Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith bassist (throat cancer)
Ed Varner
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05-Sep-06 New Message From Tom Hamilton
Hi You Guys,
I think You've all probably heard that I'll be missing the first month
or so of the tour.
Last spring I was diagnosed with throat cancer and told I would have
to go through seven weeks of radiation and chemo. The doctors asked me
what my schedule would be and when I told them I was going out on tour
in September they all looked at each other with their eyebrows down.
They told me I wouldn't be ready by that time. The tour had been in
the planning stages for far too long to postpone so I realized I would
miss at least the beginning of it. They explained my treatment and
what I had to deal with and I realized that there would be no decisions
to agonize about. At least that was easy. The only things I agonize
about in life are decisions. In this case there were none to make.
So that became my summer project. I had radiation five days a week and
chemo one day a week. The first two weeks were a piece of cake but the
rest has been a piece of something else. I'll tell you about it
someday.
I'm just getting to the point where the side effects of the treatment
are getting better but I still have a way to go just like the doctors
predicted in the beginning.
I'll be getting out there as soon as possible believe me. Tonight is
the first gig and it feels really weird not being there. As a matter
of fact this is going to ruin my perfect attendance record.
A good friend of ours, David Hull is going to fill in for me 'til i get
back. He's a killer musician and a guy we've known since the 1325
days. He played with Joe during some of the Joe Perry Project days and
I've had the pleasure of hangin' and jammin' with him at some charity
gigs over the last few months. So treat him right!
I'll see you out there in a few weeks.
http://aeroforceone.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/716156/pid/302766