George, I know you will probably never see this, but I am so very, very happy that you are still here with us.  I cried as I watched this video because before November I had never thought about your dying.  I’ve been running this site for so very long, and knowing what’s going on in the George Michael world has been a part of my daily existence, not a huge part of my life, but still a daily part.  I’m so very grateful that you will continue to be a part of my life even in a small way.

Happy Christmas!  Your being alive is definitely the best news I could have had for Christmas.

According to Reuters, George Michael was released from the hospital today.

British singer George Michael was discharged from a Vienna hospital on Thursday after weeks of treatment for severe pneumonia, the Oesterreich newspaper reported.

The report on the Austrian paper’s website said the 48-year-old former Wham! frontman walked to a waiting limousine that took him to the airport. It cited unidentified hospital staff.

“He will be able to celebrate Christmas at home in London,” it said.

A spokeswoman for the Vienna General Hospital declined to comment on the report, referring questions to Michael’s public relations agency.

Michael’s publicist in London told Reuters the Oesterreich newspaper story was based on rumors.

From George Michael ‘well’, Christmas at home unclear:

VIENNA — British pop star George Michael is doing well in hospital in Vienna but whether he will be able to spend Christmas back in Britain was still uncertain, one of his Austrian doctors said Tuesday.

“We know that he is doing well. And we are generally optimistic,” Christoph Zielinski of Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) told ORF radio.

On whether Michael would be able to return home for the holidays or have to spend Christmas in hospital, Zielinski only said that the matter still had to be decided with the patient.

The 48-year-old former Wham! singer was admitted to hospital last month with a severe bout of pneumonia, forcing him to postpone the rest of his “Symphonica” tour, having performed 45 shows to date.

Little news has since filtered out over his condition, with all eyes directed instead on Michael’s website and the Twitter postings of his partner Fadi Fawaz for updates.

David Austin is saying:

no need to be worried. All is moving in the right direction. He’s super strong

Fadi Fawaz is saying:

Its official that I’m the happiest man on earth today :).

The Mirror is reporting: George Michael ‘will spend Christmas in hospital’.

The Daily Star is reporting: Holiday in Hospital for Sick George Michael.

Tony Parsons, the author of George Michael’s official biography Bare, has written an article on the George Michael he knew back in the 80s, George Michael – the man I once called a friend

From the official site:

George Michael Health Update

Professors Gottfried Locker & Christoph Zielinski would like to make a statement regarding George Michael.

Further to our previous statement Mr. Michael is being treated here for pneumonia and nothing else.

The latest development in Mr. Michael’s case – which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection – necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension. We are happy to announce that Mr. Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped.

There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken.

Mr. Michael is receiving precisely the same treatment as any ordinary patient in Austria would receive at the hospital for this disease.

As we said previously, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory.

We wish to make it clear that we are putting this statement out and there will be no further comment.

Here are today’s articles:

• Family join hospital vigil at George Michael’s bedside as he battles pneumonia
• George Michael ‘facing Christmas in hospital, and he could lose his singing voice’

Here are the latest articles on George’s condition.
The Mirror (George Michael ‘hit with new lung condition’ on top of pneumonia) is reporting:

Media in Austria, where he is being treated for pneumonia, claimed he also has acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, which stops oxygen getting into the blood.

What I found strange was this paragraph because fewer statements are going to mean more rumors:

Vienna’s AKH hospital on Friday said the ­pneumonia had stabilised. It added yesterday: “As requested by the patient, there will be no further statements or updates.”

The Sun (George Michael and his £100000 miracle bed) is reporting:

‎

Last night sources said George had developed potentially-fatal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome — a lung condition often caused by pneumonia, which stops oxygen getting into the blood.

Survivors may have memory loss or other mental issues in recovery due to lack of oxygen to the brain. It is often accompanied by failure of other organs, such as the kidney or liver. A kidney specialist has reportedly been assigned to his medical team at the hospital.

George Michael’s childhood friend David Austin has a Twitter account where he is posting positive updates on George. (Thanks for the info to Lizzy.)  The latest for today is:

The update is that it is all moving in the right direction and Yog is as he has been improving day by day. The doctors are very happy.xx

Thank you to David and I hope he posts daily so the fans can stop worrying!

From the Mirror:

GEORGE Michael’s boyfriend told yesterday how he is ­keeping vigil at his bedside and revealed: “He’s getting better by the hour.”

Fadi Fawaz has been at the singer’s side ever since he was admitted to a ­hospital in Austria with severe pneumonia.

Celebrity hairdresser Fadi, 38, has ­reassured George’s millions of fans that he is improving and regaining his strength.

“George is doing well and is in good spirits,” he said. “I have been seeing him each day and he is getting stronger all the time. George is trying to stay upbeat. He is ­smiling through it all and everyone is just willing him to get better.”

Fadi says he felt compelled to break his silence about George’s illness amid ­increasingly worrying claims that the singer’s condition is worsening. Reports yesterday emerged saying doctors had placed George in an induced coma at ­Vienna’s AKH Hospital suffering with the a severe lung condition called acute ­respiratory distress syndrome. It came a day after reports claimed he was deteriorating with a heart problem which had left him in severe pain.

But Fadi, 38, insisted: “A lot of what has been reported isn’t true. I’ve been with him every day and his condition is getting better. His family and friends are very happy with his care. He is in the best place, getting the treatment he needs.”

Similar articles include:

• ‘He is improving every day’: George Michael’s lover Fadi Fawaz says singer is ‘doing fine’
• George Michael Beating Pneumonia Hell, Says Lover

From the official site:

While George is receiving excellent medical care and is responding to treatment and slowly improving, to ensure his complete well-being, George’s doctors have advised that he cannot perform the rest of his Symphonica tour and that he instead takes a full and complete rest.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Zielinski, Chairman, Department of Medicine General Hospital – Medical University Vienna, Austria and Prof. Dr. Thomas Staudinger, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine have stated the following:

“George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient. His condition has stabilized and he is responding to treatment. From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory.”

As a result, all of the UK dates of the Symphonica European tour will be postponed. George was very much looking forward to bringing his tour back home and performing for his loyal and dedicated UK fan base.

Shirlie Kemp posted the following on her Twitter account:

I haven’t heard anymore news about George, which I guess is a good thing, he is being well looked after and responding well to treatment

The Mirror is reporting:

Pop star George Michael was being treated in intensive care for pneumonia last night as concerns for his health mounted.

The singer is under round-the clock care at a top hospital in the Austrian capital Vienna after he was struck down with illness before a gig this week.

Yesterday an unnamed doctor at the hospital told a local newspaper that he is also being treated for serious heart problems by cardiologists, but George’s spokesman insisted it was “absolute nonsense”.

According to Austria’s respected national broadcaster ORF, George, 48, was initially admitted to the Wiener Rudolfinerhaus private clinic after doctors examined him at his hotel suite just hours before he was due to go on stage on Monday.

But his condition worsened and he was transferred to the intensive care unit at the city’s AKH General Hospital.

The Mail is reporting:

One relieved close friend told the Mail: ‘George has woken up and he’s in good spirits.

‘Doctors are very pleased with him – and he’s making progress.

‘He’s been in terrible pain. He’s had a dreadful chest infection – but he’s been in good care. He’s in very capable hands.’

Showing the deep level of concern for the star amongst his close-knit circle, the friend went on: ‘This is a very serious condition. It cannot be understated. George needs rest.

‘It takes ages to recover. It is serious – but he is in good hands.’

Michael is being treated on the thirteenth floor of the AKH hospital, in a suite normally used by Austrian politicians and other VIPs when they are seriously ill.

Doctors yesterday brought in a special bed for the star which is used to help breathing for patients who have suffered bad cases of pneumonia.

Another friend said today: ‘George is improving. He’s happy – and smiling.’

The Daily Star is reporting that it could take up to two months for George to recover:

Drug users are among the higher-risk group of people susceptible to catching pneumonia.

Medical experts say it can take as much as two months to get over serious pneumonia.

Advice on private health firm Bupa’s website said: “Pneumonia can make you feel very tired for up to six weeks afterwards, or longer if you were in hospital.

“At first, you may find it hard to walk without getting out of breath but as you recover, your energy and lung function will return to normal.

“After six weeks you will probably have a check up with your GP and possibly a follow-up X-ray, especially if you’re a smoker.”

Shirlie Kemp posted on her Twitter account that:

George is doing well, been rather poorly but on the mend x

The Daily Mail is reporting:

A friend, though, insisted he was responding ‘well’ to treatment for the pneumonia.

‘He got ill, it’s very cold in that part of Europe, and then he got pneumonia. He’s responding well to treatment, very good. But he has to rest. He’s got to let this illness run its course.’

The Daily Mail also reported that George is being treated in Vienna and he is being cared for by medics in a private house.

George is quoted as saying the following in his interview with Chris Evans, which will air on Monday:

“I was assured I wasn’t going to prison but I thought I was, and it was much easier to take because I felt it was deserved,” he said, in an interview to be broadcast Monday.

“This was a hugely shameful thing to have done repeatedly so karmically I felt like I had a bill to pay. I went to prison, I paid my bill.

“Remarkably enough — I know people must think it was a really horrific experience — it’s so much easier to take any form of punishment if you believe you actually deserve it, and I did.”

Thanks to Lizzy for alerting us that George Michael now has his own Twitter account … http://twitter.com/georgemichael

And, George, if you ever want to know what’s going on with your life, you can follow http://twitter.com/yogworld … LOL!

Is George Michael out promoting the re-release of Faith?  Nope.  He’s in Australia having a good time:

And it looks like he has found a new pal in Packed to the Rafters star, and budding jazz/pop performer, Hugh Sheridan.

It’s understood the unlikely pair crossed paths at celebrity Sydney nightspot Ivy late Saturday night after a day of revelry at Good Vibrations music festival.

Spies say Michael and Sheridan got along like a house on fire, hanging out most of the night, before the Faith singer kicked on to Oxford St day club Phoenix.

“It was amazing to meet a music legend like George Michael,” was all Sheridan — pictured here with the Fast Love singer and a pal from Adelaide — said yesterday.

This must be pretty funny to listen to in person: Brooke Shields Tells of Her Torrid Affair With George Michael, Lol