PBS’ O’Brien back after losing arm
Three weeks after losing much of his left arm, science correspondent Miles O’Brien appeared on the “PBS NewsHour” to declare “I’ll be OK” and to announce he had tied his necktie Friday morning.
“It’s good to be here,” he told “NewsHour” co-host Judy Woodruff. “It’s good to be anywhere. It’s good to be alive.”
O’Brien has continued to work on stories for the “NewsHour” since a seemingly minor injury put his life in sudden jeopardy. His short “NewsHour” interview allowed him to follow up on the ordeal he first disclosed on his blog on Feb. 25.
Looking healthy, even cheerful, in a dark suit and black tie, O’Brien noted that the life of a globe-trotting correspondent is risky in many obvious ways.
“But sometimes, it’s the heavy case filled with gear that you need to be careful of,” he said, referring to the Feb. 12 blow to his arm by a falling suitcase as he was wrapping up a solo reporting trip to the Philippines. What began as a bruise became increasingly discolored and painful, he said. When he began to feel numbness in his hand, he sought medical attention on Feb. 14.
He was diagnosed with “acute compartment syndrome,” a condition where blocked blood flow in an enclosed space in the body can have life-threatening consequences.
Before his emergency surgery to relieve the pressure, O’Brien said he was warned that amputation was a possible outcome.
“When I woke up,” he recalled, “I thought I felt my arm. But unfortunately, things did not go for the best.” His arm had been amputated above the elbow.
Out of rehab ready to love self as she is
Ke$ha is out of rehab for an eating disorder.
The singer’s representative confirmed Friday that Ke$ha had checked out of the facility. She had entered treatment in January.
Ke$ha posted on Twitter that she is “happy to be back!” She writes: “Feeling healthy & working on tons of new music.”
The 26-year-old vegetarian pop star thanked fans “for all the love & support u have given me.” She said she entered rehab to “learn to love myself again, exactly as I am.”
New Nashville show to feature comics
Actor Vince Vaughn is bringing a new comedy festival to Nashville this spring with live tapings and stand-up acts to be held at the city’s music venues.
Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Festival on May 15-18 will include comedians Aziz Ansari, Rodney Carrington and Dennis Miller among others. Comedian Marc Maron will do a live interview with Vaughn for Maron’s podcast and Chris Hardwick will shoot his late night Comedy Central talk show “@Midnight” from Nashville.
The birthday bunch
Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 70. Actor-director Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) is 69. Singer-musician Randy Meisner is 68. Actor Aidan Quinn is 55. Actress Camryn Manheim is 53. Rock singer Shawn Mullins is 46. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kristinia DeBarge is 24.