This is not 'sanctioned' so I hope he doesn't get pissed at me.

Capt Russ is not a whiner or complainer so he's not going to say anything, but he's spent a few days in the hospital with several health problems, one very dangerous. For privacy reasons, I won't go into details but how about sending him some love while he's down and out.

chas

Russ and I talk regularly, and from our recent conversation, he was fortunate to make it out of the hospital before those stupid SOBs killed him.

I have an appointment with the doc at the VA Hospital in Perryville, Maryland tomorrow morning at 11:15, but we just got dumped on with 2 inches of wet snow. Hopefully, I'll be able to get out of the driveway at 10 tomorrow morning, but it's gonna be just 33 degrees tomorrow, which translates into ice covered roads and driveway. Just might have to cancel the appointment. The new doc there is a good friend and excellent pulmonary physiologist. Glad he went with the VA and hope he can come up with something that will be beneficial.

Chas, Russ considers you a good friend, and I'm confident that he would not be pissed at you for posting this information. We talk frequently, and I too am happy to call him a good friend and with luck hope to see him before my untimely demise.

All the best,

Gary

Hi Russ,
hope you get better soon.

Get well soon Russ

DONE !
Thanks for the heads up chas ...

Chas - no hijack intended, but a few of your old Philly friends have passed recently. Bennie Cintioli just died, and a few short weeks ago, his wife Margott preceded him. This guy was a Philly LEGEND.
https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/benny-cintioli-owner-of-cintioli-music-has-died

R. I. P.... Benny was a great guy and a legend..

Hang in there Russ. Wishing you a speedy recovery

OMG. I'm shocked....and very sad. Like a lot of you guys in the Philly area (Fran), Bennie was ....gosh, I don't know if LEGEND is the right word; suffice it to say, if you didn't know Benny (and Margott) on a first name basis, you weren't a Philly-area musician. This is indeed very sad news.

chas

Back to Russ...

Russ and I have had quite a bit of personal correspondence a while ago. I'm absolutely amazed with the hectic schedule he leads, the projects he takes on at one time, his appreciation for what he does and his appreciation for his ability to TAKE it all on...and...still have time to play his instruments.

So....I'm hoping that it's just maybe "exhaustion" and nothing seriously medically wrong. I'm also hoping the old saying: "you can't keep a good musician down" chimes in here.

Me too saying "get well soon, Russ....your projects are waiting for you!"

Your good friend.....Mark

Hi Russ, my thoughts are with you as well.
Whatever the problem, i am sure you can handle it.

Good luck.

Ray

Russ,

I wish you the best, a speedy recovery and pray for your return to good health.

Hi Russ, for some reason I picture you as a heathy, get-things-done kind of guy. I was shocked to learn how sick you were. Russ, get well quickly, you have my prayers and concern. We need you here, your stories are positives, always nice to read.

John C.

Speedy and substantial recovery!

Wishing you the best Russ. Get well soon and maybe SLOW DOWN

Russ, wishing you the best for a speedy recovery.
Mitch

Best wishes for a fast recovery!

I had a quick glance at this post this morning to see if there's a "latest" on Russ's condition. Reading through the messages, I had a "light bulb" moment. Let me see if I can put this into proper wording.

It has to be "heart-warming" to see all the activity on this post, both for Russ AND for the rest of us members. I think we all jab at each other here and there for different reasons, but when the chips are down for someone, we all come together in a supportive manner. AND...there's an old saying, I don't remember exactly how it goes...something like: "you don't miss the horse until it leaves the stable." '

Well, many of us have never met each other, so we can't speak on a personal level. But we know each other through our writings.

So, if something were to happen to any of us, it's the "writings" we will miss. Russ is a very unconventional (and unorthodox?) person. And, I consider him to be a very decent person....and....encouraging to the rest of us with that demanding work schedule of his. And that's part of the beauty of him.

I have to get my day started. I close with this. Most of you know by now that I have my differences with Donny and Chas. But, I think that if either of them were to sustain "dire health circumstances" I'd be right there with the rest of you offering my support in any way I could.

I don't consider myself "family" in this group, but having spent most of my life without my own family, this is probably the closest I'll come to it.

Now, back to Russ until he comes out of the "danger" zone.

P.S. I think I DID "put this into proper wording." Again, back to work!

Hey Russ, thinking of you and your recovery. Remember, music is the great healer so take this opportunity to listen to your favorite or maybe even some new music to help the healing process along. You'll be surprised how SWEET it will sound.

Mark, I consider you to be family here. You show a wonderful level of sensitivity and articulate thought that is rare anymore.
Any reasonable person would recognize that even during a confrontational interaction, you are sincere and take great pains to support your position.

And Chas. I really can't imagine that you could EVER do or say anything to upset me.

Thanks everyone. Basically,I got a severe flare-up of gout...the most painful thing I ever experienced.

That wasn't the worst part. Add over medication that could have triggered heart and kidney failure, A blown blood draw and a blown IV...both placed incorrectly, an arm that made me look like Popeye, and emergency EKG and additional monitoring and lots more little screw-ups....all this at the best hospital in the area. They say my arm and hand will be black and blue for a month.

I'm on anti inflammatory drugs and steroids. The steroids destroyed my immune system, make standing hard and I have a terrible case of the flu.

The thing about my business is, clients want you to meet deadlines and don't really care if you kick off...you just have to deliver. I am fighting a deadline on materials for a national Home Depot meeting in Texas week after next, and missing the deadline is not an option.

Never had this before, but learned that the most emergency room visits are between Thanksgiving and New Year. Turkey has purine acid. I had turkey for 10 nights in a row and a turkey sandwich on the way to my session. THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!

Just like Arnold...I'LL BE BACK!

Thanks so much,

Russ (the gimp) Lay

Man, I hate this boot.

Russ
So sorry to hear of your illness and to make it worse the fact that you just can't rest fully and relax. YOu've talked before about cutting back so maybe this could be a sign that its time.
Get well and feel better soon. Do what you have to to get thru your deadlines and then sit back and look at the big picture.

Russ is just a crotchety old man and the only reason I'm nice to him is that I'm hoping to get one of those B3's in his will. The problem is, despite this temporary setback, I don't think I'll be able to outlast him (only the good die young).

All kidding aside, Russ is a terrific guy and one could not wish for a better friend. We share an affinity for the same causes (Homelessness--'Habitat for Humanity-Musicians Village', nursing home reform, music programs in underserved schools, etc., etc., and a general willingness to help anyone that deserves it....and a lot that don't ). His biggest fault; working too hard. Like Gary, we'd like to keep him around for a long, long time (I can wait for that B3 ). So even though it's a waste of breath, Russ, SLOW DOWN. We've reached that 'funky' age group where (bad) things can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. This is the time to enjoy life, not a race to the end. If I were a 'believer', I'd say that maybe that 'boot' (on your arthritic foot) might be God's way of putting an ankle monitor on you . Talk to you soon.

chas

Glad to hear you are on the road back my friend. Screw the deadlines; take care of yourself first.

Gout ain't no joke..ouch!

Wishing you well Russ. Take plenty of time to relax. How about cutting back those crazy hours and projects? Take a long vacation, screw the deadlines!

Get well soon Russ,your feedback to the posts is very important.

Hey, folks. In bed with two computers going trying to meet my deadline...proofs going to Atlanta, Italy, California.

Calling in sick. Only the third time in 63 years (the last three days).

Problem now it pneumonia. Woke up with it the day after the hospital fiasco. Probably caught it in the emergency room (duh! sick people go there) as a result of immune system compromization from steroids.

My Dr. and lawyer are outraged and want my to sue. Not really interested in that, but am considering asking for a review by some regulators.

Believe me, none of you ever want to deal with a full-blown case of gout.


OUCH!

Thanks for the good thoughts.

R.

Gout is the nastiest, most painful malady I can think of, I've had it three times, each time the cure was just three tiny pills, 2 right away and 1 an hour later, and within another couple hours the pain was gone. The only known cause is dietary, uric acid crystals in the joints, usually the big toes of the foot. There is no pain pill that will alleviate the pain that I know of, including morphine.

Just got off the phone with Russ, he sounds awful, hacking his brains out with pneumonia and probably should be on some heavy-duty antibiotics and bed rest.

Take care of yourself, old friend,

Gary

Gary....BURP!(LOL)

(He knows what I mean)!


R.

OH YEAH!

Gary