Jacob Ogles
Rep. Spencer Roach underwent surgery Tuesday evening after a medical emergency.
After a difficult day traveling to Tallahassee, he visited a doctor about the pain and ended up scheduled for an appendectomy at Tallahassee Memorial.
“I missed the inauguration and the ball,” the North Fort Myers Republican texted to Florida Politics. “Having an emergency appendectomy now at TMC. They are prepping me for surgery now. Will probably be on the operating table in about 30 minutes. Please pray for me. “
Roach revealed his medical condition in part because it will affect legislative business. He Chairs the Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law & Government Operations Subcommittee, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Rep. Webster Barnaby, a Deltona Republican, serves as Vice Chair for the committee.
But it was also a harrowing experience and a scare to any holding office who have to travel regularly to Tallahassee. Roach described a difficult journey to the Capitol.
“I was in a tremendous amount of abdominal pain all day which continued to get worse. Got to hotel and tried to sleep it off,” he texted. “For the first time in my life I had to call 911.”
He quickly ended up in the emergency room on morphine and changing plans abruptly. Roach had to cancel multiple meetings and won’t attend any committee hearings.
But in the end, Roach’s story had a happier ending than it might have if he’d ignored the pain.
“Doctor doesn’t know yet if appendix is perforated and leaking infection into my body,” he said. “Surgery will show. I might be discharged tomorrow or may be here for two or three days. I am SO glad I called when I did.”
It’s been a difficult year for Roach. While he did win a third term in the House unopposed, he also had a home destroyed by Hurricane Ian. He previously joked he looked forward more to Session calls and committee weeks this year because it would give an opportunity to get away from reconstruction of his house.
