As many of you know, I (Rock Town Hall’s own sammymaudlin) suffered a “traumatic brain injury” on February 16 of this year. It was really just a freak accident. Sadly no drugs or alcohol were involved. Even though I only fell in my hallway the “scale” of the fall was recorded as that of a “backwards fall from a 2-story building.” I was induced into a coma for 2 weeks to control the brain swelling. And to boot, my 12-year-old son’s appendix burst while I was holed up in a hospital for 6 weeks.
Anyhoo…It was quite the stressful time for both my family and me.
So many folks came to our aid with supportive emails, snail mailed cards, financial contributions (Q: Ya know how much money a self-employed guy makes when he can’t work? A: Zip!), meals for the family, yard care… It was amazing and beautiful to see how many people did so much to help out. Without a doubt I now feel more connected to life, love, people, and more.
Blah, blah, blah. The purpose of this post is to personally thank my peeps here at RTH. The posted support, emailed support, and community/financial support via Sausages For Sammy was overwhelming and deeply appreciated. Many of you I know personally and my love for you is el grande. And many of the RTHers that helped out I have only met once and some I’ve never even met in person at all! For these folks I don’t so much take your support personally as much as I do a testament to this cool community that we have all built together. A place so great to many of us that when one of us was in need, you did what you could. The Reverend sums it best for me here:
Glad to have you back!
Welcome back! I look forward to our new direction.
He’s baaa-aaack!
Aw, we’re so glad you’re back. Looking forward to your future posts and comments.
Thank GOD you’ve returned. Mr. Moderator and his appalling toady, E. Pluribus Gergley, have made a mockery out of everything you worked so hard to achieve prior to your illness. I stand four-square behind any effort you may undertake to retake the high ground here in the Hall. Something must be done, and you’re just the man to do it. I await your summons.
HVB
Does this mean all new posts need to consider WW(PP)ED? (What Would (Post Plugs) Elton Do?)
Welcome back Sammy!
And I’ll corroborate this “cool community”. Rather than at the All-Star Special, I’ll thank everyone for the warm wishes and prayers for my dad. Doctors and nurses in the ICU are using the “m” word (as in Tommy – “Extra, extra, read all about, Pinball Wizard in a miracle cure”) to describe my dad’s recovery. While they were pessimistic from the beginning, we didn’t know how grim the situation was. We thought they were being nice when they told us the visiting hours and room limits didn’t apply to us; now I see they were saying “Spend as much time with him as you can because he hasn’t much time yet”.
But after he had flatlined and was revived a week ago Friday and after a weekend of pessimistic reports, on Tuesday they took him off the ventilator and it’s been nothing but good news since. On Wednesday night, he insisted we go out to dinner on him at an Italian restaurant he likes – provided we bring him back veal parmigiana, pasta, and a salad. We did and he tucked into it like someone who hadn’t eaten in, well, 10 days.
He was moved out of ICU on Thursday and tomorrow will probably be discharged to rehab. He’s breathing on his on, off the catheter, and starting to walk.
He’s well enough that I went home to CT for the weekend. I’ll head back this morning for a few days and feel confident enough that I’ll be able to head for the planned vacation in Paris on Saturday with an easy mind. (Mr. Mod, where are some recommendations?)
Thanks again to everyone!
That is AWESOME news, al! I’ll send you my Paris recommendations later today – when my wife has a chance to remind me of some names I’m forgetting.
Glad to hear it, Al, great news.
I look forward to the new perspective and will do everything in my power to rally against it. Get well-er.
Cheers
Fantastic!
Really glad to hear you’re up and running again, Sammy. Please do your best to stay healthy as I do not wish to have to sit next to E. Pluribus Gergley at another sausage fest. (I kid, I kid!)
That’s wonderful news!
That is outstanding. Very nice to hear.
Excellent.
Hi Sammy,
Welcome back. I hope all continues to calm down for you and your family. Best wishes….
Muchos gracias, mi amigos!
Great al! Truly nice and warm to hear.
If I could tell someone only one place to visit in Paris it would be the Musée d’Orsay.
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html
I’ll second that!
We can’t find a rock version of People Who Need People to attach to this post? That certainly seems appropriately inappropriate for the situation considering the Hall.
It’s GREAT to have you back! Please ease into the flow. If you find it’s too tiring to disagree with me, then take the less taxing approach of just agreeing with my opinions. Save the venom for the others.
Great! Glad to hear it!
Sammy, baby!!! HOWAREYAAA!?!?!
In all seriousness, as a comic, and I think Wlliam B. will back me up on this: It hasn’t been the same here without you. Truly glad to see you back and all healed up. Really fantastic…..Uh, hey, you don’t by any chance have any “Dead Zone”-like ability to see into future events now, do ya? Just curious, ‘cos I got myself into a little trouble with some guys, bettin’ on the ponies, and if there’s any way you could help, you know, turn things around for me down at the track, it would be just fabulous….no pressure, though.
Anyhoo, glad you’re back…but, about this Elton thing: Has the doc checked your noggin recently?
Wow, outside of one bad video choice, this is a really great thread. It’s great to see you back, sammy, and I hope your dad gets to eat as much veal parmagian as he wants, Al.
I agree.