The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

President Walker plans for January return

SIU President James Walker's health is improving quickly, and he is planning to return from his medical leave of absence in January, he said Monday.

Walker, 63, has been on leave since Aug. 23, when Board of Trustees Chairman Glenn Poshard announced Walker was undergoing treatment again for the prostate cancer that first attacked him in 1992.

"The time off has been very good for me," Walker said. "It is allowing me to take more control of my health situation."

Walker said he is taking chemotherapy medication daily and is responding well, much better he said than when he underwent intravenous chemotherapy, which caused him to lose his hair.

"Dr. Wendler asked me what was happening with my hair, and I said I've got a bad barber and he just sort of hacked one side and didn't hack the other. I wasn't at that point ready to just come out and say what was going on," Walker said. "But after I shared it with all of them, and I probably should have done it earlier, people were very understanding and very empathetic about the situation."

Carlene Henry, who has worked Walker for 15 years and is currently his special assistant, said it is remarkable how much his health has improved since going on leave.

"I think he has improved 100 percent since then," Henry said. "I think it is because he doesn't have the pressure of the day to day job, and these are not easy jobs."

During his leave, Walker said he is doing some leisure reading and taking day trips around Southern Illinois, but he said having spare time has been an adjustment to his lifestyle.

"The first two weeks were the hardest for me," Walker said. "You get used to getting up everyday and going to work, and I wake up and walk around the house and look out the window and do something else and look out the window. I think I called Carlene and said 'this is not working, I am ready to come back to work.'"

While Walker may be looking forward to returning to work, his youngest daughter, Jabrina Robinson, is happy he has the time off. She is expecting her first child, Walker's first grandchild, in two weeks and is looking forward to having her parents at her North Carolina home after the child's birth.

"He is on childcare duty as soon as possible," Robinson said.

Poshard said that under the leadership of Duane Stucky, who is serving as acting president in Walker's absence, the University is doing well. Nonetheless, Poshard said everyone is looking forward to Walker's return.

"It was our hope that getting him out from under the pressure of the University would give him time to get his strength up," Poshard said. "So it was our hope and prayer that he would gain enough strength to make his treatment plan as good as it could be, and I think he has done that."

Before he went on leave, Walker said he was often faced with either missing treatment or missing work. Despite his oldest daughter, Jamell Walker, encouraging him to take time off, his responsibilities to the University came first.

"I was like 'have you lost your mind'," said Jamell Walker. "You are more important than the University and you can't do the University any good if you are not here."

Nonetheless, Walker cut treatments short to return to Carbondale.

"There were occasions when I had to go to the doctor in Houston and they wanted me to stay a couple of extra days and I said no, I could not stay because something important was going on at the University," Walker said. "They sort of stared at me like 'what is more important, your life or the University' and I took off coming back to the University."

Walker said he still consults with Stucky and their staff on a daily basis and is staying up-to-date with major University issues. Still he said he is spending the majority of his time concentrating on getting well.

"I am learning to relax," Walker said. "It's not easy, but I am learning."

Walker said his disease has been a strain on his family, but that they are hopeful things will continue to improve.

"So many people associate cancer with death," Walker said. "They are enlightened people and hopeful that things will go well, but naturally concerned and anxious when I am not doing as well as they think I should be."

Henry said she believes Walker's outlook on life is helping him recover.

"What is so remarkable about him is his positive attitude," Henry said. "I haven't seen that positive attitude fade even when he felt the worse."

 

 

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