The Chetboard

Seymour Duncan just posted up a notice that Nokie had a massive heart attack while on tour in Japan. I haven't seen a news-article yet but so we all know and can pray if that's our bent.

I sure hope Nokie is doing okay. He was really nice to me at the C.A.A.S. the times I got to speak with him.
Ray

Oddsteven wrote:Seymour Duncan just posted up a notice that Nokie had a massive heart attack while on tour in Japan. I haven't seen a news-article yet but so we all know and can pray if that's our bent.

I think it might have been a bad one, as I understand he is listed in critical condition. I can find nothing about it on any of the news channels. Also, I was told his schedule of bookings there in Japan has been cancelled.

Best of luck Nokie, you're a great player!

David

I don't know your sources, David, but Seymour Duncan posted this on Facebook on Wednesday:
"Please send a warm wish to Nokie Edwards of The Ventures who had a massive heart attack while touring Japan... He is in stable condition and please send him your best... Thanks you all... Seymour..."

Critical? Stable? Whatever: A heart attack is always something serious, and I guess you're with me, when I express my hope that you're wrong this time, David.

Fingers crossed -

Ingo

Tony Enamel wrote:I don't know your sources, David, but Seymour Duncan posted this on Facebook on Wednesday:
"Please send a warm wish to Nokie Edwards of The Ventures who had a massive heart attack while touring Japan... He is in stable condition and please send him your best... Thanks you all... Seymour..."

Critical? Stable? Whatever: A heart attack is always something serious, and I guess you're with me, when I express my hope that you're wrong this time, David.

Fingers crossed -

Ingo

Ingo, I received this from a friend, who got it from Judy, Nokie's wife. This is the latest I have:

"The last thing Judy told me (via email) was that Nokie was placed into a
coma ( a semi-coma she said) to keep him calm. He may have some
blockage in one section of the heart, plus his pace maker may have been
having problems. She also spoke of an angiogram being planned. They
are trying to get him well enough to transfer to a hospital in Tokyo. That's all I've got to date."

I don't know how it is over there in Germany Ingo, but medical "updates" on a person's condition in the USA are nearly meaningless to the layman. I would think "stable" probably just means nothing has changed in his condition.

Having "been there and done that", I think an angiogram is pretty standard procedure under those conditions, and they usually do an angioplasty immediately, if there is a blockage. The "coma" thing, probably just means he's under heavy sedation.

David

Thank you very much for this insight, David! I talked to Brooks Robertson on Wednesday, he had called Judy without success. As far as I understand she wasn't touring with Nokie originally. Maybe she has gone to Japan now, so that Brooks couldn't reach her - but that's just an assumption on my side.

Under those circumstances I think we can be glad Nokie didn't travel through Laos or the Congo, when it happened. The people in Japan (and its health system) will take good care of him. And Japan is familiar to Nokie since he has been visiting it for more than four decades now.

Ingo

This update has been posted by Thom Bresh on Facebook today:
"As some of you know, our friend Nokie Edwards suffered a heart attack while on tour in Japan. The doctors put Nokie into a coma so they could relieve the fluid from his heart and his lungs. I just received word that the doctors have brought him out of his coma but he is not out of the woods by any means. Nokie is a fighter but he can use all the prayers he can get. I will keep you informed as information comes to me. His wife Judy is by his side.."

Regards,

Ingo

More information by Thom Bresh, posted on Facebook on Sunday evening:
"The official call on Nokie's Situation is Congestive Heart Failure. They have got the fluid cleared from his lungs and heart. His oxygen levels are still low. He is resting well and is still highly sedated.. I'll tell you more when I get it... They are fourteen hours ahead of Nashville.."

Regards,

Ingo

I checked Nokies' web site and found this message from his wife, Judy.
Ray

http://www.nokieedwards.com/

I saw this on The Ventures web site:


Sep, 23 2012

A week ago, we heard that Nokie had been admitted to a hospital in Sendai, Japan (the Tohoku area, not far from where the earthquake and tsunami disaster happened last year). We did not want to post any information until we were sure that we had the correct details. Unfortunately, others have spread all sorts of rumors that, it turns out, were not true. Today, I received word from Judy, Nokie's wife, who is now with him in Japan. She asked me to post the following: Nokie did NOT have a heart attack (as has been stated elsewhere). Rather, he is suffering from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) which caused him to pass out - also his blood oxygen level was very low at the time this occurred. The doctors have been removing fluid from his heart and lungs, plus he is now resting well. Apparently, he also needs another lead wire attached to his pacemaker to ensure correct functioning on the left side of his heart. With the right treatment, he should be fine.
As soon as we have any further details, we will post them. Judy will be in touch again with more news. In the meanwhile, we wish Nokie a speedy and full recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with both him and Judy.