Keeping Pace with Marty

If you read the last newsletter, you know that Marty’s been dealing with significant health challenges. In the past number of months there’s been COVID Pneumonia, a hospital stay, and the effort to work his way back to teaching. Through it all, Marty has been undeterred, despite a heart that has been testy and breath that has been harder to catch.

After the family holiday celebrations ended, Marty was looking at another trip to the hospital — this one hoped for and planned. Marty remains determined to live the best life he can and make the most of each day, so when his doctor told him that a pacemaker could improve the quality of his life, he was all in. The catch was that Marty and Mary Ellen didn’t know when the surgery would take place. They had to be ready to go when an opening in the schedule came up. After they got a date, Marty had less than a week to go through a series of tests to make sure he was a good candidate for the surgery. Marty passed, and it was “game on.”

The two-hour procedure took place on January 8th at Capital Health in Trenton, where Marty stayed overnight to get IV antibiotics before being released the next day. Marty reports he has more energy, even while still recovering from the surgery. He has figured out how to stoke the fire in his woodburning stove, push a snow shovel, and feed balls while following doctor’s orders (more or less) to keep his arm below his heart and preserve the integrity of the recently inserted device. Surprising no one, he returned to the court four days after the surgery and is again teaching tennis at Hopewell Valley and Swim Center.

Another author appearance

The Mercer County Library’s Hopewell Branch, located in Pennington, has a Sports Book Group that meets to discuss a sports-themed book each month. Ol’ Buddy Marty was the group’s December selection. When Marty learned of this, he offered to go to the meeting. This was, mind you, not too far removed from the Covid hospital visit and before he got his pacemaker. Marty had been using a rollator. He was periodically on oxygen. He’d been having trouble sleeping. I’ll admit to wondering whether Marty would decide the library appearance was just too much, especially given it was an evening meeting after a full day. How foolish!

Marty entered the library, early as usual, without his rollator or oxygen. He was accompanied by Mary Ellen, who also attended the meeting. As Marty walked through the building, I could hear that strong, clear, unmistakable, non-librarylike bullhorn of a voice reverberating through the stacks: “Hey, how are you, Good Buddy?!”  The session itself was a delight. Marty regaled the group with stories, sprinkled in with his motivational principles. Mary Ellen chimed in as well, at times redirecting Marty or adding to a story. The librarians got into the spirit of the evening, providing “cheese and crackers” for snacks. Like a lot of athletes, Marty didn’t betray the effort, determination, and energy needed to pull this off, especially in the evening when he is usually winding down from the day drinking a beer, cooking, and watching TV with Mary Ellen.

The book group loved the book and felt honored to have Marty and Mary Ellen in attendance. As one book group member said, “I loved the book. Marty is my hero.”

Cathy Kreyche

P.S. It’s January 17, and Marty reports having his best night sleep in years! He woke up with more energy and can walk longer without struggling to breathe. People who’ve seen him since his pacemaker surgery have told him his color is better. Marty’s brother John, who’s had a pacemaker for 15 years, advised him that it may take a few days to feel the difference. It did. Now that the surgery is receding in the rear view mirror, Marty confirms that having a stabilized heartbeat is a “fabulous feeling”—“I feel like I could hunt a bear with a switch!”

Note: Photo courtesy of Mercer County Public Library.