[Vintage-Audio] W8DBF Has Left The Stage -

[Salmons, Michael]

Duane,

I'm sure I speak for all members of the list when I say my thoughts and =
prayers are with you. Your inquiring and insightful posts will be sorely =
missed. Take care of yourself and please drop us a line if and when you =
feel like it.

Michael Salmons

-----Original Message-----
From: Duane Fischer, W8DBF [mailto:dfischer@usol.com]
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 8:51 PM
To: vintage-audio@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Vintage-Audio] W8DBF Has Left The Stage -



=09
As announced during the Sunday July 13th HCI 20 meter Net, I am leaving =
all
things Hallicrafters, vintage, SWL and pretty much everything else,=20
indefinitely=09
=09
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. =09
=09
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. =09
=09
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.     =
   =09
=09
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. =09
=09
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. =09
=09
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! =09
=09
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. =09
=09
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.  =09
=09
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.   =09
=09
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. =09
=09
Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE=09
dfischer@usol.com   =09


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List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
** For Assistance: dfischer@usol.com **=20