Tom Snyder Has Leukemia

Though Tom Snyder, 68, has always been a bombastic blowhard, he’s my kind of bombastic blowhard, full of enegy, life, opinions, self-assurance, but willing to laugh at himself as well. I haven’t watched him in years but I am sad to hear he has leukemia.

He blurts that, and several other things, out on his website:

a cat scan turned up some interesting stuff. My spleen is enlarged, which the doctors say might be crowding my stomach in my abdomen, thereby causing some of the bloating I am experiencing. And judging by my white cell count and a variety of other factors including what was shown on the cat scan, I have been diagnosed with something called chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Jesus H. Christ! When I was a kid leukemia was a death sentence. Now, my doctors say its treatable! With pills or chemotherapy or a combination of both. Lemme pause here on this word treatable. Four years ago they stuck a defibrillator/pacemaker in my chest because my heart disease was treatable! A year and a half ago a nearly torn tendon in my left leg was diagnosed as treatable. Then I came down with atrial fibrillation, but was told not to worry about that because it is treatable! I don’t know how much more room I have in my aging carcass for this treatable shit! Anyway, my doctors assure me this is nothing to worry about, and I have to accept that, I guess.

…Am I the only one who noticed the opulence and wealth on display at the Pope’s funeral? Am I the only one who was bothered by the Pope’s body being hauled around the Vatican (I think displaying the body after death is barbaric)? As I watched the Cardinals in their red robes and sashes and the pomp and majesty of the ceremonies I kept thinking: we certainly have come a long way from the stable where Christ was born!

Some quick thoughts. Despite what George W. says, the Social Security system is not in trouble and does not need fixing and the people are onto him. Tom Delay is a jerk. Hilary Clinton is already running for the Presidency for 2008. The Red Sox-Yankee rivalry is on the verge of getting out of hand. There was more fan interference at Fenway last night that nearly wound up in a brawl or a riot. Early morning network television is not news anymore–its a joke. I miss Dan Rather. And Tom Brokaw. And I pray in my own stupid way for Peter Jennings to get well soon.

Sounds pretty lively still to me. Best wishes Tom. It’s been a tough time for veteran TV newsmen.