ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In appreciation for my continued good health, this book is dedicated to Dr. Jack Pickleman, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, Chief, Division of General Surgery, Dr. Claudine Siegert, Dr. James Bergin, and the surgical, physical therapy, and nursing staff at Loyola University Chicago Medical Center; Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois. To Charles V. Holmberg, MD, Everett Kirch, MD, Nilish D. Mehta, MD, and Y. Mehta, MD, and the staff at Victory Memorial Hospital, Waukegan, Illinois; to Robert S. Baker, MD.

Special thanks to my family, for all you have given: Kevin, Todd, Melissa, Anthony, LaTaja, Todd Jr., and AntoNia; Sandra, Lela Jo, Cindy, Peggy, Doris, Brenda; Julia, Carl, Ora, Walter; and the family of my heart, Eunice, Althea, George; Louise, Georgina, Johnny; Janice and Alex; Dolores, Joanne, Jack; Fred. I will always remember.

To my agent, Ted Chichak, who is always there and always much more than a friend.

To my editor, Kelley Ragland, whose objectivity and belief in Marti I rely on.

To my friend Margaret Kaiser, one hundred years old.

To the members of my writer’s group, the Red Herrings.

To Fred Hunter, David Walker, Michael Allan Dymmoch, Hugh Holton and Adele, Bill Spurgeon, Libby Heilman, Mary Harris, and Judy Duhl, Scotland Yard Bookstore.

Many thanks to special friends: Torrie Flink, Ann Zubre, Patricia Jones, Ann Howell, Charlotte Rush, Tracy Clark, Katie Rinehart, Anne Marie Stohl, Patricia Schaller, Sandra Branker, Bea Lombre, Cindy and Tom Hansen, and Barbara and Jake Wallace.

For technical assistance: W. Elliot Dunn, attorney-at-law; Jean Pederson, artist; Sharon Laughlin, art historian; Debbie Hoffman, Warren-Newport Township Library; Sandy Sherwood, Waukegan Public Library; Lucy Rahn, artist.