Posts Tagged ‘emergency’

Chi Cheng’s Family Considers Stem Cell Treatment, Offers New Update on His Condition

Gary Livingston, Getty Images Four years have passed since Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a car accident which left him in a coma. Having only been in a partially conscious state since Feb. 2012, Chi is now able to spend his life out of a hospital despite many return trips due to various infections. In a long post by Chi’s mother, she shares the latest on Chi’s recovery, including a close call concerning oxygen deprivation. Chi Cheng has spent an unfortunate amount of time confined to a hospital bed since the accident, and his family and friends have been fighting to keep him out since his latest release. The bassist is currently recovering in a rented house and is constantly tended to by family and various assistants. Unable to speak although he can move his legs on command, Chi Cheng is on a slow but hopefull path of recovery, with Cheng’s family even considering stem cell therapy to aid the bassist. Chi’s brother Ming tells Revolver, “Once his health gets a little better, we’ll start looking into other options…but they don’t even do it (stem cell therapy) in the U.S. yet. It’s a miracle he’s still with us. He’s alive and kicking and he’s fighting, and I think there’s a reason for it. I’m hoping there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Chi.” Chi’s mother wanted to let the musician to recover in his childhood home, but sadly, Chi’s father passed away in April, leading to legal complications forcing the Cheng family to sell the home. Here’s the newest update on the condition of Chi Cheng in this latest post from oneloveforchi.com : Hello dear family, Hope your holiday was spent with those you love and was happy. Ours was quiet. Mae, Chris and the kids went to Chris’s family’s for dinner Chi and I were here listening to some tunes and catching up on a few things. Now the Christmas Season is here and the insanity that is shopping. Mae tried to get to the store with Chris last night, took one look at the crowds and said “I’m gonna walk home.” They had gone in to get a really good sale on a TV for the new house and when they fought their way back to that section of the store, it was closed. The TV’s were there and the sale was on but they wouldn’t let anyone in that part of the store. (Yes Sal, it WAS Walmart). So, we have gotten into a routine in the house we are renting. Chi is getting much better care at home and has wonderful assistants (full time for now) as Mae gave birth to a baby boy last month. She still does hours of hands on helping the helpers, as does Chris, but we have someone come nights for now so everyone else gets sleep at night. We had hoped to be able to move Chi into the house that all the kids grew up in. He would have been in the main house with Mae and her family and I would have been in the guest house in back. The yard is so great there with bamboo all ofer and oak and fruit trees and bird songs. Sadly Chi’s Dad passed away at the end of April and things got really complicated legally. I thought it best to just rent a place for he and I when he got back from New Jersey and we ended up having to sell the family home. Now it is sold, Mae and all moved in here and we looked for a house big enough for all of us to live in with more room. We did buy one at a very good price and are having it painted and re-carpeted now. It is not far away and is in a better location. So…one more move and we should be able to settle in. We are so happy at the thought of not moving again! In the new house we will finally put some bookcases up for Chi’s books around him with a few of his own things on the wall. I can’t wait! We will even get a dining room table! So about Chi. He was home for a day when he got back from New Jersey and had to go to the emergency room. He spent (6?weeks) in icu, ccu, icu getting one infection after another. I didn’t think that we would see him get back home. It was scary! I think that is when Gina put out the prayer request 1. for the prayer and 2.ya’ll deserved to know it was critical. When he finally got one blood test that was clear of infection they sent him home. I took pictures of the medic van coming up the road and the 2 gals bringing him in. They wheeled him in the house with their portable oxygen still on him and when we put the finger monitor on him he was hardly getting any oxygen at all to his arms legs etc. The girls said that they couldn’t leave him and went outside to call a fully equipped ambulance. Mae and I decided NO more hospitals and went crazy on poor Chi. I was trying to shake and lift him and he wouldn’t wake or move. Mae grabbed a towel and held it tight over his mouth so that he would have to breathe through his nose (where the oxygen was going in). After a bit his eyes opened wide and he looked at Mae like “REALLY!! You’re gonna snuff me??” She told him to breathe through his nose and he did. His oxygen when the girls came back in the house was a nice (98? or 99?). Something high and he was wide awake. They were baffled but cancelled the ambulance and put him in his bed.It is hard and hard for him but we have decided to deal with things at home. Hospitals are too germy! The last time the Dr recommended taking him in and we told him no, he came out the next day and said that it was the right decision. Again now he is starting into pneumonia in both lungs but we caught it early and he is on day 2 of antibiotics. His Dr and the nurse that come to the house are wonderful and Mae doesn’t miss a thing. She checks him constantly and I never sleep well at night so I peek in on him at night too. All and all, he seems intent on staying around awhile longer. Since you all have been such a huge part of making that possible, we have so much gratitude for your support and prayers! I know this has been said before but again, I feel like you are all our family! Some families don’t get this sort of kindness from their blood relatives. The love and compassion that you give Chi and us makes our world like such a better place. I will post or Gina will post (because she will call every day to check on how he is when he is sick) to let you know when he is well again. I am going to try to send Gina some pictures to post also as we have another addition to Chi’s team. This cat appeared and has adopted me and Dai. She is what Sal calls a “power animal” because of her protective behavior. To donate to Chi Cheng’s recovery fund, visit the OneLoveForChi website to help the family reach their fundraising goal. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/deftones-change-in-the-house-of-flies-top-21st-century-hard-rock-songs/” title=”Deftones – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs” align=”center”]

10 Best Lamb of God Songs

Epic Records The best Lamb of God songs are powered by their potent deep grooves. Not since Pantera, their fellow Southerners, has a band focused so much on power grooves. Those are what give a song depth and catchiness, not to mention muscle. Power grooves and supreme guitar prowess are certainly the hallmarks of this Virginia band's sound, as are the gritty, venomous vocals of frontman Randy Blythe. For all the fury present in LOG's sound, there's also an intelligence and attention to detail when it comes to the art of songcraft. Plus, you walk away remembering the melodies. The band formerly known as Burn the Priest has released six studio albums under the LOG moniker and they are as consistent as they are brutal. We have sifted through the band's entire cataLOG and have selected our picks for the 10 Best Lamb of God Songs. ? 10 'Ghost Walking' From: 'Resolution' (2012) ? ? 'Ghost Walking' is a textbook example of what's entirely familiar about Lamb of God at this point: rolling riffs, Meshuggah-meets-Pantera grooves and throaty, growled vocals. It's a chunky track with cajones that hang to the floor. From the first power riff, you know it's Lamb of God, from the tone and style. That's how you know they are one of the most important bands in metal – when they are identifiable by a few notes, chords or riffs. Listen to 'Ghost Walking' ? ? 9 'Set to Fail' From: 'Wrath' (2009) ? ? The fast and chunky 'Wrath' track 'Set to Fail' has a bit of hardcore energy coursing through its veins. Drummer Chris Adler's hand and footwork is particularly intense and impressive, as he smashes away at his instrument, infusing his percussion with passion in a way that would make Animal from The Muppets proud. It's a faster than what we'd normally expect from Lamb of God, but they certainly pull it off with poise. Even though the band feels the need for speed here, they never pull up the emergency brake on the groove. That's why it's one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs. Listen to 'Set to Fail' ? ? 8 'As the Palaces Burn' From: 'As the Palaces Burn' (2003) ? ? Much like 'Ruin' from the same album, the title track from their 2003 release 'As the Palaces Burn' demonstrates a command of their instruments and of their grooves. Power grooves were perfected by Pantera, but Lamb of God came along and injected them with a bit of Swedish tech metal influence. Who knew that a pack of rednecks from below the Maison-Dixon line could cull so much inspiration from Scandinavia? They did, and the result is their own unique sound, as evidenced by 'As the Palaces Burn.' Listen to 'As the Palaces Burn' ? ? 7 'Walk With Me in Hell' From: 'Sacrament' (2006) ? ? Everything about the song 'Walk With Me in Hell' is devastating. It's a true LOG signature that inspires headbanging in even the stiffest wallflower. The song's layers upon layers of tension leap out of the speakers and will cause the kind of headbanging that leaves you with broken blood vessels in your neck and a massive migraine. Blythe also sounds like he scaled the bowels of Hades to spit lyrical venom … right into your ear. Listen to 'Walk With Me in Hell' ? ? 6 '11th Hour' From: 'As the Palaces Burn' (2003) ? ? Another quality, well-constructed song from 'As the Palaces Burn,' the track '11th Hour' is also a fan favorite. It's speeding-bullet fast and crunchy, with plenty of the requisite groove. It's nastier than a street fight, and that's why '11th Hour' is one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs. When you get to the 56-second mark, you can imagine fingers running up and down a fretboard, as the song exemplifies the vivid playing of axemen Mark Morton and Willie Adler. Listen to '11th Hour' ? ? 5 'Laid to Rest' From: 'Ashes of the Wake' (2004) ? ? Despite being a steel-toe-to-the-teeth brutal song, 'Laid to Rest' is one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs because, like many key songs in their catalog and on this list, it manages to thread a potent, unforgettable melody through all the maelstrom. The bluster is tempered by memorable melodic parts and singalongs. When Blythe dutifully barks, “Destroy yourself / See who gives a f—,” and guitarists Morton and Adler roll in like soldiers on tanks firing away with machine gun riffage, it knocks the wind out of you. Listen to 'Laid to Rest' ? ? 4 'Ruin' From: 'As the Palaces' Burn' (2003) ? ? Lamb of God were all fists and fury on their 2000 debut. They maintained the pace and they aggression on the followup, but there was a certain level of polish and maturity to songs like 'Ruin,' which meshed this Meshuggah-like technical prowess with that deep-fried, Southern groove, which picked is why they are largely considered to have picked up where the mighty. Pantera left off. The pupils transitioned to teacher on this song, which is one of Lamb of God's best. Listen to 'Ruin' ? ? 3 'Redneck' From: 'Sacrament' (2006) ? ? Being that Lamb of God are from Virginia, they wear their “American by birth, Southern by the grace of God” pride like a badge of honor. 'Redneck' is a bit of a salute to their heritage, in addition to being a blistering, groove-centered jam. It also earned them a much-deserved Grammy nomination. When Blythe snarls, “This is a motherf—ing invitation,” most fans take it as encouragement to mosh. The band, also known for asking fans to erect the “Wall of Death” in their moshpits, where the crowd splits and then runs at one another, 'Braveheart'-style on the count of three, perfected its formula here. Listen to 'Redneck' ? ? 2 'Black Label' From: 'New American Gospel' (2000) ? ? The accelerating opening riff, which repeats throughout the song, and the tin can drumming are easily the most recognizable elements of 'Black Label.' And that riff? Well, it's one of the most definitive in the entire Lamb of God song collection and one of the most memorable in metal as a whole. It's easily one of the 10 Best Lamb of God songs because it's as distinct as DNA. Devastatingly heavy sums it up. Listen to 'Black Label' ? ? 1 'Now You've Got Something To Die For' From: 'Ashes of the Wake' (2004) ? ? 'Now You've Got Something To Die For' has risen to be one of the most recognized and loved songs in the entire cataLOG. It features everything that fans love: power grooves, Blythe's “I gargled with whisky and razor blades” vocal viciousness and ticking time bomb percussion. It has a deeper message, lyrically speaking, and it's delivered in a way that demands your attention. It's also hooky as hell. It truly defines what Lamb of God are, where they've been and where they are going. Listen to 'Now You've Got Something to Die For' ? ? What is Your Favorite Lamb of God Song? Now that you've seen our choices for the 10 Best Lamb of God songs, we're inviting you to tell us your favorites. Did we miss your top track? Or do we have the same exact taste when it comes to LOG songs? Now is your chance to share your thoughts and opinions on the best songs by these metal titans. ?

Shadows Fall Drummer Diagnosed With Acute Pancreatitis, Cancels PASIC Appearance

Razor & Tie Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner will be unable to perform at the 2012 PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention) due to a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The band is currently on a short break from their headlining tour with God Forbid, Thy Will Be Done and Trumpet the Harlot, but Bittner assures fans that he will return to the road. PASIC is the largest percussion event in the world, which consists of over 120 concerts, clinics, panels, presentations and much more. Bittner was scheduled to perform at the Austin, Texas event, but the drummer announced that he’s under doctors orders to rest instead of making the trip. Bittner writes : “Due to my recent health issues, I am under doctors orders to cancel my trip to Austin Texas this week to perform at PASIC 2012. For over a week, what I thought was a stomach bug (and i was still on tour when all of this started), I came home last week and went to the doctors, and it was written off as just that, a bug. This past Saturday the pain came back and lingered into Sunday which forced me into the emergency room yesterday. After a day in the hospital I was poked, prodded, tested and it turns out I have acute Pancreatitis, which I’m told can be very serious if left untreated. They’re not sure what brought it on (my Dr thinks it was viral), but I have been told by my doctors to not leave this week because I need to be sent for more tests/mri, etc to make 100% sure I’ll be road ready for the second leg of the SF tour which starts Nov. 8th — I should be fine, but needless to say I’m very disappointed I will not be able to come perform in Austin this week! Maybe Pasic 2013??” Shadows Fall will return to the road with Bittner once again in Norfolk, Va. on Nov. 8. Click here for the rest of the tour dates. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shadows-fall-thoughts-without-words-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Next: Shadows Fall – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”] ?