Ed D. Bonnie Clark Douglass

What's Next? a Search for Hope Ed D. Bonnie Clark Douglass

Poignant and profoundly personal, What's Next? A Search for Hope, is the narrative of a journey and the search for hope in the depths of despair. Diagnosed with malignant melanoma seven weeks after marrying Bonnie, "Pastor" George Priest shows faith and dignity with death. This is his story of strength and courage. The combination of George's superior faith and Bonnie's medical background led to the story that recounts their quest for a cure and constant search for hope. Personal conversations between George and Bonnie bring to light the differences between religion and finding a true relationship with God, which both express the key to finding one's true purpose and potential. The couples' medical experience is educational with an emphasis on prevention, detection, and treatment of malignant melanoma. The support of an expert team of physicians and staff, who specialize in melanoma, helped equip the couple for the battle that was ahead. The grief cycle is explained and reiterates the value of having a palliative care team when making end of life decisions. The compassionate physicians and team members helped the couple move through the grief of a terminal illness. The help of hospice and social workers in dealing with terminal illness was invaluable to their process. Surrounded by a loving family, relatives, and friends, along with continual spiritual support gave George and Bonnie a sense of security and hope, even when they accepted the outcome was imminent. .