Caring for Each Other Through Years of Cardiac Issues
September 30, 2024
Danny Merriman is a retired farmer and Douglass Distributing employee. His wife, Sheri, taught painting locally and at conventions across the country for more than 27 years. Both have lived in Sherman for most of their lives. After 54 years of marriage, they were faced with a new challenge when they both suffered cardiac issues that required multiple heart bypasses.
Sheri’s first heart event
It was in 2022 that Sheri first started experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. For about 10 months, she would feel pressure in her neck when walking and get very tired. Her shoulder and hand on one side would feel cold. She eventually began to experience severe chest pain. “Most people would have gone to the hospital,” she says, “but the feelings would go away after five minutes.”
Sheri’s symptoms became more frequent, and she eventually started seeing a cardiologist at TexomaCare's Texoma Heart Group. In June of that year, she went in for an echocardiogram and started feeling severe chest pain while in the waiting room. She was rushed to the emergency room at Texoma Medical Center where it was discovered she was having a heart attack due to two blockages in her coronary arteries. She received two stents and continued seeing her cardiologist for regular checkups.
Danny’s first heart event
While building a new workshop one hot afternoon that same summer, Danny came into the house out of breath. He assumed it was just signs of aging, but given Sheri’s heart issues the year before, she insisted he get it checked out. After a visit to the same cardiologist that treated Sheri, Danny was sent to Texoma Medical Center for a heart catheterization that showed he had multiple blockages in his coronary arteries.
It was at that time he was referred to Dr. Greg Matter, a TexomaCare cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at the hospital, who determined Danny would need multiple heart bypasses. “We were shocked when we were told this, but talking to Dr. Matter put us at ease,” Danny recalls of the visit. “He is a very confident and pleasant man. He made us feel comfortable, and we had no reservations about going through the surgery.” Within two weeks, he was scheduled for surgery.
Sheri's second heart event
The Merrimans’ heart issues seemed resolved for a while, and they resumed going about their daily activities. It was not until the summer of 2023 that Sheri started experiencing the symptoms of her heart condition again. Because of her heart attack the year before, she wasted no time scheduling another appointment with Texoma Heart Group.
During this checkup, her cardiologist performed a heart catheterization and found that a buildup of scar tissue was causing blockage in one of her arteries. Heart surgery was recommended, and the Merrimans immediately went to see Dr. Matter again.
Undergoing multiple heart bypasses
Danny received his sextuple (six) bypasses in January of 2023, and Sheri received her quadruple (four) bypasses in August of 2024. “Their only complaints coming out of surgery were thirst and shortness of breath,” Dr. Matter says, “but after 48 hours they both only took Tylenol and were fine to go home after a few days. There were no complications.”
After six days of recovering from his procedure, Danny was cleared to return home. “The ICU nurses and doctors are a super bunch,” he says. Sheri spent four days recovering in the hospital before she was released. “The physical therapists had me up and moving 12 hours after I woke up from surgery,” she recalls.
Fortunate to have each other
Although it was difficult for the Merrimans to go through their heart issues in such quick succession, they consider themselves fortunate to have had each other’s support as they both went through their procedures and recovery. “We don’t know how people our age can go through this on their own,” they say of the experience. “We would have needed full-time help otherwise.”
Because their procedures were 18 months apart, they were able to alternate caring for the other during recovery. Danny completed the workshop he was building and is back to gardening. Sheri, who is a little over a month out from surgery, is glad to see him back to doing the things he enjoys. “I still have a little way to go, but he’s here to care for me and take over the housework while I’m resting,” she says. “His cooking and clothes washing have really improved!”
Dr. Matter hopes the Merrimans’ story will help alleviate the fear people may have of surgical intervention. “If you have a condition impacting your health and quality of life, let’s do what needs to be done,” he says. “You will be healthier, live long longer and be glad you did it later on.”