Gene Duffey, ex-Houston Post

Tuesday night update- Gene has been moved to a new hospital. This is a good thing:

Today Gene was moved to another hospital, which means he is out of ICU and is no longer in critical condition. The doctors decided to move him before inserting the defibrillator, as the doctors want him to regain some of his strength before doing the procedure. At the new facility he will continue the rehab he started last week.

He is now at Select Specialty Hospital.

Additionally, Gene can now receive flowers, etc. in his room. He is in a large room in a corner, meaning he’s got lots of windows with views of the Texas Medical Center.

On Saturday, the Astros PR staff brought to Gene a batting helmet signed by all the players. It joins the game ball the Texans delivered last week.

 

Holy cow! I had not seen this before. Am so glad he is doing better. I first met Gene more than 20 years ago when he was working at The Houston Post and I was in university. He and another guy helped get me a gig stringing prep football games on Friday nights for the Post while I was in university.

Later crossed paths with him when I worked at smaller dailies and was in the SID office at Rice University. Never had anything but praise for the guy.

Sorry to hear this happened and glad to hear he is recovering. Scarry stuff.

You're in my prayers, Gene.

 

Received this last night. Hard to believe it's been a month.



All –

Exactly one month ago, Gene suffered his cardiac arrest. Today he is alive, alert and continues to improve.

He is still at Select Specialty Hospital. Its address is:

Select Specialty Hospital
2130 W. Holcombe
Houston, TX 77030

The defibrillator has not been placed in his chest just yet, as the doctors still want him to be stronger before doing the procedure. In the last week he has contracted some sort of skin infection on his left arm that the doctors are treating. Gene told me the doctors want the infection to have subsided before inserting the defibrillator.

Today Gene and I made three laps around the nurses’ station, a huge improvement from last week. He walked the first two with the help of a walker, and the third without any assistance. He’s also went up and down two flights of stairs, which is important because Gene will need to go up two flights of stairs to get to his apartment.

His appetite is very good, and he’s regained both his sense of humor and, in his words, his sense of sarcasm. Today he sounded just like the Gene we all know so well.

Gene very much appreciates all of the prayers, emails, cards, calls and concern from all of his friends. He’s very much ready to go home, and we all hope that will be soon. First the infection on his left arm needs to be treaded and then he can receive the defibrillator, then hopefully he can go home.

Please continue to pray for Gene’s full recovery. Thanks.

 

Great news!! Keep at it, Gene.

 

Great news, AQB. Thanks again for the updates.