Sunday, June 13, 2010
Frank Vogel provided me with support during the most difficult period of my life. In 1978 I was admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital for 6 months because I was eating myself to death. I weighed 380 pounds. After 2 months, the doctors were concerned at how depressed I was and they allowed me to attend a support group meeting. There I met Frank. We were virtually the only men in the room. Frank reached out to me and provided a combination of concern, humor and tough love. I returned the following week and kept coming back every Monday. At one meeting I had a halter monitor strapped to my chest and Frank told everyone to be careful what they said, because Bob appeared to be taping the meeting. It was the first time I had laughed in months. When I was discharged from the hospital, I began visiting Frank, his lovely wife Trish and their son Eric, aka Young Superman, at their home for fellowship and feedback on how to live in the world without compulsive overeating. Frank helped me make a commitment to recovery that I have held onto for the rest of my life. I offer my condolences to Eric (remember Lex Luthor?), his sister Heather and of course to Trish. I mourn his passing. However I do believe he is probably leading meetings in the great Hereafter with another of my mentors, Lee S.