Chip Gracey's Absence from Forums
Ken Gracey
Posts: 7,392
Hey there,
Normally I would not discuss this on the forums, but because there are many people here who are either friends of Chip or Propeller 2 design contributors I should let you know about his whereabouts because you'll be asking sooner or later - and I know Chip will tell you anyway. Therefore, I decided to let you know about his situation.
About two weeks ago Chip began feeling quite weak and was unable to exert himself very much. Leading up to this was a long-running (months or years of) all-night Propeller 2 sessions, minimal exercise and some minor weight gain. After a visit to a local hospital for a quick look and a relocation to a larger hospital with a proper cardio facility, it was determined that he had a heart attack and some clogged arteries. On Friday, Chip had a four-way bypass surgery to rebuild his circulation. The surgery was successful and he had the opportunity to test out some expensive medical machines while having his insurance card exercised like nobody could imagine. Though he's in pain and shows restlessness, he has a good spirit and each day is showing improvement.
If you want to send him your wishes, prayers or even jokes, feel free to do so via e-mail cgracey@parallax.com or by a reply on this thread. If you have his cell number, no calls please (the nurses took it away anyway). Please tell him *not* to reply to your message so he can focus on his health. I'm sure he will return here fairly soon, perhaps far too early.
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
Normally I would not discuss this on the forums, but because there are many people here who are either friends of Chip or Propeller 2 design contributors I should let you know about his whereabouts because you'll be asking sooner or later - and I know Chip will tell you anyway. Therefore, I decided to let you know about his situation.
About two weeks ago Chip began feeling quite weak and was unable to exert himself very much. Leading up to this was a long-running (months or years of) all-night Propeller 2 sessions, minimal exercise and some minor weight gain. After a visit to a local hospital for a quick look and a relocation to a larger hospital with a proper cardio facility, it was determined that he had a heart attack and some clogged arteries. On Friday, Chip had a four-way bypass surgery to rebuild his circulation. The surgery was successful and he had the opportunity to test out some expensive medical machines while having his insurance card exercised like nobody could imagine. Though he's in pain and shows restlessness, he has a good spirit and each day is showing improvement.
If you want to send him your wishes, prayers or even jokes, feel free to do so via e-mail cgracey@parallax.com or by a reply on this thread. If you have his cell number, no calls please (the nurses took it away anyway). Please tell him *not* to reply to your message so he can focus on his health. I'm sure he will return here fairly soon, perhaps far too early.
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
Comments
Chip,
I am very sorry to hear about your health problem. I wish you a speedy recovery and that the docs get your Cogs firing in sync again; you'll no doubt feel like a new person afterward. It's been impressive to see 2 local dudes do good with Parallax, no doubt due to your hard work and dedication, and I look forward to seeing where Prop2 goes.
Take care,
Jon
sad to hear that, but good to have it solved.
I had to 'exercise my insurance card' also, not heart related, just some seven bites of a very nasty cent sized spider recently migrating into northern California.
Some of them invoices take month to hit you and are quite astonishing to read.
The best thing @Chip can do now is to REALLY relax. I lost about 30-50 pounds in 6 weeks due to needed antibiotics and the resulting loss of appetite after the 4 needed operations.
I do not like product placement, but get a couple of cases of some stuff called 'Ensure'.
In my case it helped me back to gain strength very well, I can and do personally recommend it.
Try to keep him away from work. Provide him with good books to read while sitting in front of the fireplace burning Walnut trees.
It's end of the year anyways and 4 weeks of doing nothing will not really change much on the p2 timeline.
Most important is that he gives his body the time and environment to recover.
Resting is very needed in situations like that.
best wishes,
Mike
My most sincere wishes for a speedy recovery, and strength to all your family for dealing with this sudden trauma.
Peter, (pjv)
I hope you have a speedy recovery, Chip, and take it easy. No more all nighters.
A message from Prop2.
Get well soon Chip!
@Ken
Thank you for keeping the propeller family informed.
Hehe, rep #0 I presume is forever.
Definitely get well Chip! Take all the time needed.
In hindsight, I have to say I'm even more blown away by how much new material Chip was ploughing through. I was left in the dust a while back.
I really thought you'd blow your cerebral cortex before you blew one of your ventricles. Don't 'get well soon', take your time and remember that, "few things matter, and nothing matters much."
Sandy
Very best regards,
--Terry Trapp
@Chip: Get well! Well wishes and prayers going out to you and your family.
The only thread I kept up with on the P2 forum is about analog test chip, only because I don't understand most of it. Reading posts through Thanksgiving Day I thought to myself, He as in you are going to work all day. but then I thought that is what a genius does. I personally can wait on the P2, I don't have the capability to use the P1 to it's full potential. This possible game changing invention will not be the same without your hand involved in it's completion. Push yourself away from the bench at regular intervals, and take more time out with the family. Stop and smell the posies, before the posies are for you, but you can't smell them anymore.
Take your time getting back to work, and don't let schedules and work related commitments get to you. In the whole scheme of things, it isn't worth affecting your health in a bad way. As far as i'm concerned the P2 can wait, don't think I would use it if it had a bad memory attached to it.
Get back to full power soon, take them breaks, and please don't let the development of something great consume you.
Sincerely,
Mike Y.
We only have two coronary arteries. I think you are being double billed!!!
Best wishes.
You can dooo eeeet!
Amen, Brother Eltham! So glad to hear Chip is improving steadily.
Regarding all-nighters, kinda makes me worried about Santa now. He has an all nighter coming up. That's a whole lotta of chimney climbing for a guy who's not exactly a spring chicken anymore. I hope he brings Chip something extra extra nice.
God bless us every one.
Chip, I hope your recovery continues apace and that you can return home soon to familiar surrounds. Stay out of your shop for awhile and enjoy your family over the holidays and beyond. That's the important stuff.
Oh, and eat more walnuts! They're high in Omega 3's.
Cheers!
-Phil
My english is not good but I want to send you my wishes for a good recovery.
Take the time needed to recover , nothing is more important than your health.
I think you have a good medical environnement to follow you after that . Post surgery care is half of the therapy.
Cats92
Paris, France
No, seriously, I was honored to be invited for a weekend on the walnut farm. I can see that Chip lives life at full throttle all the time. Some how he has time for his wonderful family, for Parallax, for the P2, for friends, for neighbors, for the walnut farm, for all kind of other amazing projects he has going... Oh, and even me for some reason.
It was non-stop action. I was exhausted at the end of it all. But hey, that was one of the most amazing weekends, with the most interesting and wonderful people, I have had for decades!
Here's to a speedy recovery Chip.
My son, a musician, lost two acquaintances in the Oakland warehouse fire this past weekend, a couple of others escaped. Sobering. You never know.
As one who has suffered a heart attack (ventricular tachycardia) from a medical procedure. So I have a idea what Chip went through. All I can say is take it easy and pace yourself. Remember this is your ticker and you only got one of them. I was up and walking around a few days after mine, but it took several months before I could go back to my old routine, even then I had to watch it.
And watch the stress, it's a killer. It can sneak up on a person real fast.
Ken, thanks for letting us know. I'm grateful Chip has a loving brother and family that supports him.
I'm just an unknown member in an online forum but I am rooting for Chip too.
I am very sorry to hear about your coronary issues... but extremely glad that they are taken care off and you are recovering!
PLEASE forget about doing anything other then getting better, the P2 can wait!
Best Wishes,
Bill