Breton Out of ICU, Itching to Get Back to Work for GOP

Windham Selectman Bruce Breton has one goal in mind as he waits to be discharged from Parkland Medical Center – make it to his final board meeting.

The three-time board member will step down in March after he was admitted to the hospital for an infection on Jan. 17. Taking his place will be one of two candidates – Al Letizio Jr. or Alan Carpenter.

Making it to that last meeting might not seem like much, but four weeks ago Breton could barely walk.

He had bladder cancer in the month of October, and antibiotics given to him to fight the disease left what he called an "empty shell" in his stomach, where the good stuff was done away with along with the bad stuff.

That led to his being rushed to the hospital after his wife Marcia Dipaolo dialed 911. She had found him lying unconscious at home after a little pain in his stomach had turned worse.

Breton praised the response of the Windham Fire Department, which has been there for him in the past during two previous heart attacks.

"The fireman that saved my life when I had my first heart attack was the same fireman that saved my life four weeks ago today," Breton said on Thursday.

But as bad as Breton's condition worsened while he was in the Intensive Care Unit at Parkland, he fought on, and now not only is he feeling much better, he's itching to get back to work. He was released from the ICU on Sunday.

Sure, another resident will replace Breton on the Board of Selectmen in March. But Breton was also elected chairman of the Windham Republican Town Committee shortly before he was rushed to the hospital.

Given Breton's ability to network within the GOP, prominent politicians have cycled in and out of Breton's hospital room to wish him well, including John Stephen, state Sen. Jim Rausch (R-Derry) and Greg Moore, the former chief of staff of Rep. William O'Brien (R-Mont Vernon).

Breton has also received visits and phone calls from several folks in town. He was especially happy about a visit from fellow Selectman Roger Hohenberger, who spent three hours with Breton a couple of weeks ago to thank him for his work done for the town.

Breton admitted that he will miss meetings in the Community Development Department.

"I'm going to miss my Monday nights of trying to get something done," he said. "I consider myself the Chris Christie of being a selectman. I'm not quiet and I'm not shy."

"My approach wasn't always the best approach, but it was my approach," he added. "It was my honest approach.

With the 2014 election season a little ways away, Breton said his work for the GOP in Windham can hold off a bit until the spring. He is still working to organize visits to town from prominent politicians as a way to energize the party.

He joked that he has gone through many campaigns saying he was going to announce the next governor, and was happy that at least he was able to introduce former Gov. John Lynch to a group of people in Windham in December.

Lynch sent Breton a handwritten note in the hospital to wish him well and thank him for his service.

Given the tight town election season, Breton likely will not do much campaigning for Letizio, the candidate he is backing for his selectmen seat.

The timetable for Breton's exit from the hospital could come either next week or two weeks from now.

But Breton will not hunker down on his work for the Windham GOP until he is feeling much more ready to go.

"You won't get Bruce Breton until the engine is about 100 percent," he said. "I promised everybody that I wouldn't."