No Newsletter Articles for a Few Days

I'm taking a few days off at doctors' recommendations. There will not be any new articles in this newsletter for the next few days. Next Sunday's weekly Plus Edition newsletter will be combined into the following week's edition.

Sadly, this is not a vacation. On Thursday morning I got an unexpected trip to a local hospital's emergency room when I lost my vision and developed a bunch of other unhealthy symptoms. I was diagnosed and then admitted as a patient. I'll be out of circulation for a while.

The diagnosis is that I have had some sort of a major diabetic reaction that caused all sorts of problems. The interesting thing is that, until Thursday, I didn't know that I was a diabetic!

I expect to be back on my feet in a few days.

Comments

[Brian Curd]

Sorry to hear about that Dick - best wishes and take it easy!

Cheers
Brian

[William Flowers]

Take care, Dick!

[theKiwi]

Take it easy, and follow the Doctor's orders!!!

Be well soon.

Roger <---- 3 weeks into 4 weeks of no weight bearing on left leg after ankle surgery.

[Bonz]

Sorry to hear of this. Hope you feel better soon. What an unpleasant surprise for you.

[Barbara]

Take care of yourself. We'll be thinking of you. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Barbara

[Don]

Sorry to hear about the 'unplanned vacation'. Take care & I'll say a prayer.

[Lisa]

Dick,
Take as much time as you need to get well. We want you around for a long time! Wishing you a speedy recovery from whatever ails you.

[Janice]

Dick, we will miss you---but we want you back in top shape. So please do take care of yourself and let the Dr.'s do what needs to be done for you. I know I look forward to your newsletter, and hope to have them continue for a good long time to come!! Take GOOD care of yourself and get well!

[Anne Ruggeri]

Very sorry to hear of this, Dick. I'm sure you will be feeling much better as soon as they get you stabilized. I'm also glad you shared your Diabetic diagnosis with everyone. Many people live with Diabetes and don't know it until they have a major 'episode'. Regular check-ups can help people get diagnosed sooner with less complications setting in. A good New Years' resolution for everyone ... eat healthy, get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and get yourself checked. Feel better and Good Luck!

[David Lowndes]

We will all miss the newsletter, but I hope you will take as much time as you need to get well.
All the best.

[Judy Rebbeck Watten]

Dear Dick, I look forward to your messages every evening about 11 California time. You will be very much missed while you're getting treatment. You teach us all so much. I look forward to your recovery and return. Your newsletter is a major factor in the progress I have made in my genealogical research.

[Gail]

Wishing a speedy recovery to you! Take care.

[Joy Rich]

Wishing you the best, Dick.

Joy

[Toni Carrier]

Very best wishes and hope you feel better soon, Dick.

[Dianne Moses]

With sincere best wishes for a speedy recovery without complications and a happy healthy future.
You are a good friend and guide to us all.

[Marjorie Wilser]

Best wishes for a _fast_ recovery, Dick! I always think of you with pleasure from our many exchanges on the old Compuserve boards. Take care of yourself!

[Martin Tolley]

Just echoing all these other wishes Dick. Look after yourself and hope you're back with us soon.

[Marge Clark]

Sorry to hear of your necessary vacation. Take care of yourself, we can wait for you to recover. Your health is the most important.

[Jack Davis]

Dick:
I went through something similar to what you are going through some 35 years ago. I had abused my body by eating the wrong kinds and amounts of food and working too many hours and missing meals, etc. I did not take care of myself physically and diabetes was the consequence. The best advice anyone can give you is, DO what your doctors tell you to do religiously. Learn to count carbohydrates in your food. Quit using lots of sugar in your food and what you drink and snack on. Get regular daily exercise. Diabetes can damage your important life sustaining organs. If you will protect your body by doing what your doctors tell you, you can live a long and healthy life. If you do not do that, diabetes will kill you. It is that simple. It's called self control and plenty of it, day in and day out.
I am seventy five years old and I am still very active and work everyday doing the things I love to do. I learned to do what I am telling you to do. It has saved my life and it will do the same for you, if you will do what your doctors tell you to do. Diabetes can be a KILLER if you ignore it and the symptoms thereof.

Good Luck, you are too valuable to the rest of us to squander your health. May the good Lord bless you with the determination you will need.

Jack Davis

[Charles Monroe]

As a fellow diabetic let me echo Jack's advise. I'm 78, still going strong, but do watch my diet and listen to the doc. Take care Dick and best of luck.

[W. David Samuelsen]

Those genealogy cruises are loaded with rich-man foods (too much carbs and too much sugars in them)... guess they caught up with you.

My doctor caught mine long before it ever reach that stage because I had a good sense to ask doctor to check mine after my sister was diagnosed with Type II associated with overweight. She is well below 250 and no longer has it.

It is all depending on family histories and the new thing called diabesity.

[Virginia Byron]

Dick: My prayers are with you. I know that if you put the same effort in your health that you do in this newsletter, your prognosis is excellent. You've been an enormous help in my genealogical education and I look forward to hearing that you are stabilized.

[Betty]

Hi Dick. Sorry to hear about your health problems.

It was exactly one year ago that I was in an ambulance being rushed to an E.R. I was then in a semi-coma for 4 days and in the hospital for 2 weeks.

Why? Because I had been treated for my Psoriasis and got badly burned in Photo Therapy. Fortunately, I had a miractulous recovery. I hope you do, too !

We have several relatives who have or had serious Diabetes problems, so we know serous the complications can be.

Betty (near Lowell, MA)

[Betty]

Godspeed Dick

[Steve (Dallas Area)]

Hi Dick

My wife is a diabetic and I know what you are going through. As long as you take care of yourself, you will come through this. Take the class for a diabetic, follow the eating guidelines and exercise program, you can control the results as a diabetic. It is a killer disease, if not worked on.
Our prayers are with you during this time.

As a side, our forefathers, I believe were friends (Winslow, Winsley (various spellings).

Steve

[Jeff Piper]

Not the best way to find out you're diabetic.

YOu're in my prayers.

[Richard Heaton]

What a shock - do get well soon. Look forward to hearing you are on the road to recovery.

Best Regards
Richard Heaton

[Peter Calver]

Get well soon!

Peter

[David Sisson]

I'm very sorry to hear of your diabetes diagnosis. It helped my wife and me to Google what's known when she was diagnosed a few days ago with hypoglycemia, the condition opposite to diabetes. My very best wishes and hopes for you, Dick, from a faithful fan of you and your work. (I've sent my first fan mail now!)

[Mary Jo Vermiglio]

Take care of yourself. We want you around to teach us. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

MJ

[Lorraine I. Quillon]

Wow, you're going to keep the whole hospital staff busy reading all these messages to you. But I hope it reassures you about how much your efforts in our behalf mean to your reading audience. So do what you need to do in order to continue teaching us. We wish you a speedy and full recovery.

[Sandy Coulter]

While your daily articles will be missed, your health is so much more important. Please take care of yourself and by all means listen to your doctors. Hope you are feeling much better soon.

[Joanne Kellar]

I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery. Take care of yourself as we all love your newsletter.

[Emily Terrell]

Get well real soon, follow doctor's orders and take care. Emily

[Peg Buckman]

Just saw your note, Dick. So sorry to hear, but you take good care of yourself now that you know. You can beat it with you usual persistent self!! Take care and Happy Holidays.
Peg

[Anne R W]

Some of the comments indicate this common but still generally misunderstood disease, or more correctly termed condition, by the general public. You don't "recover" from diabetes. It is a condition which you must now live with and control, much like being myopic and having to wear glasses. And it can be successfully controlled. Please pay attention to what the doctors say and we'll all wish you well in recovering and maintaining your health.

And if we meet on one of next year's cruises we'll keep the orange juice and life savers handy and join you at the table with plates showing moderate portions.

So much has been learned about this disease, and there is hope that there may be a cure in a few years.

(My sister's diabetic and has been since a teenager so I have some understanding of diabetes having followed her situation for the last 40 years or so.)

Rest up and get in control and we'll be eagerly awaiting the good news of your improved situation and return to active participation in the genealogy world.

[Pat]

Best wishes as you learn to get the diabetes under control so you can get back to your normal life. Your work is appreciated far more than you know.
Pat

[Mike M]

Get well soon.

[Carol Sanderson]

Dick, My prayers and wishes for your speedy recovery are with you. You have received lots of good advice from fans above. Listen to your doctors and follow their instructions. Most of all learn what you must do to control this killer. It can be done but one has to stay with it and be aware that you must change your way of living. I have been diagnosed with diabetes since 1976. I am still going but after all these yuears and times of deciding that I wanted to do things my way, it is catching up to me. I wish you the best.

[Dee]

Dick, Take care of yourself first, everything else is secondary.

Wishing you the best,

Dee

[BIll Bienia]

Best wishes and my prayers are with you.

Bill

[Peggy]

You are in my special prayers. God bless you. Peggy

[Elsie Gustafson]

Sending my Best Wishes and Prayers Dick! You've been so helpful to us all, and now we all want you back with your letters, but your health comes first!
Elsie Gustafson

[Pat]

What an awful shock to find out this way about your diabetes. Good luck in your recovery and learning a new life style. Best wishes.

Pat

[Bill Hark]

Mr. Eastman: As a physician and a diabetic, I can only echo the comments from so many of your fans. Diabetes requires tough life style changes and constant attention but can be controlled. Hang in there!

Bill H.

[Barbara Shropshire England]

I hope you realise by all the comments how much you mean to us all. Note the warning and take care of yourself , rest and get better soon.
Best Wishes.
Barbara

[Ann T. Chaplin]

I am another one of the diabetics that is still around at 78, though I do have some permanent complications because of not strictly following doctors orders. So, Please do that.

[Cindy Drage]

Dick,

Health and family should always come first. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you learn the lifestyle changes you must make.

Cindy

[Betsy]

Dick, my thigh was smarting from a shot of insulin when I read your message. It is grievous to accept dis-ease, but...we are blessed to be living in this day and age with wonderful doctors and dieticians. It means work, but you will find we diabetics can be the healthiest folks around! Wishing you the best!

[Billie]

Hope you get on your feet REAL soon. Follow orders and watch your diet.

About a year ago my wife and I had our regular checkups. No problems, just an annual thing. A couple days later the doctor called and wanted to know if Tracie had been to the hospital yet. Her blood sugar was 625. We had no idea. A year later and her diabetes is well under control and life is going on.

[Sally Pocock]

Dear Dick, So sorry to hear about your troubles. I do hope you get better very soon. You and your messages are a daily friend to me and I shall miss you for a while.
All the very best, Sally

[D. Campbell]

So sorry to hear that you have diabetes. I know from experience what a shock it is to hear that diagnosis.

Take very good care

[M. Diane Rogers]

Take care of yourself, Dick. We'll be thinking of you.

[Lola Jeanne]

Dear Dick: I agree with all of the comments previously fowarded by your readers. Take care of yourself! That is number ONE!! You are too valuable to all of us. You have shared your knowledge with many of us over the years - now listen to what your readers are saying to you - follow doctor's orders. This is a problem that slips up on folks before they know it - follow doctors orders and take it easy - you will soon have things under control. My best wishes for your healty future. Yes, the food on the cruises does get to you. You feel like you are going to pop - need to back away from that table! But cruises are wonderful - keep going but watch that food!!

[Ken Hallock]

Rooting for you here. Ken H

[Kathy]

Dick,

Get well soon. I'm sure you'll get this under control fast. We'll miss you.

Kathy

[Judy Burns]

Dick, rest well, both mind and body. We will all be glad to hear from you again when you are able. In the meantime, rest well.

[Joe Garonzik]

Dick,

Sorry to hear about your illness. Glad to see you have an army of well-wishers rooting for you.

Best,

Joe Garonzik

[Lib Gordon]

We'll miss you. Thank goodness this is a problem which is manageable. Good luck, and take your time.

[Diane]

Take care and know that we are all thinking about you and sending good thoughts your way.
Regards,
Diane K

[Ruth]

You have been such an inspiration to all of us in our genealogy ventures; now I hope we can be an inspiration to you to get well soon. Every newsletter urges me to keep plugging away! You are in my prayers.

[Joan Allen]

Recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Learning a whole new way of life slowly. Guess you will have to concentrate every day on exercise and food for a change. Take your time and get it right as soon as possible! Obviously you are an important figure in the genealogy world! My best to you.

[Kathy]

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Kindest regards,
Kathy

[Cheri Stewart]

You will be missed but your health is much more important! Many thoughts are with you.

[Dorothy]

Sorry to hear that you are not well, Dick. Do take care of yourself and watch both your diet and your activity! I'm looking forward to seeing you at the OGS Conference next May in London, Ontario.

[Carol Conroy]

Don't worry about the newsletter. Take care of yourself and get better. All the best to you.

[Mary Strovink-Daukas]

Sending all my positive thoughts in your direction for a speedy rehabilitation :))........Mary

[Al Morgan]

Take care of yourself. Your work is much appreciated. As a 70 year old diabetic I can only echo the previous comments. You can't get over diabetes but you can live a very full life with it. Hope you are back soon. Al

[Donna Cuillard]

You are in our thoughts & prayers. Take care and remember all those you have blessed through your tireless efforts.
Donna

[Jim R. Keener]

I pray that God will restore you to full health quickly, Dick. To us, you are Mr. Genealogy, but as you can see from the responses, we want you to rest and take care of your health, however long it takes.

[Penny]

I'll be thinking of you, Dick! Take care of you and get better soon.

Penny

[Francie]

Hi Dick:

As you can tell, from the many messages above, you are important to your readers. Many of us have experienced what diabetes can do to us or our loved ones! I wish my father had been given such good advice. He chose to ignore the doctors and was not with us very much longer after he was diagnosed.

Do what your doctors tell you. Get help and advice from others who have experienced the same problems and questions. Find a support group.

My thoughts are with you.
Francie

[Francie]

Hi Dick:

As you can tell, from the many messages above, you are important to your readers. Many of us have experienced what diabetes can do to us or our loved ones! I wish my father had been given such good advice. He chose to ignore the doctors and was not with us very much longer after he was diagnosed.

Do what your doctors tell you. Get help and advice from others who have experienced the same problems and questions. Find a support group.

My thoughts are with you.
Francie

[Carol Austin]

We'll miss you, and hope everything goes well from now on. Do what the doctors tell you, and you should be around for a good long time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Brenda]

Best wishes, Dick! Thank you for all the time you've given to keeping us in the know.

[Marcia]

Take care Dick and don't hurry back, the newsletter can wait till you're ready.

[Rob Armstrong]

My thoughts and prayers will be with you. Hopefully the doctors will help you get control of it so that you can continue on with all your activities.

Best wishes,
Rob

[Shirley Chaisson]

Just read your newsletter Dick, and can't imagine how you felt without your sight. My greatest fear is to lose sight. Will keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery. Is there someone that can post an update for us....somehow?

[Bil Buchanan]

Dick, may you quickly get your diabetes under control, and be blessed with a long and productive life! I will miss your newsletter while you are 'away', but hope to be reading it for many years to come.
Bill

[fran]

Take care. Love your newsletters - they provide so much valuable information. Step-son is a diabetic and found that what the doctor told him to do was important and should not be ignored.

[Susan Daily]

Glad to hear you got a proper diagnosis and are now under doctors' care. Take the time to get better and don't worry about your newsletter. We can always go back and use this time to start reading your archives. Best wishes,

[Pam]

So sorry to hear this, Dick. I am sending positive thoughts your way for you and your healthcare team can get this under control. Even though I've never met you, I feel like you've become a friend as I've read your newsletters. I'm glad you are taking this time to care for yourself, and look forward to hearing from you again when you feel better.

[Shirley Bush]

Dick, I too was surprised to get a diagnosis of diabetes, although not in the same fashion as you did. It is possible to live well with the diagnosis. Just do what your doctor tells you, watch what you eat and exercise. Your newsletter will be missed but your health is the most important thing to worry about at this time. Best wishes for speedily getting it under control.
Sincerely,
Shirley Bush

[JINNY COLLINS]

Hey, Dick!
What a wake-up call! Just MAKE this a vacation! Take it easy and feel better.
You'll be good as new, soon. Best regards, Jinny

[Shirley Bush]

Dick, I too was surprised to get a diagnosis of diabetes, although not in the same fashion as you did. It is possible to live well with the diagnosis. Just do what your doctor tells you, watch what you eat and exercise. Your newsletter will be missed but your health is the most important thing to worry about at this time. Best wishes for speedily getting it under control.
Sincerely,
Shirley Bush

[Sierra]

Take time for yourself. You are one of the special genealogists that work hard for everyone.Get well soon, do what you know you should and a special blessing is sent your way! God Bless!

[Iona Gikderbess]

Sorry to hear of your illness Dick. Do what the Dr. says to do and you will be back with us in no time at all. Iona Holderness

[Jody Zorsch]

Dick - Take Care, listen to the Dr's & take the time needed to get back in shape. As others have said, we all look forward to the newsletter, but the important thing is your health & getting the diabetes on track. I'd rather miss the newsletter for a couple weeks, a few weeks or longer if needed & know you're coming back & still have you around for many years to come to continue teaching & sharing your knowledge with us. So take care of yourself that's the first priority!

[Joni Martines]

May you see better health sooner then expected, we will miss you, but take care of yourself. Thank you for all you have done for all of us novices outhere in research land. We couldn't have done it without you !!!
Sincerely a loyal fan,
Joni Martines

[Betty Gregory]

My thoughts & prayers are with you. Take care of yourself. This is no time to be ill. We all have so much to be thankful for because of you., You have helped so many of us.

[Greg]

As with all the notes above. Rest and do as the doctors say and you will be under control for the next many years. you will be missed.

[Sandra Quinn]

Dick, so so sorry to hear you have joined the diabetes club! I joined four years ago, but am working really hard at keeping the sugars under control. If they suggest insulin, it really isn't that bad, I feel much better on isulin than on the pills and I have more control over my sugars! They say the best thing for us is to walk fifteen minutes after eating to stimulate our own insulin to work. I know it can feel devestating to get that diagnosis, but it can be managed once you have the facts.

God Bless You on this new journey!

Sandy Quinn
OHGenWeb state coordinator

[Brittany Waelde]

We will miss you in the meantime, Dick! Get well soon!

[Kathleen]

Well, there is one thing about being in the public eye as you are - you won't be able to be around ANY food without people asking you if that is what you should be eating!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and then on the road to good health.

[Sue Lieske]

Dick, I haven't met you, either, but feel like I know you because of your videos. I would just add that you should go to a special program to learn about controlling diabetes. Your doctors won't have enough time to do that properly. Best wishes on full recovery from your symptoms and for getting the best possible control of your blood sugar. We all wish you well!

[Cecilia H. Rosenberg]

Dick,

your wit and knowledge will be sorely missed. Sometimes I wonder how you can be so on top of everything.

Wish you the best of healing; please pay good attention to the rules and restrictions you will receive because we want to keep you for a long, long time.

Do well, Cecilia

[Shirley Mansfield]

Dick, I was so sorry to hear your news and will miss learning all of those things that you have so generously shared with us. Your posts have kept me from giving up my genealogy many times. Please take care of yourself. Your health is far more important than our genealogy! And I want you to enjoy a healthy happy holiday season.

[helen collins]

What a surprise. I too am wishing you get a quick handle on the problem. Take care, we all will miss your newsletter.

[leslie rubinson]

dick, so sorry to hear of your health problem. hope you have a speedy and long-lasting recovery. leslie

[Daryla]

Sorry to hear of this health set back. Take care and follow the doctor's orders. It is a life style change, been there also. We will miss your newsletters and hope to see them return when you are able.