Stay well, Russ. We can do without almost all the modern arranger gear, PA stuff, all that stuff.

But the one thing you can't play well without is your health...

Thanks so much, folks! I'm into my 3rd day of antibiotics and other assorted pills. I'm taking the same antibiotics for both problems...one in eye drop form and the other in a pill.

Believe it or not, even though I look like a rabbit (red, dripping eyes), and still have a bad pain (it started subsiding a little before I went to the emergency room), I haven't missed a job. I can't see well enough to drive, but I just got my bass playing son to drive me.

I went to the emergency room at 11:00 AM on Saturday. The scan of my abdomen and evaluation of the eye were done by 1:00 PM.

My son had my 5:00 PM equipment set (a patio at the club) before he came to get me. When I played that job, he set the 9:00 PM one, which is the trio.

At 1:00 AM, I went to my editing suite, but couldn't see well enough to do an "all-nighter". I did one 30, listened to about an hour of edits and called it a day...or night.

Because the stomach pain had started on the previous Monday, I had scheduled a light Sunday.

Monday, I put in a whole day at the office and played my regular dining job...luckily, the business was light and I left after two hours.

Today, I'm at the office (got here at 7:00 AM) and plan to work my regular evening gig.

The redness isn't so bad, and it's time to cut the antibiotic eye drops to every 4 hours, instead of 2.

I'm doing this with the shaking head, but the approval of both my eye and GP doctors.

This is what I know, and it has taken my mind off the discomfort.

The amazing thing is, my son noticed the red eye at noon, and I was in serious trouble the next day.


You never know..


Thanks for the good thoughts!


Russ

Russ, if the eyes do NOT seem to be getting better within three to four days of antibiotic eye drops, which only works for bacterial conjunctivitis, then it may be the viral strain, which is much more difficult to treat. Therefore, it's imperative to contact the eye doctor if the problem worsens or remains the same after three to four days of treatment.

If it is the viral strain, then steroidal eye drops are the only treatment available. And, this particular strain takes several weeks to successfully treat.

More often than not, conjunctivitis is usually contracted from another person, and often it's someone that you've come in contact with that may seem to have just a bad cold. If you shake their hand, then inadvertently rub your eyes, wallah - you WILL get it.

Over the years I've managed to avoid many of these disease transmittal problems by merely carrying antibacterial wipes with my at all times, both in the van and a small pack in my accessory bag. After glad handing a lot of audience members, the first thing I do before packing up my gear is wipe my hands with the wipes. Even this is not an iron-clad guarantee that you are safe, but as my loving spouse of a half-century says "It's better than nothing."

Good luck,

Gary

Bill, hows YOUR recovery?

All the best!

I'm trying to hang in there.


R.

Russ,

A friend of mine went on holiday to Spain for a week, had a lovely meal at the hotel one night, went out for a walk with his Doris and started to have pains in his chest, indigestion he said ,when he got back to the UK he popped into to see the doctor, with in 10 days he was on the operating table for a triple heart bypass, the bugger is lucky to be alive, his tubes were 90% block, your a long time dead Russ, BTW am I in the will??? Now the old bugger is complaining about a sore leg where they got the new veins from, no pleasing some people.