Joseph S Dumas

Relationship Rewired: a Couple Survives the Effects of a Brain Tumor Joseph S Dumas

On a cold January night the lives of a husband and wife take a dramatic turn, starting a journey they are still on. They are blindsided by a series of medical issues brought on by Martie's seizures, a brain tumor the size of a plum, left-side paralysis, neurosurgery, high-powered radiation, etc. The most impact is on their relationship. Martie and Joe were married for 43 years at the time and their life had settled into a comfortable plateau: two professional jobs, two grown sons, two independent, ambitious people. But Martie can no longer compete with Joe as she had before. Joe has to become her caretaker, with no training and no time to learn. They are forced to re-design their relationship. And there are many unexpected challenges. The health care system functions well in some ways but fails them in others. They tell their story in alternating voices, describing their feelings with honesty and intensity, hoping a new plateau is in their future.