D.R.I. Guitarist Hospitalized After Colectomy Complications

Posted on Jan 30th 2012 12:00PM by Amy Sciarretto Comments

Keep D.R.I. guitarist and founding member Spike Cassidy was admitted to an undisclosed hospital and is now recovering from complications after colectomy surgery.

In case you are not aware, a colectomy is when doctors remove your entire colon. Cassidy was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2004. He had a one-foot piece of his large intestine removed in 2006 and underwent radiation and chemotherapy. That latest prognosis is that he is winning his war with cancer.

Cassidy underwent the colectomy earlier this month and suffered from a post-surgery infection. Doctors immediately diagnosed the issue and treated it, and he is expected to be released from the hospital in a matter of days.

That said, he is still in the middle of a larger recovery process and that may interfere with any of the legendary hardcore band's touring plans for the near future.

Cassidy co-founded D.R.I. in 1982 and has played on all of the crossover punk band's seven studio albums. The band, along with Corrosion of Conformity, are largely credited with being one of the first artists to fuse metal and punk influences into their songwriting.

Watch 'What Colon Cancer Is' Video

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