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RITM1999 said:
Alexander Shulgin, 85, hospitalized with a stroke. Donations and volunteers asked to preserve his work

I just learned via Psychedelic Research that one of the greatest researchers in psychoactive drugs, Alexander Shulgin, 85, has been hospitalized with a stroke. He was surgically intervened two years ago to replace a defective aortic valve and, given his age, he may leave us at any moment.

Shulgin, a Ph. D. Biochemist, has made extensive research in synthesis drugs such the widely known ecstasy, which he intended to use for the treatment of depression and other psychological disorders.

In 1994 he saw his laboratory raided by the DEA after he published PHiKAL, a chemical love story.

The drug knowledge vault, Erowid, is now asking for volunteers (for transcriptions and image enhancement) and donations in order to help preserve his legacy. You can donate here (either to Erowid or directly to the Shulgins) and you can volunteer your services here.

http://forwhatwearetheywillbe.blogspot.com/2010/11/alexander-shulgin-85-hospitalized-with.html

here's the donation link:
http://www.erowid.org/donations/project_shulgin.php
^ as much as we all owe this man, it would be very fitting if those of us who could afford to give away a few dollars could donate

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yogabunny said:
this is a cause worth donating to people.

PLEASE HELP, SASHA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Hello Everyone ~ This morning on the way to the hospital fora scheduled test, Sasha had a stroke. He has been struggling for six months with an ulcer on his left foot that won’t heal, hoping to avoid amputation. Sasha & Ann have been in serious financial trouble for some years, and the coming medical bills will be a burden they can’t bear alone. Please, express your gratitude for all the work that Sasha has done, for everything he has given to the world, and give something back. Think of all the ways that your life, and the lives of others, have been healed, transformed, and bettered by this wonderful man. He needs your help now. No amount is too small or too large. Please give until it feels good...not until it hurts.

For non-tax-deductible contributions, Paypal $ to [annandsashashulgin@comcast.net] or snailmail: Sasha Shulgin, c/o Transform Press, PO Box 13675, Berkeley CA 94712.

For tax-deductible online donations to support the completion of Shulgin publishing projects that are underway:http://www.erowid.org/donations/project_shulgin.php

Please spread this information.

Thank you and all my love,
Greg Manning

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To the facebook:
Dearest Friends – I’m sorry to have let a couple of days go by without telling you what’s been happening, but I’m sure you understand.
Sasha has, of course, two entirely different problems, one North (head) and the other South (foot). The effects of the (relatively) small stroke have been getting most attention, but t...he left foot, with its buildup of necrotic – dead – tissue, and the possibility of infection getting into the blood stream, which increases with every day, is keeping the doctors busy with plans, counter-plans and risk-benefit concerns. Sasha underwent a CAT scan and an MRI of the foot, and the day before yesterday (whatever that was), he was put on a strict fast from midnight on, in preparation for the Great Angiogram (which is the procedure we were driving him to when the stroke happened). Instead of getting him into the surgery room in the morning, which had been the intention, he had to wait (other patients, emergencies, whatever) until around 4:30 p.m., when they finally got him into the surgery. He’d been sedated, but despite that, he couldn’t keep his legs still enough for the photography to happen, and they postponed it until Tuesday. By that time, of course, I was beginning to get angry at the idea of my beloved man going without liquid of some kind, not to speak of food, for so many hours, although actually it didn’t seem to bother him; I was projecting my own hatred of thirst and dryness of mouth onto him, I admit.
Yesterday, Sasha was pretty sleepy, from the various pain-killers and perhaps the stroke itself, but he slept very soundly and woke up hungry this morning. He was more wide-awake and demolished a full breakfast plus a fresh banana that happened to wander into the room. One of the after-effects of the stroke (an ischemic stroke in the middle area of the pons, in medical language) is the danger of food going down into his windpipe, so all his food is being thickened slightly, which seems to avoid the problem. His speech is still hard to understand, but if he’s told to “enunciate clearly,” he can make himself understood pretty well, so a speech therapist is going to help train him in getting back to normal speaking, and it will simply be a matter of time. There is real hope that most of the stroke-effects will disappear, although no one knows exactly how long it will take, and we just tackle these problems each day, and do our best, and what will be will be, to coin a phrase. Thank heaven there’s no paralysis apparent.
On Tuesday, the doctor will put Sasha under general anaesthetic, just enough to ensure non-movement of his body, and during that procedure, once they see the angiogram picture and know where the blockages are in his circulation, unless there is no possibility of sufficient blood flow to the foot, they will proceed to take out all dead tissue, and probably the remains of the Achilles tendon, and put his foot into some kind of suction device for a few days (or weeks – I’m not sure of that detail), but they plan to send him home after that, on Wednesday, and I’ll report in full on all the rest of this situation as soon as I think I know what I’m talking about!
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful expressions of love and caring. It helps all of us to know that so many good people are concerned and want to help. Sasha is aware of what’s happening and sends his love back to you.
Blessings -- Ann

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Dear Loyal Friends,
I beg your forgiveness for having left you in the dark the last three days; I can only say that, despite having help round the clock, I've found myself, by 8 or 9 p.m., utterly exhausted and wanting only to collapse in bed. By morning, I'm okay -- even my slight emphysema has cleared up. But at night? Holy Toledo,... as the ancient ones used to say. I think I've been working harder at a thousand little things than I realized. If it weren't for the really wonderful people coming in to take care of Sasha, I can't imagine -- well, anyway. Enough.
Sasha is getting better. Slowly, slowly, his strength is returning. The Achilles tendon wound, when the Wound Vac. is taken off for changing (every three days) is looking beautiful, clean and beginning to show "granulation tissue," which apparently means it's going to heal, says the doctor. Amputation is fading into the shadows as a threat. Not entirely gone, yet, but fading. Another kind of threat has also retreated, due to the ingestion of what is known around here as the Big Guns -- a glass of prune juice.
The doctor has ordered that Sasha be helped onto his feet three times a day, even if he takes only a few steps. He's going to eat his meals sitting in a chair or wheelchair, from now on. It's amazing how fast the legs lose strength, when you lie in a bed for a week or more. However, it's even more amazing how quickly that strength returns, when the patient makes those thigh muscles work to push him into standing position!
We take him into San Francisco to see one of the terrific surgeons who saved his foot last week -- on Wednesday, and based on what he sees, he'll tell us what happens next and how soon. We're expecting (and hoping) that the wound will be healing sufficiently, within the next two weeks or so, to allow a skin graft to be put in place. But none of us can predict anything until the surgeon and our new, already beloved doctor have examined the foot carefully and come to their conclusions. But it's looking really, really good right now.
We'll tell you what happens on Wednesday. If I don't manage to, Greg or Tania certainly will. And I apologize again for leaving you all wondering and worrying.
Now, back to bed. Speech therapist comes tomorrow morning at 9, to watch Sasha eat breakfast, probably to evaluate his swallowing, etc. His speech is improving already, believe it or not. That man has an amazing life-force.
Goodnight, love and blessings to you all. Ann

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