7/13/00 Rudi Update

I was going to spend my week off working on my Ferrari, but I decided to take a break and visit a friend. If you remember, Rudi was the CBS Machinist who was helping me fabricate my grille. A few months ago, Rudi suffered a heart attack, and lapsed into a coma. The doctors were not very positive about his future, feeling that his brain had been without oxygen for too long. We were all relieved when he awoke from his coma, and were all hoping for his memory to return.

Two and a half months later, I went out to NJ to visit Rudi who was now at home making great strides in his recovery. He looked great, a little thinner, but bright eyed. His voice was hoarse because of the incisions in his trachea, but according to his wife, it would get better with use. His memory seemed to be mostly there, but some of his short term memory suffers.Occasionally he becomes disoriented, but I can still see the old Rudi. Although he gets frustrated with his recovery at times, Rudi’s wife is very pleased because she remembers the hopelessness of his condition a few months ago.

Rudi wants very much to return to work. He’s going to be sixty, and feels too young to stop working. I think he also misses being around the CBS machine shop and doing his little side projects! Whatever he decides, I hope he makes the most of it. I feel he’s been given a second chance at living his life, and with it, a different perspective of what’s more important. I know I’ve learned a lot from this, and that’s my excuse for living life at its fullest! Good luck Rudi! It’s great to have you up and about!
 
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