- November 17, 2024
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County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen is back in his seat at the commission after missing more than a month of meetings for surgeries that began with a procedure to halt bleeding on his brain on his 72nd birthday in late January.
On Feb. 2, at his first commission meeting since the brain surgery and a gallbladder removal that followed a few weeks later, Ericksen thanked the people who’d supported him during his ordeal.
“Since I was in and out of consciousness numerous times, I’ve had some limited memories of those incidents of those incidents that occurred during those early days,” he said. But he remembered Commission Chairman Frank Meeker delivering him to the hospital “in record time,” and Flagler County Fire Rescue Capt. Richard Bennett helping arrange his transfer to Florida Hospital Ormond for specialized care.
“All during this time, Mrs. Ericksen was nervously looking on, supported by Christie Mayer and Sally Sherman,” he said. “Thank you all for your help.”
He feels, largely, alright — “I’m not out of breath; I’m not nervous,” he said — although he’s still taking a “handful of pills” every day, and hopes to be able to cut back.
Ericksen, an avid cyclist who last September completed a 24,902-bicycle journey accomplished over a series of early morning trips in the area, on Facebook bemoaned doctors’ orders to take it easy, and snuck out for a quick ride anyway in late February.
He’s now back to his early-morning trips, though for now he’s doing five miles or so instead of his usual 15 or 20.
“I consider myself fortunate that I’m in the shape I am right now to be able to do these things,” he said.
