Thanks to our clients, friends and readers over the past few, grueling days. Although the auto-pilot posts still appeared on schedule, I’ve been out of the office since December 22nd. A few days previous, I wrote a post about preparing for the unexpected. I didn’t think we’d get the punctuation mark on that sentence, but we sure did.
My wife, who’s 34, experienced severe chest pains three days before Christmas. She happens to work next door to a great doctor who spotted the signs of a heart attack. Routine tests led to a panic in the exam lab, followed by an emergency triple bypass to correct a lurking heart defect that would never have shown up on any standard physical. And since then, it’s been a whirlwind of hospital rooms, Intensive Care, 3am coffee shop runs and two forty-hour stretches with no sleep. (I kept a weblog for friends and family, so you can see what we’ve all been enduring.)
Lori’s coming home from the hospital tomorrow, and her wonderful sister arrives from Philadelphia to help me take care of her for the next week. I’m "back in the office" but only about 50% for the next few days, so posting will still be light. Unfortunately, I have to cancel my "open phones" call tonight, but I will reschedule it soon. If yours is one of the 900 e-mails in my inbox, you’ll hear from me before Regis drops the ball this weekend, and I thank you for your patience.
In the face of this personal brush with disaster and in light of the graphic example of human frailty we’re witnessing in Asia right now, I urge you to use the rest of this year to mend fences, connect with those you’ve lost touch with, and choose to spend your time doing things you love. Life IS your wake up call. So go live it.
5 responses
Wow. Glad to hear she’s recovering. Sending good thoughts your way.
Dear Lori,
I am glad you are now home in your own bed and recovering from that serious condition. I hope 2005 brings full recovery to you!
Way to go Robin and Deb! Helping Joe out when he needed friends he can rely upon.
Joe,
Again, I just wanted to send along my good wishes for you and your wife. I know that it was a shock for such a young person to face such a life threatening situation. I have had 3 friends under the age of 30 who all died of massive heart attacks (and two of them were health nuts). But as the saying goes, God only puts on you what you can handle. I am looking forward to hearing you on the Indie phones again. Of course, I totally understand why your mind is not on the music, you have a much more important job to do to take care of your wife. I just got over (or should I say, am getting over) a bout of pneumonia. I guess I am just too damn onery to die (at least for the next 30 or 40 years!). Take care, and God Bless.
Dee
Looking to the new year
Well…. we’re certainly sending this year off in a grandly bad style with the terrible events in Indonesia. Even things closer to home like my friend Joe Taylor’s wife’s heart attack.
We were also ripped off by talent2k and img records. In which we are talking with our attny’s at this time.