Get well soon to a couple of N.C.-based giants
I’d like you to pause for a moment or two today to think happy thoughts for two of the most excellent visual journalists I know: Bill Pitzer of The Charlotte Observer and Teresa Kriegsman of The News & Observer in Raleigh.
Teresa — her friends call her TK; you can call her “Ms. Kriegsman” — is having some minor surgery today. It’s nothing serious and she expects to recover quickly. However, TK is so small — I have moles that weigh more than she does — that I can’t help but worry about her.
TK is the design director of The N&O. She’s mentored a number of sharp young designers, who have gone on to bigger and better things. I understand she’s currently looking to make a hire. If you’re sharp and fast and accurate and you want to learn news design from one of the best: Call her. I’m sure she’ll get back to you as soon as she’s able.
I bet she’d be amused to find her e-mail basket full of electronic get-well-soon cards. Try this:
teresak “at” nando.com
She promised me I’d hear from Roger, her husband, as soon as she is out of surgery. I’ll let you know.
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Meanwhile, the immortal Bill Pitzer — quite possibly the best infographics artist who will ever walk this planet — had heart surgery Wednesday.
Joanne Miller Long, the graphics editor of The Charlotte Observer, is kind enough to share this message she sent yesterday to close friends to Pitzer:
Bill had open-heart surgery this morning [Wednesday] to replace a birth defect that he only recently found out that he has. His aorta had a bulge in it right at his heart. This defect made him susceptible to an aortic dissection without warning.
I just got a phone call from his wife Jackie, and she said he came out of surgery swimmingly. They took out the part of his aorta that was bulging and replaced it with a man-made segment. They didn’t have to replace the heart valve, which is fantastic news. That would have made the surgery more complicated plus he’d have had to take the medicine Clomidin (sp?) for the rest of his life. Since they didn’t need to replace the valve, he doesn’t have to do that.
Jackie said that now they have to watch him for a possible stroke–which Bill never mentioned. (She said he’s been sorta in denial about that possibility.) Jackie said that the doctors feel quite certain that it won’t happen, but there is always the possibility. She’ll get to see him in about an hour, but said he won’t be awake. They’ll keep him heavily medicated for quite some time.
Bill will be in ICU for at least a day before he gets moved to a room.
He is at [Charlotte Medical Center]. When I have more info, I’ll let you know.
When Sam Hundley asked Joanna if it were OK for me to post this news, Joanna said Bill told her:
The more prayers I get, the better.
So there ya go.
If you’d like to e-mail Bill while he’s in the hospital — which I’d urge all his fans to do – click here:
http://www.charlotteregional.com/getpage.php?name=send
If you’d like to send flowers to Bill or to TK, try here: http://www.ftd.com
Get well soon, you guys!
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UPDATE
From Joanna in Charlotte, 11:36 a.m. Thursday:
I just spoke to Bill’s wife Jackie and she said Bill has been transferred to a regular room. It is room 6928 at CMC. He’s very weak and in a lot pain and is NOT up to having visitors or phone calls yet. I’ll let you know when that changes.
Jackie said that he’s sitting up and drinking juice, but he hasn’t had anything to eat yet. She expects he’ll be ‘eating’ broth later today.
More news to come when I get it.
Please pass this along to anyone who knows Bill. I think he’d like them to know.
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UPDATE TWO
Teresa’s husband, Roger, writes at 3:06 p.m. Thursday:
Just wanted to let you know that Teresa’s surgery went well this morning, and she is resting comfortably in room 7057 at Rex Hospital (4420 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh). If you would like to call… I think it would be best to wait until tomorrow as Teresa will likely be sleeping most of today recovering.
Thank you for your prayers and good wishes.
Send TK e-mail in her room here: http://www.rexhealth.com/patients/email_patient.htm
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UPDATE THREE
From Teresa Kriegsman’s husband, Roger, 9:16 a.m. Friday:
Good morning, all — Just wanted to let you know that Teresa continues to be doing well this morning, though she is still very tired from the procedure. She’ll likely be getting out of bed today and starting on a more regular diet (and yes, there is homemade challah and chicken soup in her future). Nothing’s certain yet, but our best guess is that she’ll be coming home on Sunday.
As she’s still pretty tired (you sure don’t get much rest that first night in the hospital), it might be best to wait until Saturday to call so the phone doesn’t disturb her rest too much today…
Thank you again so much for your prayers and messages of love and support. I read them all to Teresa last night, and she was very, very touched.
And, regarding Bill Pitzer, this is from Joanna Miller in Charlotte, 9:53 a.m. Friday:
I spoke with Bill this morning. He sounded really good. While we were talking, he said he was up and sitting in a chair. He commented how amazing it was that just 2 days ago, he was having a very major surgery and now he was already sitting in a chair!
I asked him if he has had a chance to read the paper since surgery. He said that he really can’t read at the moment. The medicines they’ve been giving him have messed with his eyesight. ‘Everything is jumpy. Besides’, he said, ‘I can’t concentrate, either.’ He just listens to the TV in his room.
He said he’s up to having phone calls and visitors, but that may change when they take his chest tubes out this afternoon.
As we were talking, he was starting to feel a little pain, but he said that’s because he was due for some pain medication soon.
He’s expecting to be doing some walking later this afternoon which might also affect him more than he’s expecting. He hasn’t done much walking since the surgery…
All in all, he sounds like he’s progressing nicely.
April 12th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Wow, best wishes for a speedy recovery to TK. I had the pleasure of meeting her in Raleigh, and she’s a class act. Bill also, though I don’t know him. If you like him, Charles, that must mean he rocks.