A Scare I NEVER Want To Experience Again

Yesterday, I was given the scare of my life - twice in a 90-minute span.

The Sports Director (SD) at the radio station I work at is 89-years-old and suffers from a medical condition that leaves him in a great deal of pain. The medication prescribed to him to treat that condition is to be taken before bedtime, and not after. Early yesterday morning, he awoke to remember that he hadn't;t taken his meds before he went to bed - he then took his medication and went back to bed, four hours before he was to start his on-air shift.

Yesterday morning, during the third of his six morning sports segments, I cued him to begin. Then things got weird... His eyes got glassy, his face was frozen in a frightening expression, and he leaned into his microphone. At first, I thought he had fallen asleep, but his eyes were wide open. It was if someone had switched him off. It took about 30 long seconds, and grabbing his face and turning toward me, for him to snap out of it. And as if someone had switched him back on, he started giving scores and such, like nothing had happened. After we were off the air, I asked him if he was OK. He didn't remember the episode.

Once the General Manager (GM) arrived at the station, I told him what had happened, and I wasn't sure he fully understood. Then, about 45 minutes later, with the GM standing in the doorway to the control room, our venerable sports director "left the building" again. The second time, the GM tapped him on the shoulder to get our SD's attention and snap him out of his unconscious state. Again, he didn't remember what happened.

The GM and were pretty scared at that point, thinking our Sports Director had suffered a couple of strokes or something equally as dangerous. We learned later in the day that our SD hadn't taken his medication as per the prescription directions. He took them properly before going to bed last night, and was in top form this morning.

One of my greatest fears with the job I have is that our Sports Director, with his advanced age, medical problems and such, will die in front of me, while doing our morning show. Yesterday, I thought the guy was "checking out," and it frightened the hell out of me. Fortunately, for all concerned, yesterday's episodes seem to be attributable to a medication snafu, but the look on his face when he blanked out is burned into my brain. I do not want to experience that again.