Food and Family

Elaine Dimtson always expressed love through her cooking. When she could no longer eat without pain, she knew her health had taken a dark turn.

At 66, the retired Ecorse resident is known for her full Greek spreads, towering holiday desserts and homemade truffles wrapped carefully for Christmas gifts. Her kitchen is where grandchildren learn to measure flour and laughter lingers long after dinner ends.

But that all changed in August of 2024. 

“I couldn’t eat or drink anything,” Elaine says. Even nutrition drinks made me double over in pain.”

As her symptoms got worse, every bite brought greater nausea and every sip felt unbearable. Medications didn’t help, her appetite disappeared and so did her strength.

“I was getting sicker and sicker,” she says. “And I didn’t know why.”

A dangerous discovery

Elaine met with her primary care doctor, Mary Ann Skoures, M.D., at Henry Ford Family Medicine – Allen Park. After a CT scan, Dr. Skoures referred Elaine to Henry Ford Health gastroenterologist Adarsh Varma, M.D., at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He ordered more tests and, after reviewing her results, told her if her pain got worse, to go to the emergency room.  

A couple of weeks later, it got worse, and she went to the ER at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. Here she met Brian Sullivan, M.D., a Henry Ford Health vascular surgeon, who transferred her for care at Henry Ford Hospital. 

From Dr. Sullivan, she learned that the source of her pain was severe atherosclerosis of the aorta. 

As the largest artery in the body, the aorta runs from the heart down to the abdomen, supplying blood to the body. When plaque (fatty deposits) builds up inside the aorta, it can cause a condition known as atherosclerosis. For Elaine, this was severely limiting blood flow to her digestive organs. Without treatment, it would get worse.

“None of my digestive organs were getting blood flow,” Elaine says. “I was going to die without surgery.”

Worth the risk

Even with surgery, there was no guarantee that Elaine would survive.

“Dr. Sullivan explained that the open surgical procedure required would be complex,” Elaine says. “He also had doubts that my body was strong enough to make it through. But the risk was worth it to me. I wanted to watch my eight grandkids and one great-grandchild grow up.” 

But first, Elaine needed to be admitted to intensive care at Henry Ford Hospital. She was extremely malnourished, so her care team started her on tube feeding to build up her strength. She also walked hospital hallways four to five times a day, and her team performed an initial procedure to place stents (metal mesh tubes) inside her aorta and iliac artery to help prepare her for surgery.

By January 2025, she was ready for the big day. To restore her blood flow, Dr. Sullivan needed to clamp and repair sections of her aorta, clearing blocked vessels so oxygen-rich blood could once again reach her organs. 

“He told me my aorta was going to be angry about being denied blood flow,” she says. 

Fortunately, surgery went as planned. But it was not an easy recovery. Once she was released from the hospital, Elaine spent some time in a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. 

When Elaine finally returned home, the simple act of eating felt like a victory.

“The first thing I did when I felt capable was make a full meal,” she says. 

Within months, she even hosted a full Friendsgiving dinner, cooking for three days and nights for a feast that included a 26-pound turkey, apps, sides, three pies and a cake. 

She’s also back to work on her family cookbook, Yiayia’s Yummies, which will contain her recipes.

“‘Yiayia’ is the Greek word for grandmother,” she says. “And everyone will get a copy of my cookbook once it’s done. I have about 70 recipes so far and another 50 to go.” 

Looking ahead

To stay healthy and enjoy her second chance, Elaine has quit smoking, walks daily when weather allows, solves crossword puzzles and, of course, focuses on cooking and baking. 

At her first follow-up appointment, she was especially excited to bring Dr. Sullivan homemade cookies.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thanked him,” she says. “And I’m grateful for my Henry Ford team. The dedication and compassion of everyone was incredible. If I needed help, they were right there and went above and beyond. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”