Re: From the horse's mouth

Dick Gaughan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> The rumour mill is bound to start soon so here's the facts from
> source. 
> 
> Regulars here may have noticed I haven't been posting much for
> quite a while; others will have noticed that my website is way out
> of date, that I've not been replying to email; and word will soon
> get round that I've pulled next week;s part of my autumn
> England/Wales tour.
> 
> For the past 2 years I've been slowly losing my sight. I now have
> no vision at all in my right eye and the sight in my left is
> rapidly failing. For some reason of her own, nature has decided
> that I develop cataracts at a relatively early age. The consultant
> thinkis it unlikely that there is any other condition and that
> replacing the lens should restore sight so I'm having the right
> eye done next week - he can't give any guarantees that there's no
> other dmage as the right cataract is so dense he can't see behind
> it to properly exmine the retina but the chances are that it's OK.
> Because that cataract is so dense, the modern simple technique
> won't work so while it'll still be a minor op, the procedure will
> take the best part of an hour, I'll require a general anaesthetic
> and he's insisting I take a week off to recover afterwards, hence
> the gig cancellations. There is a 95% success rate with repairing
> cataracts so I should be back in full action again by the weekend
> beginning 12th of December.
> 
> The gigs I've had to cancel are -
> 
> Isle of Wight (3rd), London Rose+Crown (4th), Dorchester (5th),
> Topsham (6th), Derby (8th), Leicester (10th). My apologies to
> anyone who was thinking of coming to any of those. Most of them
> have been rescheduled for next spring.
> 
> So, if you hear any rumours that I'm dead/have a terminal
> illness/retired/in jail/in a locked ward/etc, you can now give the
> "greatly exaggerated" response :)
> 
> I can't spend any longer in front of a monitor than a couple of
> minutes at a time - the above has taken the best of an hour to
> type, which is why I haven't been replying to email.

Dick, I am so sorry to hear this - and there I was cursing you for
ruining next Thursday for me when I was so much looking forward to
seeing you at the Old Rose & Crown!  Very best wishes for a full and
speedy recovery.