Charlie Brown back on Lake County Council after extended illness, encourages men to take care of their health
Lake County Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, returned to the dais Tuesday after an extended illness sidelined the octogenarian.
Brown, 85, who was elected president of the council in January, took his seat with the body but let interim president Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, continue the duties for the final meeting of the year.
Cid has been serving as president for the duration of Brown’s seven-month absence.
“I encourage every male in the county of Lake in the state of Indiana, don’t put off your health,” Brown said. Like so many men, the councilman said he had ignored his issues for years, dealing with the occasional flare ups and never fixing the problem.
The former state representative said he had issues with his small intestine for some time but never had the situation addressed. He wound up with volvulus, a condition where the small intestine wraps around itself causing a blockage.
While in the hospital for the procedure he contracted COVID-19 and then C. diff, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, C. diff causes almost half a million infections a year in the U.S. One in 11 people over age 65 diagnosed wit a healthcare-associated C. diff infection die within one month, according to the CDC.
Brown said he was in and out of the hospital for three months battling the infections while trying to recover from the surgery where had about six inches of his colon removed. He had to return to the hospital for internal bleeding stemming from the surgery as well.
Brown said he finally left the hospital for good July 1 but has been confined to his home until about six weeks ago, when he slowly began venturing out again with the assistance of his wife, Angela, who was in the gallery Tuesday.
“I lost a lot of weight, energy and strength,” Brown said, adding he is beginning to return to his old self.
Brown attributed his recovery to his wife, who he jokingly called the “warden.”
“She won’t even let me drive yet,” Brown said. “She takes good care of me.”
The councilman said he tried to stay abreast of what was going on during his absence by watching virtual meetings and staying in touch with fellow council members and staff. He wanted to return sooner, but needed his strength back.
“I’m ready to move forward and come back out like a tiger,” Brown said.
