Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength returned to work Tuesday morning after a stomach virus caused him to collapse at a speaking engagement last week and sent him to the hospital.
Sitting in his office, the sheriff said he was slowly recovering and had finally begun to get his appetite back. Sheriff Strength, 63, said he remembered feeling dizzy while speaking at the Montclair subdivision in west Augusta on Thursday.
"That's the last thing I remember until I opened my eyes and people were standing over me and an ambulance came in," he said. "It was so severe that it caused my blood pressure to drop, and my body could not keep up with it and it caused me to collapse."
He said he was assured by doctors at University Hospital that the incident wasn't related to heart problems. He underwent heart bypass surgery in 1993.
He was admitted to the hospital Thursday night and released Saturday afternoon.
Sheriff Strength, who is known for rarely taking vacations, said he could not recall missing work for several days since the heart surgery. He said the illness caught him by surprise.
"It's a first for me, and I didn't know how to handle it," he said.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.
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Peace through Strength.
He should take a long vacation. we could use it.
Sheriff Strength is a good man and a great sheriff. Glad you are back on your feet. But, take a vacation, time with family is more important than any job.
Welcome back, take better care of yourself.
I wonder why he doesn't retire now since he qualifies for a pension and his heart bypass surgery is 16 years old?