Surgery for Harold McElroy

Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy will have his right lung removed Thursday. The email from Harold's wife, Linda:

Janet:

Just wanted you to know that Harold was diagnosed with lung cancer recently. He is having surgery to remove the rest of his right lung on Thursday. He has been in a lot of pain for about 6 months with the shoulder area. We now think it is the tumor in the top of his lung.

Take care.
Linda


BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall forwarded the email to the BJ Alums blog.

The McElroys live on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a block from retired BJ printer Dick Latshaw and wife Pat and a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Both families have been there for at least a decade.

Retired BJ printer Sid Sprague moved from Pawleys Island to Colorado after Sid's wife died. Sid remarried and his second wife has family in Colorado.

Sid's wife, Sandra, 64, died in 2003. Sid's son, Steve, 38, of Middleburg, Virginia, died May 4, 2010.

Dick Latshaw emailed this about Harold's upcoming surgery:


The photo (of Harold and Linda) was taken in Hawaii on our 50th anniversary In January, 2011.

I saw Harold this morning. He is in good spirits.

Dick



Click on the headline to see more photos of the Latshaws and the McElroys in Hawaii in January 2011.

More surgery for Harold McElroy

While Paula and I were on a 3-day trip to Canada, BJ Alums received these emails about BJ business department retiree Harold McElroy, who lives with wife Linda in Pawleys Island, South Carolina:

UPDATE: (Wed. morning) just got off the phone with Mom. He had progressed enough to where they were gonna send him home tomorrow or Friday but he had a setback today and was transferred back to I.C.U. They think he may have a touch of pneumonia. He is on a breathing tube and antiboticsl. They feel that thay may be able to remove the breathing tube tomorrow.

UPDATE: (last night) more prayers are needed. I just spoke with Mom, and they have taken him back to surgery. They have found a small hole in the area of the removed lung that is filling up and causing infection. The Doctor felt that it was urgent that they fix this tonight. Which will put us back at square one in the recovery process. There is a small amount of pneumonia, but they feel this other issue is of main concern.

UPDATE: Mom left me a voicemail overnight. He pulled thru the surgery. My understanding is that the next day or two are extremely critical. I will touch base with her this afternoon and forward any update that I get.

UPDATE: (today) I was able to get in touch wit Mom this afternoon. He is holding his own, and is semi-coherent. There are a few risks involved in this procedure so basically it is a waiting game to see if it works. But they are sure that this was the problem. We just have to hope and pray that it works. He is looking at up to 2 weeks in I.C.U. at this time. Then more rehab, once he recovers enough to do so. So basically it will be touch and go for a few days to see if this works. So continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Our family definitely knows the power or prayer. I will continue to provide updates as I get them. But at this point my feeling is, if I am not getting constant updates, then things are going positive. He is aware that he has people all over the country pulling for him. And on his behalf, I will say that means the world to them.

(an hour ago) as of 5:00 they took him off the breathing tube so things are going in the right direction.


Harold had surgery June 15 to remove his cancerous right lung. BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall has been forwarding the emails from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Click on the headline for earlier reports on Harold's situation.

Harold McElroy moved to Murrells Inlet

Linda McElroy, wife of BJ business department retiree Harold McElroy, sent this email about Harold, who had surgery June 15 to remove his cancerous right lung.

Hi Everyone;

Harold is now at Waccamaw Hospital for rehab. This place is close to home.

He is improving each day. He is still weak and gets tired easily. He will also be getting speech therapy to improve his swallowing muscles. They need to be stronger in order to be able to have liquids and food. He has a feeding tube for now.

He will be here for at least two weeks. He has a positive attitude and is looking forward to getting home. He will require therapy at home also.
We have been away since June 15th.

It is good to be home, but it will not be right until he is home with me.

Thanks for all of the cards and prayers. Please still keep him in your prayers.

Love,
Linda

Waccamaw Hospital is in Murrells Inlet, which is 15 minutes from the McElroys' Pawleys Island, South Carolina home. He was moved from the Health South Rehabilitation Hospital of Charleston, South Carolina. Retired printer Dick Latshaw and wife Pat live a block from the McElroys.

Click on the headline to see earlier posts on Harold's health situation.

SID SPRAGUE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. (970) 420-5034

 

Retired printer Sid Sprague, who lives in Loveland, Colorado, is dealing with prostate cancer again and “would love to hear from” his former  BJ co-workers.

Phone him at (970) 420-5034 and make him happy. Colorado is a LONG way from Ohio and even Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where Sid was living when is wife passed away.

Sid goes in for his PhSA (prostate-specific antigen) test March 15 and has an appointment with his oncologist March 25.

I reported his cataract surgery for his eyes in 2020.

Sid’s significant other for 17 years, Nancy, is “doing well,” Sid said.

Nancy, who is from Canton, was neighbor and friend to Sid’s late wife, Sandra. After Sandy passed away, Sid and Nancy moved in 2005 from Pawleys Island to Loveland.

Sid moved from Cuyahoga Falls to Pawleys in the late 1990s. BJ Accounting Department retiree Harold McElroy and wife Linda joined them in 1999. Retired printer Dick Latshaw and Dick’s wife Pat, joined them in 2000. They all lived on the same street, which is only three blocks long. It was BJ south.

Latshaw and McElroy have passed away.

Sid’s granddaughter married July 3, 2021 in Connecticut.

His daughter, Suzanne Sprague Rutherford, lives in Costa Mesa, which is 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles, and is working toward being a veterinarian (docs for animals).

Sid’s other sons are Jeffrey Sprague, whose two sons live in the Columbus area, and Steve, who passed away in Middleburg, Virginia at the age of 38 in 2010.

Sid’s brother, Ken Sprague, passed away in 2010 in Cuyahoga Falls, where I often had meals with Sid on Front Street.

Sid has taken cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean (both Eastern and Western) and the “Mexican Riviera” on the Yucatan Peninsula with Cozumel as a jumping off point for the cruise ships before you take a tender to the mainland and the “Mexican Riviera.”

Sid once explained why he left warm and sunny South Carolina for Colorado where he’s up to his butt in snow for month after month:

 

“We had to evacuate (from Pawleys Island) every time there was a hurricane and that was a disaster. So I told myself, one more time and I’m out of here. The next hurricane came, a big tree fell on my house. As soon as I fixed the house, I sold it and we moved to Colorado.”

 

Sid was among the 45 retired BJ printers who benefitted from the successful healthcare lawsuit that the late Dave White filed against the BJ that restored retirement day medical coverage.

 

I piggybacked on Dave’s lawsuit by filing on behalf of retired BJ Guild newsroom members.

 

It saved me $80,000 because I got $4 90-day prescriptions not matter what that total cost of the pills were.

 

Canadian billionaire got out from under the lawsuit requirements 8 years later by making the BJ a shell corporation, stacked the debt ot it, filed bankruptcy to stop the $4 lawsuit benefits for Guild and retired printers.

 

As if he needed another million by taking thousands of dollars from BJ retirees.

 

Since the late BJ State Desk assistant editor Harry Liggett created this blog there have been 1.2 million pageviews. It’s my way of upholding Harry’s tradition of keeping BJ folks informed about each other.

 

The number of hits shows BJ folks are tuning in. If you want to see if there are articles on this blog about your former co-workers just go to the top left of this page where you see a white “b” on a red background, type in their name and hit your “Enter” key. EVERY article ever published with that name in it will show up!

Report on Harold McElroy's surgery

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy's surgery to remove his cancerous right lung. It came by way of Sheryl Scott Sheinin, who forwarded it from John Scott.


UPDATE on Harold.
From John Scott: just got off the phone with Mom. everything went great. It took 9 hours and they did find some more cancer, but were able to remove all of it. The Doctor is very pleased.

They feel that this has been the root of his problem all along. The tumor was larger than a baseball and was growing into the ribs.

Thank You to all for the thoughts and prayers. Keep em coming as he recovers from this.


Click on the headline to see an earlier story on the situation for Harold, who lives in Pauleys Island, South Carolina.

Setback for Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy, who had surgery to remove his cancerous right lung, from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall.

Harold had a setback and heart rate went sky high. Dr. said it was due to "bad air" not leaving his body as it should have.

Now they did a procedure and it went well. Linda has been at hospital and hotel and is exhausted and not eaten well so tonight she is going to eat and go to bed. He should get off the ventilator tomorrow.

UPDATE: just got off the phone. the procedure went well, and they are planning to remove the ventilator in the morning. doctor says he is back on track. Mom is exhausted and hasn't had a decent meal in days, so she was on her way to eat, then back to the hotel to sleep.

-- John Scott


Janet Hall forwarded the email from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Click on the headline for previous BJ Alums items on Harold.

Update on Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy's surgery to remove his cancerous right lung from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall.

Her son John said the surgery was 9 hours and he did fine. Had to remove 4 ribs because the cancer had gone into a rib. Dr. said he was pleased with the surgery and felt they got it all. He was being fed by IV because he was having trouble swallowing.

Janet Hall forwarded the email from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

The McElroys live on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a block from retired BJ printer Dick Latshaw and wife Pat and a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Both families have been there for at least a decade.

Click on the headline to see a previous posting on Harold's surgery.

Harold McElroy comes home

Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy came home today. Harold had surgery June 15 to remove his cancerous right lung.

The email from Linda, Harold's wife:

Hi Everyone;

Harold came home today. He is doing well. The ride home made him pretty tired, but he was able to walk into the house with the aid of a walker. He has a long road ahead of him, but is making progress.

Today was a little hettic, trying to set up a schedule, of getting used to me being his nurse. Tomorrow will be better.

A visiting nurse will be here tomorrow and therapists will start next week. After a couple of weeks he will go to outpatient therapy.

I am glad to have him home and he is happy to finally be home after two months of hospitals.

He wants to be able to sit in his chair and watch TV and get on the computer again. Maybe tomorrow.

Thanks again for all of the cards and prayers. We still need the prayers.

Take care,
Linda and Harold

"Home" is Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where the McElroys live a block from retired printer Dick Latshaw and his wife, Pat.

Click on the headline for previous BJ Alums postings on Harold.

More details on Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy, who had surgery to remove his cancerous right lung, from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall, who forwarded it from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Just got off the phone with Mom.

As of last Friday, (Harold) has been moved to a rehab facility. The original plan was for 1 or 2 weeks. Waiting to hear an update and prognosis from Doctors.

He is improving, and regaining strength. May have to keep the feeding tube for a few months, as his throat muscles are not strong enough to swallow even water, without fear of it making it into his lung.



Click on the headline for earlier reports on Harold.

McElroy memorial service in Akron Oct. 1

A Memorial Service for Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy of Pawleys Island, South Carolina will be 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Anthony Funeral Home on S. Main St. in Firestone Park. A get-together will follow. The announcement will appear in the Beacon Journal on Septeber 28.

Harold, 74, who worked at the BJ for 42 years, died Sept. 5 in South Carolina. He had lung cancer surgery in June.

Born in Akron, he was the son of the late Charles William and Elva McElroy. His great-granddaughter, Reagan Lacole Edwards, also preceded him in death.

Harold was the treasurer of the F.O.P.A. #6 for several years.

Surviving are his wife, Linda; children, Colleen Sweazy (Denny), Maureen Anderson, Michele, Jamie and John Scott; brother, Jim (Debby) of Burke, Va.; nephew, Jeff; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Click on the headline to see earlier stories about Harold's health problems.

Harold McElroy is showing improvement

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy, who had surgery to remove his cancerous right lung, from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall, who forwarded it from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Harold was moved to a room today (Monday) and is showing improvement, is doing some walking, but still has the feeding tube. If he continues to improve, they may transfer him closer to home, which would help Mom (Linda) immensely. All his numbers have looked good for several days, so everything sounds positive.

-- Cheryl


Click on the headline for earlier reports on Harold.

ART "MADE IT" AFTER HEART ABLATION SURGERY

 

Art Krummel has surgery; up to 3 months to recover

 

Scary situation but hopeful post about former BJ art department chief Art Krummel from his wife, former BJ reporter Charlene Nevada:

“Art is out of the heart ablation surgery. Healing can take up to 3 months. But he made it."

Art and Charlene lived in Tallmadge, as I do, but in 2010 bought a 2^nd home in Garden City, South Carolina and in 2014 and later use it as a retreat from Ohio winters.

Garden City is 13 miles from Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where retired BJ printer lived till he passed away and BJ business department retiree Harold McElroy did before Harold also passed away.

Let’s hold and breath and pray for Art’s steady recovery.

For who didn’t know, as I didn’t till I looked it up, heart ablation tries to fix atrial fabulation (Afib).

Sometimes medications can help. Blood thinners lower the risk of blood clots of strokes.

When those aren’t good enough, then Afib becomes an option. And also involves a Pacemaker, which I’ve had for years and it works quite well.

Harold McElroy may be moved closer to home

BJ business department retiree Harold McElroy may be moved from the Health South Rehabilitation Hospital of Charleston, South Carolina to the 167-bed Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet if he has a good weekend. That would put him only 15 minutes from Harold and Linda's Pawleys Island, South Carolina home.

The McElroys live a block from retired BJ printer Dick Latshaw and wife Pat and a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Both families have been there for at least a decade.

Harold had surgery June 15 to remove his cancerous right lung. BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall has been forwarding BJ Alums the emails from Sheryl Scott Sheinin, who herself recently became a BJ retiree.

Click on the headline to see earlier BJ Alums articles on Harold.

update on sid sprague

 

CATCHING UP WITH

Retired BJ printer Sid Sprague

 

Retired printer Sid Sprague, who lives in Loveland, Colorado, will have cataract surgery next month.

 

Sid will be 85 in March. And he keeps getting cancer-free test results after his prostate surgery a few years ago.

 

Sid says second wife Nancy “is doing well,” too. Nancy, who is from Canton, was neighbor and friend to Sid’s late wife, Sandra. After Sandy passed away, Sid and Nancy married and moved in 2005 from Pawleys Island, South Carolina to Loveland.

 

They’ve been back to the Carolinas 3 times since.

 

Nancy’s sister moved from the Carolinas to Virginia.

 

Sid’s granddaughter will be married in Connecticut in July. Sid hopes to make it for the wedding, depending on the pandemic and other things.

 

Sid had joined the late Dick Latshaw and Harold McElroy, also BJ retirees, in Pawleys Island.

 

Sid’s daughter, Suzanne Sprague Rutherford, lives in Costa Mesa, which is 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Sid’s son, Jeffrey Sprague, lives in Greenwich Township, on the southwest tip of Connecticut. Another son, Steve, passed away in Middleburg, Virginia at the age of 38 in 2010.

 

Sid’s phone number is (970) 613-1914. Call him and have a remote BJ reunion.