Connie Johnson, 63, of Eagle Rock, Mo., quit breathing and her heart stopped on Dec. 5, 2015. Her husband, Bill, saved her life by giving her CPR until the Mercy Life Line medical evacuation helicopter arrived to fly her to the Mercy Hospital in Rogers.
“They couldn’t find anything wrong, and five hours after she was released, she had trouble breathing again,” Bill said. “So this time when the Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter came, she asked to be taken somewhere else. At Mercy Hospital in Springfield, they found two cancer flaps in her trachea.”
Johnson’s oncologist at Mercy Springfield, Dr. Lavanya Tiriveedhi, MD, said she thought the cancer could be killed with 30 radiation treatments and nine chemotherapy injections.
“She told me about three other hospitals that treated cases like mine and said she would refer me to those,” Connie said. “But I had already been in Mercy Hospital Springfield for about a week and I had a lot of trust in her. She was kind and knew what she was talking about. The care I got when I was in there was way beyond anything I expected. They kept me educated and informed. It takes so much pressure off at times like that, to know what is going on and not have to constantly ask questions.”
The problem was it takes 90 minutes to drive from Eagle Rock to Springfield. It is hard to add a three-hour drive each weekday on top of cancer treatments.
“There is so much stress anyhow and you don’t feel well,” Connie said. “But the Chub O’Reilly Cancer Center offers a hospitality room to patients getting chemo and radiation, and live some distance away. This is located on one floor in the hospital. It is clean and has everything you need. I felt completely comfortable. They are just very nice people who run the front desk and even the people who come in to clean. I don’t know how they hire such great people. The whole six weeks I was in there didn’t have a negative experience one time. They also gave me a free cafeteria meal pass for one meal a day, something to help out a little.”
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc., officially started in the auto parts business in Springfield in 1957. Charles “Chub” O’Reilly is son of the founder of the national auto parts chain that has more than 4,600 stores, including one in Eureka Springs.
Johnson found a healing atmosphere at the hospital’s cancer center. And there were perks, such as a once a month a masseuse brought in to give shoulder and neck massages to patients or the family members who drove them.
“They also provide a shuttle bus from the hospital to the cancer center,” Johnson said. “This was in the dead of winter with snow blowing. We just walked out the front door and a warm shuttle bus was waiting for us. There would be another one to bring us back. About the last two weeks I was wheelchair bound, and they had a lift on those shuttle buses. They were just so kind and helpful.”
While this was by far the biggest medical challenge she had ever faced, Johnson said she found so much support that it was easy to be optimistic.
“With that kind of attitude at the hospital, it was hard to have a defeatist attitude,” she said. “I just couldn’t. The Cancer Society gave me free wigs and free hats. They offered a class that showed us ways to do our makeup and other tips to life our spirits. All of the makeup products and wigs were donations from various companies. They gave me lotions for my radiation burns and whatever else I needed.”
Johnson got very ill about three quarters of the way through the cancer treatments. At that time, it was particularly helpful not to face a long drive for treatments.
“Our family stayed connected through Facebook and my sister made a group for me,” Johnson said. “Just to see all the positive support was really motivating. My sister lives in Eagle Rock and my cousin from Joplin, drove to Springfield frequently, all of my family members made as many trips as possible. Seeing the faces of my children, grandchildren, sisters and friends are the things that helped me get through it.”
Recently Johnson felt well enough to travel to Wichita to visit a sister and spend time with Johnson’s kids and grandkids.
“I got to do some things I thought about that I had done the summer before I got sick,” she said. “My sister has a pool, and the grandkids would come over and spend the night. We would have nighttime swimming and barbeques. At one point I thought I would never be well enough to do those kinds of things again. But I have recovered more than I thought possible. Just hugging all those people, getting to see all those people who were praying for me when I was sick, it felt good.”
Her husband also has nothing but good things to say about the Mercy Hospital Springfield and the Chub O’Reilly Cancer Center.
“They were on the ball,” he said. “I’m talking about everyone from the cleaning lady to the nurses to doctors, everybody has been so kind to us. We were amazed. We were really scared there. It was way too close to her being gone. And she is back. She is getting stronger every day. She is cooking. She drives. She is getting around a lot better.”
Sending prayers to Rhonda’s sister! THANK YOU TO THE BIG CHIEF FOR HIS LOVE AND CARE! George and I continue to pray for you, my sister! … Much Love too
Thank you ES Independent for a great article. Connie is my mother and I can honestly tell you we were all worried because of the sudden news and the initial diagnosis. In this day and age, even with the advancements in cancer research and treatment, it is still a dire situation and not one that you expect to recover. It is such a blow to hear when you get news your loved one has been diagnosed. You go through so many emotions but probably the biggest one for myself and my brother and other family is just complete denial. It simply is unthinkable to believe someone like my mother who is so badly needed and who is such a good person could or should have to deal with this type of thing. But I know so many good people do every day.
I’ll be honest….I am never big on doctors because I think so many of them are not in the profession for the right reason. I’ve had my own issues and often felt I had to research and self diagnose. But as an engineer that is just something I tend to do anyway. I’ve always joked that a doctors office is called a practice because that is just what they do everyday…they practice on us. So when my mom told me she really liked Dr. Tiriveedhi, all I thought was ‘yeah whatever’. But to sum it up in one word. Wow. She obviously is one of those rare individuals who is here on Earth for a reason. She truly can help people. Thank you so much Dr. Tiriveedhi.
And a huge thank you to Mercy in Springfield and to the O’Reilly Cancer Center. These facilities provided such a lift to my mother and I hope the staff know how much we all appreciate their support and the kindness they show each and every day!
Thank you again ES Independent for an uplifting article. Whether it was about my mother or not, it’s great to see positive news in the media and to highlight the great people who helped our family.
I am one of Connie’s many first cousins who love her dearly. Thank you for this. You wrote very eloquently and precise. There is so much more to her journey that would be a novel. You did awesome. Her face speaks healing and we are so happy for her fight and her win!
I was given the honor to be included in “Connie’s Small Village”. And, what an incredible journey it took her support team and Connie through. To hear how O’Reilly’s was a part of this incredible team brings me tears. Connie and all those in the village are a constant reminder that living in the present, staying strong and making the goal the future is something that can’t be done alone. With the vision and mission that O’Reilly’s developed many lives are saved like Connie’s as well as many others.
Truly amazing …. thank god for Mercy Hospital…. glad she is getting stronger everyday
Connie is my grandmother and I am very thankful for everything the Hospital did for her. Because of all the help she had and a little hand from above, I still get to hug her when she comes to visit and talk to her every day. It truly is a Miracle.
Such a well-written article that represents our feelings, as well as Connie’s. This entire experience restores one’s faith in humanity and compassion. I’m the “Eagle Rock sister who had the heart attacks” … without our other sisters, I’m not sure I could have handled it all. I love you, sisters…. I’m so proud of you, Connie!
I’m Rhonda, another sister to Connie. Thank Mercy, our “Connie’s Small Village” of Prayers.. Cousins, sons, nephews, nieces, friends like family all Joined together exactly at the same time daily in Prayer exactly at the time Connie had her treatments. One of the Mercy chemo nurses whom administered Connies first double dose of chemo told Connie and I that to beat this type of cancer, it was going to take “A Small Village”, thus the reason for Julie naming our Prayer Group “Connie’s Small Village”. Thank You, Lord for placing Connie’s husband, Bill, where You did to begin resuscitation. Thank You Bill for knowing how to do it and trusting yourself and The Lord enough to do it. We are utmost greatful to the Mercy Team, to Bill, and for, The Lord, whom made this “curing” of trachea cancer possible. I’m also thanking my First Nations family and friends in Canada and Colorado for their Strong Prayers. Mary, our family member, a Dr. Also contributed greatly in the understanding of what was happening to our loved one. Thank you, Mary. My sister, Dani, whom had just had triple bypass surgery at Mercy exactly one month prior (Nov.5th) to Connie coding Dec.5th, was immeasurably supportive and present to assist Connie immediately. Thank you, Dani. God Bless anyone reading about Our Connie! Connie and Dani still being alive is definitely meant to “be”. This is a “God Deal.” I give thanks to this newspaper for publishing Connie’s Story and Pray it gives others Hope in their battle against cancer.
Well said, Rhonda.
Connie is my Sister. Praise God that she is with us. I cannot thank Mercy Hospital, the doctors and the staff enough!! And thank you O Reilly’s for taking such good care of my sister.
Julie Johnson
Praise the Lord! Connie is my dear cousin and all our prayers and the excellent care she received from the staff at Mercy hospital brought her beautiful smiling face back to us! Thank you!