Amarillo City Councilmember Tom Scherlen has reclaimed his seat at the dais following a medical emergency that required two surgeries and a 10-day hospital stay. The Place 1 representative says he is on the mend, grateful for community support, and more determined than ever to serve Amarillo.
Health crisis strikes suddenly
Scherlen’s ordeal began during what he assumed would be a routine council meeting.
“I was feeling really bad,” Scherlen said, recalling the moment he realized something was seriously wrong. “My blood pressure was around 120 over 35. I was losing blood and didn’t know it. By the time the meeting ended, there was an ambulance waiting for me outside City Hall.”
Doctors identified a severe bleeding ulcer and placed Scherlen in intensive care. Over the course of 10 days, he required multiple pints of blood and two surgeries…