Sending newsletters: 2013 Lost connection to MySQL server during query

Tried sending a newsletter out and it came back with an mysql error and here it is:

2013 Lost connection to MySQL server during query
in:
[select customers_email_format from customers where customers_email_address= '[email protected]']
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2006 MySQL server has gone away
in:
[select count(*) as total from sessions where sesskey = 'REMOVED']
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Warning: Unknown(): A session is active. You cannot change the session module's ini settings at this time. in Unknown on line 0

What does that mean?

Thanks

Just an update: I went to sleep shortly after I posted this, and as I just wake up found that the email newsletter was sent out, as I have to copies, but did it go out to all is the question now.

Lost connection to MySQL
You should forward this to your host...they need to check their timing on this so that you do not loose your connection