Chuck’s Head

Tuesday was an ordinary day, sort of, for Rubber City Radio Group operations director Chuck Collins.

He made his way to the station’s West Market Street studios in Akron’s Wallhaven area, and was heard on oldies/news WAKR/1590’s “Ray Horner Morning Show”.

Ordinary, except did we mention that Chuck had brain surgery just a couple of weeks ago?

Thus, it was hugs all around at the Akron Radio Center, where Chuck is also program director and midday host at WAKR. (Photo courtesy: Facebook, WAKR “Ray Horner Morning Show” producer Tony McGinty.)

We’ll let Chuck, a long-time Friend of OMW dating back to his days writing his mystery novels under the pen name of Elmer Polk, tell the story of how he realized he had to get medical attention:

In early March something happened that should have gotten my attention: I was standing in a small studio we have and an odd sensation came over me. The best way I can describe it is the left side of my body seemed to spring a leak and all the normal sensations vanished. There was no weakness, it was not numbness in the traditional sense. I knew what to check for symptoms of a stroke and there was none of that. All I knew was that something was not right.

After starting treatment for high blood pressure, Chuck and his doctors knew it was something more…and that led to an MRI, then to the removal of a brain tumor at an Akron hospital.

In addition to the time spent with his radio colleagues Tuesday, Chuck Collins also talked with Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 “NewsChannel 5” Akron journalist Joe McGee:

Collins had an MRI and it revealed a tumor the size of three stacked Eisenhower silver dollars in the right side of his brain.

A large scar on the side of his head, still stapled together, is a reminder of what he has been through.

Ever the radio showman, Collins brought along three Eisenhower silver dollars to the Ray Horner Show to demonstrate the size of the tumor.

You can follow along with Collins’ extended blog on his recent journey on his “Chuck Collins Mysteries” book site.

And as for the popular Akron and Cleveland radio veteran…he tells NewsChannel 5’s McGee that he plans to return to work in a limited capacity on August 19th.

On air on WAKR, rock WONE/97.5 program director Tim Daugherty has returned to the 1590 airwaves filling in for Collins on his midday show.

Collins had been scheduled to fill in for Horner last week, a role that was taken instead by Rubber City VP/information media and long-time OMW reader Ed Esposito.

And Chuck showed a sense of humor about the whole thing on Horner’s show, quipping at the end: “Don’t worry about me. It’s like it’s an extended vacation, with staples in the head.”