Marlene Zahnke Hoerle

Riches to Rags to Riches Marlene Zahnke Hoerle

This is the story of a financially rich, highly educated woman who became a financially poor brain damaged woman. Whose brain in 1998, was struck by the virus, Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE). She was in a coma for 7 weeks. Two neurologists predicted she would be a vegetable. When she came to, she was totally disoriented. She had no comprehension of what had happened to her. She had no short term memory and feared that she was going crazy. She was totally dependent on others. Fortunately, her power of attorney, and ex-Catholic nun, and psychotherapist Michele Toomey, PhD continued her counseling and wrote musings based on those sessions, which were the issues Marlene was struggling with. These musings became Marlene's bible, and kept her going. This enabled Marlene to reclaim her life. This is also a story about caregiving and care receiving.