Pat-
I have been around since your life-changing event on Black Thursday, and I want to express that you have been more of a public servant than the ones that I elect.
My advice: "be strong."
Bob Weller
From Patrick Townsend, Wed, 22 Feb 2006 21:00:00
Earlier today, Wednesday, I had a very bad incident. During the night,
> I was up and down a few times, feeling absolutely awful with chest
> pains, much shortness of breath and much coughing and gagging. When my
> 'keepers' came around this morning and saw how absolutely awful I
> looked and sounded, they insisted I had to go to the hospital ASAP. So
> I was taken to Mercy Hospital here in Independence, where a decision
> was reached that (whatever else is wrong with me) I have a very bad
> case of bronchitis and my lungs are not in good shape. I was put on
> 'breathing treatments' with oxygen and ambuterol (?) I have to smoke a
> pipe with some liquid pumped into it and an oxygen combination hooked
> to a compressor. As if I do not have enough pains in the ass! I had
> sincerely hoped to continue my role here as editor _at least_ through
> sometime in August, and I will continue as best I am able. But, if you
> do not see me around for a few days at a time then it either means I
> am back in the hospital again, or else I totally croaked. I hope to
> be able to give you a few days notice before the latter, at
> least. Those of you who remember me prior to Black Thursday, in
> November, 1999 (the aneuyrsm day) will recall I have been continually
> dizzy since that time, and am due for a new brain shunt anyway, but
> I am not sure if it is worth the time and money for a trip all the way
> up to Topeka (or down to Tulsa) -- the nearest brain surgeons -- to
> have it done. Anyway, that's where things are at here; I'll try to
> stay in touch as much as I can. I am back home from the hospital,
> where I was at all day Wednesday. PAT]