inspiring display of strength and courage, Bobbie sold her condo and everything else she could, donated the rest, packed up her 65 years of life in Miami Beach and moved to California to be closer to her children. She rented a nice little apartment, got herself a sensible used car and began her new life. She grew to love her new home, got to spend time with her kids and grandkids and reconnected with old friends. Bobbie was reborn.
But the victory was only partial. Bobbie was able to breathe on her own, but soon after it was discovered that the simple, routine but improperly performed tracheostomy did irreparable damage to her larynx. Her active lifestyle would be severely restricted. She would never again be able to speak. The trache would require costly around-the-clock caregivers. And it would never, ever come out. Bobbie's life as she knew it was over, stolen from her literally by the flick of one inattentive doctor's wrist.
Then, on top of grievous injury came devastating insult.
A TERRIBLE STORY
Bobbie had become a statistic.
While recovering from a minor surgery at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, Bobbie contracted a MRSA-type lung infection and within hours went into respiratory failure. She was induced into a medical coma, intubated and connected to a ventilator. After 9 days she was extubated and a tracheostomy was performed. But weeks beyond what should've been the normal recovery period she still couldn't breath without the ventilator.