[Boatanchors] W8DBF Has Left The Stage -

[Tracy Walters N1RKT]

Good Luck Duane, I have been down that road myself keep your head up. The
doctors told my family I would be dead in 48 hours a year ago shows what
they know. You are like me too stuborn to drop.

'73 Tracy N1RKT

At 09:45 PM 7/14/2003 -0400, Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote:
>
>	
>As announced during the Sunday July 13th HCI 20 meter Net, I am leaving all
>things Hallicrafters, vintage, SWL and pretty much everything else, 
>indefinitely	
>	
>If any of you encounter a problem with any list I currently administrate,
please
>contact Al Waller, K3TKJ, at: k3tkj@qsl.net He will be handling things until
>return. 	
>	
>Briefly, i went for a routine doctor's visit a week ago today. It was time
for
>my annual physical anyhow, so while I was there I had the blood work done. 	
>	
>The next day the doctor called and told me that he wanted me in the hospital
>immediately for a three unit, (pint) transfusion. I was stunned. My
hemoglobin
>was 6.8, less than half of normal. Everything to do with Iron was a mile
below
>the bottom of the scale. Such as Iron from 35-150, mine was 7. Additional
blood
>tests showed the only thing wrong with my blood, was almost no Iron.
Hence, the
>bone marrow uses Iron to produce hemoglobin, and I had no Iron. What
hemoglobin
>was stored in reserve in the liver had been used up. I was alive, he was not
>sure why, but running on less than the fumes from an empty gas tank.        	
>	
>Then he totally knocked me off the chair when he told me the probable
cause was
>advanced colon cancer. I had not had any signs of blood in the urine or
stool,
>and the urine test showed none whatsoever. 	
>	
>Tomorrow morning I am in the hospital for a transfusion. Then more blood
work.
>Then I am in the hospital for colon, stomach and other intrusive tests. The
>normal six to eight week waiting period is being waived, as he figures I
won't
>be alive by then. 	
>	
>That is a brief overview of what has happened to cause me to put my life on
>hold. I hope there is not a SK sale in my near future and I hope I will
survive
>whatever is going on inside me. Frankly, right now, my future is hour by
hour.
>Why am I still home? Well, first I had to get some areas of my life taken
care
>of in the event I could not manage them myself and second because I am too
>blasted determined to continue on and pretend this is not really
happening. But
>if I get any weaker, I won't be here, so it is time to put my life in God's
>hands, do what the doctor says and try to think positive thoughts. I am
not yet
>ready to write Frogzilla's last chapter! 	
>	
>Keep the Hallicrafters, and other vintage tube gear, glowing for me and keep
>this list active, productive and peaceful. If there is any way to be on
the air
>Wednesday night, I will be there! If it is possible to do the Saturday and
>Sunday Nets, I will be there! But if I am not there, I hope that one or
two of
>you will step up to the plate and pinch hit for me as NCS. 	
>	
>Keep the HCI web site furnished with material and help the Web Master Fred
>Mooney, KA1DGL, keep it going. Fred and I have carried the web site on our
>shoulders through thick and thin. Craig Carter has done a marvelous job
handling
>the 'forsale-swap' area the past year and a half. (thank you Craig!)
Whether I
>go on, or not, I want the HCI concept, the HCI Nets and the HCI web site to
>survive. So please keep those things that still go glow in the night lit.  	
>	
>I will not be answering e-mail for a while, but if I am able, I will be
reading
>it. If I have the strength, I 'may' answer a few now and then.   	
>	
>Take care my friends, thank you for everything over the years, keep Frogzilla
>out of the Sport's Illustrated swim suit photo sessions, keep those
Halli's lit
>and God willing, I shall return. 	
>	
>Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE	
>dfischer@usol.com   	
>
>
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>** List Administrator - Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE **   
>** For Assistance: dfischer@usol.com **         
>$$ For vintage radio info, see the HCI web site $$      
>http://www.w9wze.org    
>
>