But a prison is a prison is a prison

Hey Jason,

Greetings, and apologies for having missed your show. Just spent five weeks as the guest of the Centers for Disease Control, Intensive Care Unit, located in the middle of St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital. Yeah, it was a trip. An itching on the left side of the face revealed a whelp that, upon inspection my primary care guy thought looked suspicious. He told me to get over to Emergency. Within 8 hours that itch had turned me into a candidate for the Elephant Man.

As emergency could not open what was now judged a viral infection, with their usual combination of medical horrors, as a precaution I was transferred to the ninth floor and the CDC. Public health hazard? Terrorist bio bomb? The Centers are now under Homeland Security......They too could not open the damned thing. It was responding to no known treatment when my white corpuscles suddenly headed for the floor. Radical treatment was called for. An induced coma did it, that deadly combination of morphine etc. The thing opened up, but for some five days I was on someone else's planet, incoherent yet aggressive, systematically ripping out all the tubes and IVs and the tracheotomy (that incision they make at the base of the throat to run an emergency tube down). They had to keep me tied to the bed for the first six days. When I did come around, I recognized only my kids and, eventually, my sister who had flown out from California, and her only after some several hours struggle.

The Centers performed every test imaginable. First, they thought that I had brought something back from Brazil; but the culture test quickly ruled this out. It turned out that I could have picked up the virus anywhere. It disappeared as quickly and as quietly as it came; my face returned to normal and the authorities admitted that they were none the wiser!

I have been home some ten days, trying to re learn to walk. My leg muscles atrophied to such an extent that I was given a care (giver?) to help me along.

The CDC can keep you tucked away indefinitely if it thinks that you might be a public safety hazard. I received excellent treatment and had a room, in an ultra modern complex, overlooking the Hudson, that we can only dream about. But a prison is a prison is a prison; and until they said "Lazarus, take up- your bed and walk," I was there at the CDC's good graces.

So, I am re learning to navigate the sidewalks of the neighborhood. Hopefully, I will be in working condition in a couple of weeks. Then we can get together for a long one.

Be well in the interim,

Bob