BUT FIRST, A LOOK BACK
As previewed in the last blog, last weekend had some significant, nearly transplant-related elements. It's a stretch at best, but what the hey? Under the category of What Old Farts Do for Fun, and for Free, we excitedly joined our machatunum the Chaws for a community open house at John Muir Health, Concord Campus. Oh, and if you are unfamiliar with the term machatunum, I would be happy to explain it to you. Anyway, after a bit o' lunch, we arrived at what once was known as Mt. Diablo Medical Center for the big event, celebrating the upcoming opening of JMH's new Emergency Department and Cardiovascular Institute. I have been a guest at several similar departments at a variety of hospitals, far and wide. I am not a doctor (although I do portray one on TV), but from the user perspective, this place rocks.
After ignoring the huge kid jumpy thing and the churro wagon (?), we queued up politely for our tour. First stop was the ED, and having had several unfortunate sessions there myself, it was an incredible leap ahead into the current century. The old joint was a bit murky, and the treatment areas were separated by curtains so privacy was non-existent. This was so you could plainly hear the drunk dude in the next bed throwing up his guts and swearing at the cops who brought him in. Mt. D has always had one of the more entertaining emergency facilities, and I cannot even imagine the kind of strain this puts on those docs and nurses in there.
Leap ahead to 2010, and you find a bright new ED with individual treatment rooms, lots of room to move about, and the latest gear. Our hosting nurse was quite excited about the impending opening of the unit, for good reason. I sincerely wish the very best to ED Medical Director Dr. David Birdsall, who I happily served with on several projects, and the whole bunch. They really do a lot of tough, valuable work there.
We then got to see the Cardiovascular Institute, designed to accommodate a long-time Muir priority of treating heart attacks, congestive heart failure and all the attendant ailments that are such a large part of health care. Complementing the ED, The CI is also state-of-the-art, from the Cath Lab (a UCSF favorite of mine!), to the Cardiac ICU and the step-down unit where patients are progressed through post-procedure care ultimately to discharge. I could not help but compare these facilities to others I have experienced, and the priorities of high-tech care with patient comfort are very obvious. My most objectionable living arrangements at UCSF, Mt. D, and poor old Long Beach involved multi-patient room arrangements. Fond memories of the old farting guy at UCSF, the loud all-night TV moron at Mt. D, and the incredible three-man room at Muir Walnut Creek came rushing back. This menage a trois included a truly amazing Code Blue at 2:00 am for the guy across from me, which wigged me out worse than my own similar experience over on Parnassus. The third poor guy was a diabetic on dialysis with both legs amputated, in for some sort of brain problem. This did not cheer me up much. No such situation in these new Muir Concord rooms; they are all private.
Besides the new building, I did get to see Chef Alison, Eugene W., RD's Patty C. and Brian D., and my former co-worker Debbie T. while we were there. Debbie is kinda special since she actually was one of two of the staff there who seriously offered me a kidney back when I was managing the department. Pretty heavy-duty stuff, and I am glad she is back working and healthy after a long illness. Thanks, Debbie, that was quite an offer.
We polished off a great weekend with a pleasant visit with Andy and Linz. Sacramento's K Street Mall was eerily unpopulated, except by mysterious shadowy figures huddled in doorways. We did successfully reach the Pyramid Brewery, which was awarded the coveted Cheryl Moss "Worst Fish Tacos Ever" Award. The lettuce wedge and my beloved Apricot Ale were just fine, thank you.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE UPCOMING WEEK?
Main feature will be our fling in Las Vegas. We will stagger our departures, with my dear travel agent leaving Wednesday and I will join her Thursday. There is a direct and profound relation to transplantation on this trip, so indulge me for a moment.....
Back in the 1950's, a Texan named Carroll Shelby became a professional racing driver after flings in trucking, flying and chicken raising. He was fairly successful and gained fame when he won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, a very coveted prize in the world of motor sports. He also was known for his unusual racing attire, a striped bib apron from his chicken days. Safety? What's that?
After he retired from driving, Shelby was able to achieve his goals of building and racing an American sports car when he convinced Ford to help him create the Cobra in 1962. This make has become legendary in the world of racing and high-performance road cars. Shelby continued various car projects on for many years, even now still turning out cars at his factory in, yes, Las Vegas.
What was really unusual was that his last races in 1960 were driven with a nitroglycerin tablet under his tongue. Shelby had a congenital heart condition which kept him confined to bedrest from the age of seven to fourteen. Symptoms subsided and he pursued his various endeavors until things got serious. He stopped racing that year, and again was able to ignore the situation for quite a while. But by the late Eighties the situation became progressively worse, and he became a candidate for a heart transplant. In 1991 he did receive a heart at Cedars Sinai in L.A., interestingly coming from a 34-year old donor who suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage while rushing through a casino in, yes, Las Vegas. Carroll was 68 at the time. In 1996, his failing kidneys necessitated another transplant, with his son Mike donating.
Carroll Shelby is 87 now and still doing car things. His various achievements include the Cobra and its glorious racing history, the Shelby Mustangs (still being built by Ford today), Shelby Dodge, and Dodge Viper. I was a Shelby Mustang owner briefly; mine was a black 1966 GT 350. He even had a Cobra built for Bill Cosby that was known as "The 200 MPH Cobra" which scared the poop outta Cos. He let Shel' keep it, it was just too powerful (900 hp). Reportedly Carroll did drive it over 200 MPH in Nevada (no, NOT Las Vegas), then sold it at auction for yes, five million bux. Yeah, MILLION.
He also supervises The Carroll Shelby Foundation. His primary focus is helping kids get transplants and treatment for other illnesses, as well as providing automotive scholarships. Pretty great guy for several reasons, one of my all-time racing heroes.
OK, OK, I know, TMI but this is My Thing, y'know. I "experienced" the whole Cobra thing as it burgeoned in the Sixties, and so likewise did my original UCSB roomie, Larry Flashberg. Flash and wife Linda now reside in, yes, Las Vegas. And Larry's love of Cobras encouraged him to build his own, something beyond my capabilities. Ask my Brother Gary about the famous Moss Brothers Oil Change Project. So, this Vegas/Carroll Shelby/Heart and Kidney Transplant/Cobra thing is just too cool for school, I'm thinkin'. Larry has suggested a tour of the Shelby Factory and Museum, followed early Saturday morning with Cars and Coffee. Here enthusiasts gather with their vehicles in an informal assembly of all sorts of cars. Of course, Flash motors up in his Cobra, and then checks out all the other cars and owners. Pretty awesome, eh?
Cheryl will be a busy bee while Flash and I wander about. Hopefully she will get her fill of travel seminars, cocktail receptions, lavish dinners, vendor presentations, and of course a free trip to Somalia or something. I plan to independently visit the incredible Penske-Wynn Ferrari/Maserati dealership, located in a Wynn hotel. I understand they actually charge ten bux to check out the cars, I dunno.
THANKSGIVING LOOMS
As soon as we return, we will Reverse All Engines and prepare for the annual Thanksgiving soiree in beautiful Capitola. I now admit I have been sad, weak and uninspired the last few years down there, actually kinda dreading it. Bad, bad. But NOW, I can't wait to be with all the friends and relatives there, and throw down massive quantities of Bud with Allen and Sean. Burp!!
Hey, wake up! It's over now. Thanks for letting me ramble on again, as if you had a choice. Kiss my grits...
Bob/Irv
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