I am going to the Aurora show Sat. , Lord willing.
I will give a set list and maybe some more insight on how Gord is doing. Can't wait! |
What concerns me is that Gord should have never gone onstage after the TIA occured. If it was severe enough for is right hand/arm to be impaired, he should have cancelled his shows maybe for the rest of the year, knowing that TIA's could indicate something bigger to come. I'm concerned that his desire to work is filling in some voids in his life that he would rather be on stage unable to properly play his guitar, than be back in Toronto undergoing physical therapy on his arm. It's time to cool it, rest,
deal with the problem, then,if the doctors say ok, pick it up next year...with a less ambitious schedule. I love the guy, but I'm ticked at him right now. |
What concerns me is that Gord should have never gone onstage after the TIA occured. If it was severe enough for is right hand/arm to be impaired, he should have cancelled his shows maybe for the rest of the year, knowing that TIA's could indicate something bigger to come. I'm concerned that his desire to work is filling in some voids in his life that he would rather be on stage unable to properly play his guitar, than be back in Toronto undergoing physical therapy on his arm. It's time to cool it, rest,
deal with the problem, then,if the doctors say ok, pick it up next year...with a less ambitious schedule. I love the guy, but I'm ticked at him right now. |
OK as I laid down to sleep last night, I said a prayer for Gordon's health and well being. And then, because I agree that this thread has become very depressing, I decided to do something about it.
Since I have a little knowledge about strokes, I thought I'd share my experiences of the past few months. My father, who is 12 years older than Gord, suffered a "mild" stroke on Mothers Day in May. It affected his left side. How strokes work, if it's the right side of the brain, it affects the left side of your body. And if it's the left side of the brain, it affects the right side of the body AND your speach, swallowing abilities, etc. Since Gord's right hand was affected, it was obviously the left side of his brain. Now...his speach wasn't affected at all (praise the Lord), and I can tell you from personal observation of him on Sunday night in Minneapolis, that his legs were not affected at all either. He stood during the entire concert, even though 3 of his band members were sitting. So that is GOOD NEWS! Other than perhaps being a surgeon, I cannot imagine an occupation that would be hindered more by a stroke, than being a guitar player. Gord was able to play a little, and to my untrained eye, he appeared to still be playing more than most people (like me) would be able to do. Of course he wasn't up to his normal playing capabilities, and I think that it must be very frustrating for him--kind of like losing your eyesight if you're a painter. HOWEVER, like I said in a previous post, he was very upbeat, kept flexing his hand and saying that he felt encouraged that the feeling was going to come back. One thing I always thought about strokes was that they were like lightening flashes, and then they were done, and maybe some of them are, but the one my dad had lasted for about 48 hours. It started with his middle finger on his left hand going numb, and then it was his hand, arm, and leg. The left side of his face did not droop, but his left eye wouldn't stop watering. Because my dad had heart surgery a few years back, he is on a blood thinner and was not a candidate for the reversal drug they sometimes give stroke victims. I suspect, because of his prior health issues, Gordon may also have NOT been a candidate for the reversal drug. What we were told with my dad is, that if you get to the Dr. w/i 3 hours of the onset of the symptoms, then they can give you a drug to reverse the effects of a stroke. But like I said, my dad was not a candidate for that and I doubt Gord was either. The MRI my dad had, and which I believe Gord had, was to see if there had been any bleeding on the brain. In my dad's case, there was none. In Gord's case, there must not have been any either, which is VERY GOOD NEWS because that can be really, really bad. I think it is very common for stroke victims to go through depression afterwards. What helped my dad overcome this was, when he was going through physical therapy, he saw people much younger than him that were in much worse condition. He saw how bad it could have been, and was determined to "come back" all the way. I was so proud of the way he became a role model for the other patients. Now it has been about 4 months since his stroke happened, and I would say he is about 90% back to the way he was before the stroke. As in the case with all of us worrying about Gordon, and as was the case with my father, I found myself worrying incessantly about subsequent strokes occurring. Unfortunately, it is difficult if not impossible to predict if more strokes will occur. I finally resolved myself to the fact that if it happens, it happens, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is live each day to the fullest, enjoy our time together, and hope for the best. We cannot let the situation depress us to the point where we cannot enjoy life, but instead must be thankful for the time we have together. Perhaps the most encouraging news of all with my dad, is that he has had NO SUBSEQUENT STROKES, and God willing, neither will Gord! I think if we all knew more details about Gord, we would probably feel a bit better about this situation. Unfortunately, Gord probably doesn't know much more than we do, and besides, it is a private thing that Gord and his circle of family & friends will have to deal with. We can all pray that Gordon will return to full health and be able to continue reaching out to his "extended family" through more concerts and more songwriting for many, many years to come. Sorry for the length. I hope it helped some of you make peace with this situation. [ September 21, 2006, 10:18: Message edited by: Gitchigumee ] |
I've had some experience with TIA's in my family, but they were all people in their mid 70's and 80's. So Gord being "only" 67 causes more concern.
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I've had some experience with TIA's in my family, but they were all people in their mid 70's and 80's. So Gord being "only" 67 causes more concern.
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Like Finesse, I am new to this group, and stumbled upon it when searching for news on Gordon’s mini-stroke. I am still surprised that there was no mention of it anywhere in the mainstream press, or even the trade papers (i.e., Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc.)
My wife and I attended the concert last night (9/20) in Whitewater, Wisc., and were stunned, like almost everyone else in the theater, to hear Gordo relate the news to us right after his opening song (Cotton Jenny). We were totally ignorant of the incident, as was the vast majority of the audience, and there was a loud groan, followed by hushed silence. As I looked around, after a few songs, more than a few people were crying. Most of the things that occurred (Gordon’s statements, physical movements, etc.), have already been related by others who attended the shows in Harris, Minneapolis, and Wausau, so I won’t repeat them--they're practically identical to what we saw last night. But, I will add a few personal observations. . . This is the first time I have ever seen him in concert, (I had bought tickets, way back in 1983, to a concert in Madison that was cancelled at the last minute.) So, I was just struck at how professional he was on stage—in the sense that he made it painfully clear that he cared very much whether we were pleased by his performance. After his encore (only one—by his choice, I think,) he came back out, alone, for one last bow. The whole theater was standing, of course, and he looked at us and shrugged his shoulders a bit, as if to say, “How was I?” When we roared our approval, he gave us a quick nod, showed a double-thumbs up, and nodded, as is to say, “Great!”, and he made his exit. He had a momentary lapse of memory during “Don Quixote”, and began repeating verse one, rather than starting verse three, and he suddenly stopped and quietly apologized to us, before resuming the verse. My wife and I both were both struck by the self-deprecation, and thought, “That wasn’t necessary.” It was a quiet, little, revealing moment about his performance ethic, I think. He apologized, at another point, saying, “I wish I could play the more ethereal pieces for you. . . but this thing,” [holding up his right hand] “looks like it’s going to take a while.” The clear highlight for everyone, I am confident in saying, was "Wreck"--he gave a lengthy intro, and seemed to give it extra gusto and feeling. I know I'm a novice (some might even say lurker,) but I just have to say that it was a pretty emotional night for my wife and me: the lack of any public word about his travails, prior to the concert, seeming very incongruent to his legendary status (at least, in our hearts and minds); his obvious courage in pressing on with the tour; his clear concern that we wouldn't be "disappointed" with his performance; his uncertain future; and, of course, the memories, stretching all the way back to childhood. It was long ride home after the concert. . . |
Like Finesse, I am new to this group, and stumbled upon it when searching for news on Gordon’s mini-stroke. I am still surprised that there was no mention of it anywhere in the mainstream press, or even the trade papers (i.e., Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc.)
My wife and I attended the concert last night (9/20) in Whitewater, Wisc., and were stunned, like almost everyone else in the theater, to hear Gordo relate the news to us right after his opening song (Cotton Jenny). We were totally ignorant of the incident, as was the vast majority of the audience, and there was a loud groan, followed by hushed silence. As I looked around, after a few songs, more than a few people were crying. Most of the things that occurred (Gordon’s statements, physical movements, etc.), have already been related by others who attended the shows in Harris, Minneapolis, and Wausau, so I won’t repeat them--they're practically identical to what we saw last night. But, I will add a few personal observations. . . This is the first time I have ever seen him in concert, (I had bought tickets, way back in 1983, to a concert in Madison that was cancelled at the last minute.) So, I was just struck at how professional he was on stage—in the sense that he made it painfully clear that he cared very much whether we were pleased by his performance. After his encore (only one—by his choice, I think,) he came back out, alone, for one last bow. The whole theater was standing, of course, and he looked at us and shrugged his shoulders a bit, as if to say, “How was I?” When we roared our approval, he gave us a quick nod, showed a double-thumbs up, and nodded, as is to say, “Great!”, and he made his exit. He had a momentary lapse of memory during “Don Quixote”, and began repeating verse one, rather than starting verse three, and he suddenly stopped and quietly apologized to us, before resuming the verse. My wife and I both were both struck by the self-deprecation, and thought, “That wasn’t necessary.” It was a quiet, little, revealing moment about his performance ethic, I think. He apologized, at another point, saying, “I wish I could play the more ethereal pieces for you. . . but this thing,” [holding up his right hand] “looks like it’s going to take a while.” The clear highlight for everyone, I am confident in saying, was "Wreck"--he gave a lengthy intro, and seemed to give it extra gusto and feeling. I know I'm a novice (some might even say lurker,) but I just have to say that it was a pretty emotional night for my wife and me: the lack of any public word about his travails, prior to the concert, seeming very incongruent to his legendary status (at least, in our hearts and minds); his obvious courage in pressing on with the tour; his clear concern that we wouldn't be "disappointed" with his performance; his uncertain future; and, of course, the memories, stretching all the way back to childhood. It was long ride home after the concert. . . |
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/app...73257537495703
I found this online this morning and wanted to pass it along. |
I found this web-site regarding TIA's:
http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4781 Check it out. The encouraging thing is, my dad did not have a TIA, he had a stroke (albeit a mild one), and he is doing great! I am sure Gord's doctors are on top of this situation, and will do everything they possibly can to prevent another TIA or a stroke. |
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He's The Man...no doubt about it... |
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And kudos to Gitchigumee (best of luck to your dad), and to all who posted afterwards. Your efforts to lift us out of the doldrums are much appreciated. :) And, your're all so right. All each one of us really has is just this moment. But for this moment, let us embrace it and really live it. |
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I was at the Whitewater show last night, and Gordon did a great job! Spider John opened, and Gordon thanked him several times during the performance for stepping in to help out. Gordon explained his situation to the audience, and put on a great show for us.
I was fortunate enough to speak with him after the show, and his spirits are high. He was joking, smiling, and typical Gordon. :) He apologized for not being able to sign anything for his fans, but said everyone who was backstage was more than welcome to get some pictures with him. He indicated that he expects it may take 3 months for him to get full use of his right hand back. Let's hope it's sooner for him, and that he feels some improvement every day! :) Vickie |
[quote]Originally posted by louisemnnpls:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by johnfowles: Quote:
http://www.glchat.notlong.com I found that clicking the nice red button quickly got me into the correct chat room using mIRC so please reboot if necesary and try again I have no idea where the entirely spurious "not a registered protocol" message came from unless you have a virus with a warped sense of humo(u)r nor the strange address "resolving" message Of course there is something that cvan be done/already done.Please realise anybody else who encounters the problem Louise had, that the current setup was carefully selected to continue what the chatroom founer Rik Stevens always intended, This was a twofold approach 1.for the best possible and most fully featured and generally agreed most reliable method of using IRC (Internet Relay Chat) using a very simple to install and use programme known as mIRC (wher the "m" signifies the surname of the programmes compiler Khaled Mardam-Bey of London, England I gave fully illustrated details for installing and fully configuring mIRC at: http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFO...tingupmIRC.htm that is the page you will get if you press my green button the beauty of the red button is that except for entering your nickname the first time you use it the red button link will like magic to fully automatically open the mIRC progamme and configure it to connect you to the Lightfoot chat room channel the mIRC installation file you would get as a download from http://www.mirc.com is is an evecutable file currently "The mIRC cabinet named mirc62.exe. This is a rather small file of 1121693 bytes" mir62.exe signifies version 6.2 and is a quick download on even the slowest modem connection very simply clicking on the downloaded file will very quickly install it, and the only possible problem from then on is the opening nag screen that appears with Khaled's picture suggesting that you might like to cough up a variable sum of money to continue using it,but if you decline and simply press continue you get the chance to enter your preferred nickname and a back up name then to the best of my knowledge the programme will continue to function perfectly ad infinitem, albeit with the nag screen on every start up. but no problem as I do have a working free serial number and associated ID available if anybody wishes to have it 2.for those reluctant or prejudiced against mIRC a universal alternative using a Java Applet tht is actually stored and downloaded from my own website to use method 2 pressing the blue button might get you in to chat unless your computer's setup is new and, in accordance with Microsoft's legal agreement with Sun Microsystems, its Internet Explorer does not have a Microsoft JVM (Java Virtual Machine) My new desktop has Windows XP Media Center Edition with Service Pack 2 and its Interrnet Exploder is showing that it is version 6.0.2900.21280.xpsp.sp2... and will not open any Java applets but my old Windows 98SE computer with IE6.2600.000015 has no problem loading the applet and gaining entry to the room. Finally I do appreciate being told of problems but am at a loss to explain what you saw and must conclude that going the mIRC route is the way for you John Fowles I should point out that the red button method is useless unless you do indeed have mIRC installed on your computer |
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I'm a guitar player, and for the first three or four months, I couldn't hold a pick, nor could I fingerpick. I remember telling my sister, "If I can't play the guitar, I don't see any sense in living." Of course, I changed my mind, considering the alternative, and started working on getting my movement back. It's just about back to normal now. The length of a stroke depends on the severity and the location in the brain where it occurs. In my case, I went into the basement to do laundry and collapsed on the floor. My son found me and called 911, and they air lifted me to Mass Medical in Boston. I don't remember a thing about that day, or the month in Boston. People who have had a history of ruptured aneurysms are generally steered clear of most types of blood thinners. Annie pointed out a couple of new ones that seem to be getting good results. I'm not allowed blood thinners, or any drug that ends in 'in'... Aspirin, Cumadin, Motrin, Excedrin, etc. They all thin the blood. Yes, aneurysm or any type of bleeding in the brain can be deadly, for sure. Most people don't live to tell of them. My father died of a ruptured blood vessel in his brain just four years ago. With my aneurysm, I had a 6% chance of survival, and don't really have a clue why I'm not 6 ft under. I have regular CT scans to see if the repaired aneurysm has started bleeding, or if I've developed another. As far as reversing the effects of a stroke, again, it depends where it happens in the brain. There's so much of our brain that we don't use. A fortunate stroke victim would be lucky enough to have the stroke in that part of the brain. Depression is very common with a stroke victims. For one, their way of life takes a complete flip flop. Most of them can't work. They lose their license and have to prove that they aren't a babbling idiot in order to get them back. And they're on an emotional roller coaster. I remember crying over the most insignificant things! I've had therapy for a year now. I can now move everything and even play guitar and fiddle again, but I still suffer from some weird type of amnesia. I'll be traveling along a road that I've been on thousands of times, and I just lose track of where I'm going, why I'm going, and what road I'm on. Until that goes away, there's no driving for me. I also had short term memory problems at first. Couldn't remember a damned thing. It has improved quite a bit with therapy. As far a subsquent strokes occuring, avoiding another stroke takes medical intervention and a change in lifestyle. In other words, stop smoking, stop eating too much, stop drinking, stop getting stressed out, watch your blood pressure... I'm sure you've heard all this. But it's the truth. If a stroke victim doesn't want to risk the chance of a reoccurance, he has to change whatever caused it in the first place, and become resigned to the fact that he has to see a doctor regularly. Glad to hear your father is doing so well, and I'm sure Gord's doctors have told him all of the above. Now... he just has to become committed to getting better. |
Excellent info. Thanks, this is an awesome forum. I wish we could get Gord to read it. Think he does?
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Bill :) |
Not even post - just read it from time to time to see how much he is appreciated, though I'm sure the audience reaction he gets every night gives him a clue anyway, lol.
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I can't remember who organized the "card" to Gord a ways back, but is there any group interest in a "hang tough" get-well or similar card to Gord now ?
I do not wish to be presumptious, just trying to think of whatever we could do in addition to our continuing prayers, spritual thoughts, or well-wishing as the case may be. Perhaps the long time, honoured members of our forum might have a good insight into this; moreover perhaps the surprising number who have met him, or even know him as an acquaintance or colleague past or present ? Maybe they would know what kind of gesture would not be too intrusive, but instead a show of the group's love, repect, and positive thoughts of encouragement and admiration. Simply a thought to ponder. My prayer's continue as well..... geo Steve |
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And then I returned to my body...lol If members wish to post their wishes for him again (birthday and health wishes) I can print them out and hopefully give them to him in November. Individual cards can be sent to him at: EMP 1365 Yonge St. #207, Toronto,Ontario M4T 2P7 |
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Char |
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