Special Report:

Harlan Ellison recovering after apparent heart attack, major surgery

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by Rick Wyatt
Contributing Writer

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In a conversation on Monday evening, April 22, celebrated author Harlan Ellison was spirited and garrulous as ever -- though a little winded -- after recovering from a quadruple-bypass operation the week before.

Ellison began experiencing chest pains on Wednesday, April 10. They continued to worsen until the evening of Friday, April 12, when the pains became so bad that Ellison had his wife Susan rush him to the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai hospital. Ellison was scheduled for angioplasty on Monday, April 15, but the operation was moved up to Sunday when the pain became unbearable.

However, doctors ruled out the angioplasty when they discovered Ellison's arteries were severely blocked in four places. Instead, the decision was made to perform a quadruple bypass. The bypass was successfully completed during a five-hour operation.

As Ellison reports, he spent Monday and Tuesday in delirium, unable to move, read, watch television or even cough due to doctors having "cracked my chest like a walnut shell." Despite great pain and feelings of panic and helplessness, Ellison remained conscious for much of these two days. He was moved into a monitored room in the cardiac care unit on Wednesday, April 17, after developing minor complications.

After the move, Ellison's condition improved, and he was released from the hospital the morning of Friday, April 19. He is now resting in the care of his wife Susan and is back under the care of his regular physician.

On Monday, Apirl 22, Ellison reported that he had received more than 600 phone calls and faxes, and despite his wishes to the contrary, his house has been filled with so many flowers "it smells like an Algerian whorehouse." The Ellisons wish to reiterate that they are doing fine, and they ask friends and fans not to call or send a card and for God's sake please don't send flowers. A URL has been set up on Ellison's Web site on the Internet for people to send a brief get-well message. The get-well board will remain up until Monday, April 29, when the collected comments will be faxed to the Ellisons.

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ack to In the News.