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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, March 24, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 23, 2005 Surgery infection sidelines county commissioner By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Recovering from recent surgery, Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker says he’s had a rough time, losing 20 pounds while fighting off a persistent infection. "I think I’m on the mend," said the board of commissioners chairman on Tuesday. "I’m hoping the infection that’s still in there can be dealt with antibiotics." Walker suffers from Crohn’s disease, which can cause a wasting of the intestines and afflicts about 1 million Americans. On March 1, the 65-year-old Phoenix resident went in for what he had hoped would be a simple surgery to remove a six-inch length of intestine. He anticipated returning to work within two weeks. "I went through everything possible to avoid infection and I ended up with it anyway," said Walker, who sounded weak during a telephone interview Tuesday but was eager to get back to work. Advertisement He returned to the hospital after surgery because of complications from the infection but was released Friday. Walker said he went immediately to his office at the Jackson County Courthouse to take care of some business for a couple of hours. "I could tell I needed to go home and rest," he said. "After losing 20 pounds, you just don’t have the stamina or the strength. But I’m trying to eat as much as I can to get my strength back." Commissioner Dave Gilmour said he and Commissioner C.W. Smith will try to keep Walker in the loop as much as possible about county business. "If there are any disputes with C.W., we’ll do a conference call," he said. "But I don’t anticipate anything coming up." Gilmour, who is a doctor, said it’s important that Walker allow enough time for his recovery. "We want him to take as much time as possible to get better and not push himself to come back," he said. Smith said he was concerned about Walker when he saw him last week in the hospital. But when Smith spoke to him by phone Tuesday morning, Walker seemed better but still not his usual vigorous self. "If you know anything about Jack, you’d know that he hits the ground running every day," Smith said. Smith said Walker was missed during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., where commissioners lobbied for the continuation of $24 million in federal timber dollars that flow to this county annually. "We’d like to get Jack back to work, but we want him to recuperate," he said. Walker said he told the other commissioners, "If you guys get into an issue where you need me to vote, just call me." Walker had a similar surgery in 1994, and also had a serious infection that was difficult to overcome. "I won the primaries (at the time) lying in the hospital," he remembered. Because only 3 percent of patients get an infection after this kind of surgery, Walker said he was surprised to get it the second time around. According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, about two-thirds to three-quarters of people with the disease will have one or more operations over the course of their lifetime. But because Crohn’s disease usually recurs, surgery is not considered a permanent cure. Walker hopes this procedure will give him another 10 years before he has to worry about complications from Crohn’s disease. "If I feel as good as I do now, I plan on being back to work next week," he said, adding that he probably would follow a reduced schedule until he is fully recovered. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s