Dolores L. Greeley, R.S.M, was hospitalized for a brain aneurysm on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The 73-year-old Associate Professor of Theological Studies remains in critical condition.
“The seriousness of this continues,” said John J. Mueller, S.J., academic department chair of theological studies. “This is a lady who is loved by her students and the faculty.”
According to Mueller, Greeley collapsed around 9 a.m. last Wednesday inside the Humanities Building. Secretaries found her, and Greeley was rushed to Saint Louis University Hospital. She arrived in the emergency room within 15 or 20 minutes of collapsing, Mueller said.
Upon swelling, an artery had exploded in the front part of Greeley’s brain. That night, she had surgery to try to block the bleeding. For the next two days, she was monitored almost hourly, Mueller said.
The following Friday, doctors drained the blood off the cranial cavity. Greeley was sedated for this operation, to prevent her from thrashing her head around in a damaging way.
“On a scale of one to five, she was a three in consciousness,” Mueller said.
Greeley was taken off the ventilator by the end of the week, according to Mueller. On Friday, the doctors inserted a tube to drain blood from the cranium.
Due to spasms on the side of her head, Greeley underwent more surgery on Saturday. However, by Sunday, the doctors were confident that the aneurysm was no longer bleeding.
An angiogram was performed Monday because doctors were concerned with the increase in spasms in blood vessels. The angiogram allowed doctors to see where the blood was clotting and thus allow treatment, according to Mueller.
Greeley responded to requests for her to move her hand. However, the same request for the other hand was not met.
According to Mueller, brain damage is impossible to determine at this point.
“She is responding, which means that she is hearing, but I’m not a doctor so I cannot make any sort of diagnosis,” Mueller said. “There is just no way to tell at this point.”
Greeley has never had any other sicknesses or health problems, Mueller said. “I just want her to get back to the life she was leading,” he added.
In addition to the theology courses she teaches, Greeley ran women’s studies for earlier during her teaching career.
Greeley has been teaching at SLU for almost 25 years, according to Mueller.
Greeley’s classes will continue as normal. Mueller has picked up the well-known Death and Dying class. “Professors are just trying to continue where she left off,” Mueller said.
Senior Carrie Purcell, a student in Greeley’s Death and Dying course, describes her reaction to Greeley’s aneurysm.
“When I went to class, I was surprised to see . Fr. Mueller instead of Sister Greeley,” Purcell said. “After he told us what had happened, I was so upset that I almost started crying.”
The irony of the situation has not escaped students or faculty members
“It’s ironic that she taught me this class-she gave me all these interesting viewpoints on death,” Purcell said. “I wonder how she would view her own death.”
“This course that she taught-it’s just so ironic,” Mueller said. “As a Sister of Mercy, she is teaching this course. Now, she is living this course.”
Mueller said that it would probably take a miracle for Greeley to teach next semester, but he remains optimistic.
“I hope that we find that miracle with both the medicine and the prayers and that her life can be restored back to the high quality to which she is accustomed,” he said.
“She is one of those people who is full of life and always bubbling over with joy,” Mueller said of his co-worker. “I want to have that energy around again.”
