Aunt Rocky had a serious health scare in Cairo last week. Fortunately, she received excellent medical care and was released from the hospital on July 3. I saw her on July 9, and she was doing well. At the moment, she's still in Egypt, will return to New York early next week. I imagine she'll check in on this tribe when she returns once she no longer has to pay high fees for Internet access.

This is what she posted on bhuz about it:



Darling Bhuz Buddies,

I have been getting a lot of e-mails asking me what happened in Cairo. This is gonna be a bit gross (sorry), so put down the sandwich ...

First the good news (to some!) : I ain't dead. Yet.

I've NEVER missed a seminar class in over 47years! Had to cancel all classes & performances in Cairo because I almost died - 2 hrs away from bleeding to death internally. Spent a week in the hospital in Cairo. Thank heavens I had travel health insurance!!!

Unbeknownst to me, I had 2 steadily bleeding duodenal ulcers, caused by MOTRIN (!!!!) The first incident the Mon after my Reno seminar 3 yrs ago,
which was misdiagnosed as gastritis. Thought I recovered.

Nothing for almost 3 years - occasional indigestion. Till CA in April (spent all Sat night barfing my guts up, but taught my classes - fortunately there was no show)

Then a less violent incident in Nashville in May - after I finished teaching & show.

I wrote to med-dance about Delta's totally stranding a planeful of passengers to Asheville, NC in the Atlanta airport in June with NO way of getting there till a sainted passenger said: "I'm renting a car & driving to Asheville, who's coming with me???"

That was how I got to my seminar. Imagine the stress!!!

Add to that FIVE YEARS of continual auditing & harrassment/ extortion by the IRS & the schedule you see on my "Where's Rocky" page...

Get to Cairo June 25, register my duckies for their classes while they were on a city tour & climbing the pyramids ... Opening Gala, I'm feeling VERY nauseous. Couldn't stop upchucking for 5 days. Gross!!!

Mena House's doctor gave me something called "Vomistop". It didn't. Went to the hospital 'cause I was now barfing blood & even intrepid moi was scared.

They did an immediate endoscopy & put me in the ICU - my entire stomach was filled with congealed blood from the 2 slowly, steadily bleeding duodenal ulcers I didn't know I had, that blocked anything getting through.

From the amount if clotted gook in there, it dated back almost 3 years. I did the math: Reno/ Motrin.

For 4 days I had a tube down my nose into my stomach, pumping up over
2 1/2 LITERS of congealed toxic sludge/ bloodclots. TOTAL grossout!

The best gastroenterologist in Cairo (cute too!)

He said I was really 2 hrs away from dead when I got there, 'cause one more good barf & several vessels would've ruptured. I didn't feel a thing ....

Wonderful Raqia sent her personal physician to see me there too.

So: It's not the way I'd've chosen to lose a few pounds., I'm out, on Nexium for a bit, still in Cairo, kickin' butt & taking names ...Back in NYC 7/17.

Kisses from Cairo,
Aunt Rocky