PICTURED: Carol (Center) with members of the Acute Rehabilitation Team At MCCH

 

MURRAY, KY – January 6^th, 2026, would have marked 40 years of service to Murray-Calloway County Hospital (MCCH) for Carol Perlow, RN. Holding several positions during her time at MCCH, she has spent the last 25+ years as the Director of Educational Services. As a registered nurse and leader, she offered skill, compassion, and reassurance to countless staff members, patients, and families. The hospital was her second home, and nursing was never just a job – it was her calling.

 

However, just before her planned retirement, Carol’s life took an unexpected and dramatic turn on December 1^st, 2025. As she recalled her day, she remembers leaving work, heading to her car, and thinking how long it was taking to walk. When she got there, she was unusually fatigued and just sat in her car to rest for a few minutes. Carol was on her way to the Wellness Center where she met regularly twice a week with her trainer, Drew. Her first thought was to just walk on the treadmill instead since she didn’t feel up to training; however, she knew something just was not right and she called her friend and co-worker Mary to meet her in the parking lot and asked her to bring a stethoscope. Within a few minutes, Mary, along with Lori and Calla came ready with a wheelchair and took her back to the education unit where they hooked her up to the defibrillator. That is when they realized she was having abnormal heart rhythms (heart palpitations). They gave her the choice to go straight to the ER or to the Walk-In Clinic at MMA. Carol decided she would just go to the clinic first, no need to panic. Michelle Wann, APRN, who had also worked for years in the ER, took care of Carol and things progressed fast from there. Carol said details are fuzzy, but she remembers her husband, Mike, being there and rushed quickly to the ER where she was met by Dr. Homayuni, Interventional Cardiologist. They were able to stabilize her and Carol stayed in PCU overnight until her scheduled heart cath the next day. Following the heart cath, Dr. Homayuni shared the results which showed that Carol had at least three arteries that were 90% blocked and she would also need a heart valve replacement.

 

Carol had suffered a heart attack – an event that stunned her family, friends, and co-workers who had long known her as a nurse, not the patient.

 

She was transported by ambulance to Centennial in Nashville where she would undergo surgery. Carol underwent triple bypass surgery along with a heart valve replacement. This time, she lay in a hospital bed not as a nurse, but as someone relying completely on the expertise and compassion of the very profession, she had dedicated her life to. Surrounded by medical teams who now cared for her, Carol faced recovery with the same courage and determination she had always encouraged in her patients. She remained in the hospital for nine more days.

 

Her healing did not stop in the operating room; on December 10^th she was transferred back to the Acute Inpatient Rehab Department at MCCH where she would receive 24/7 nursing care, and vigorous physical and occupational therapy for the next ten days to regain her strength. The process was challenging, both physically and emotionally, but she met it head-on.

 

“They were wonderful in Acute Rehab, and I was able to get home before Christmas. I had lots of occupational and physical therapy. They went from helping me with a shower to activities of daily living and getting me back in my normal routine,” said Carol. “The nurses there were available any time I pushed the call light…they really worked as a team.”

 

She is continuing her care by working with a dietitian and participating in a Cardiac Rehab program, which will include a total of thirty-six sessions of tailored exercise and education. As she continues in Cardiac Rehab, Carol is recovering, stronger with each passing day, and embracing life from a new perspective. Her retirement looks different than she once imagined, but her story is no less powerful. It is one of resilience and the spirit of a nurse whose heart, both figuratively and literally, has given so much.

 

After 40 years of caring for others, Carol Perlow now focuses on healing herself and is looking forward to her retirement celebration in February, as well as, going on a trip to Egypt with her husband, Mike, and spending more time with her family and grandchildren. Her journey reminds us that strength, compassion, and hope can carry us through even the most unexpected life events.