September 21, 2004
Dangerfield in "Light Coma"
from www.eonline.com
Rodney Dangerfield is having a longer hospital stay than he anticipated.
The tie-tugging, respect-craving funnyman underwent heart-valve replacement surgery Aug. 25 in Los Angeles and was expected to be discharged a few days later. But Dangerfield remains in intensive care after slipping into what his wife calls a "light coma."
However, Joan Dangerfield says her husband's condition "remains stable." She seemed mostly optimistic about her husband's health in a statement released Monday.
"He is receiving extraordinary care from his doctors and nurses and was able to breathe on his own for the past 24 hours," she said. "After recent visits from his family and close friends, Rodney is starting to show signs of awareness, and we are all hopeful that he will regain full consciousness soon."
The comedian, known for his gruff persona and old-school one-liners, has had worsening health problems over the last few years. The 82-year-old underwent a complicated brain bypass procedure last April to improve his body's blood flow in preparation for last month's operation.
In 1992, Dangerfield underwent surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Eight years later, the quipster made it through a double bypass. And on his 80th birthday in 2001, Dangerfield suffered a heart attack, but he didn't need surgery.
Dangerfield is a godfather of stand-up, helping further the careers of Jim Carrey, Jeff Foxworthy, Sam Kinison, Bob Saget, Jerry Seinfeld and Louie Anderson, in addition to appearing in such cinematic comedy classics as Caddyshack.
While Dangerfield's family believes he will make a full recovery in the coming weeks, it is not known how his health will impact his project slate. Dangerfield had been scheduled to appear in an upcoming episode of CBS' Still Standing and was to serve as a producer on a remake of his 1980s classic comedy Back to School, starring Cedric the Entertainer.
Posted by MK Magazine at September 21, 2004 07:14 PM