A Speedy Rebound?

Here's the latest: Irving called me in the last hour to tell me that he's on track to head home today! The heart biopsy results will not be available until Monday, so no point in staying in the hospital for that. The deciding factor will be the results from this morning's lab work, to make sure the kidney numbers are heading back in the right direction....his creatinine was slightly elevated when he came in to the ED, and no one wants his new kidney to be in any kind of distress. The intial reason for admission has resolved itself, apparently, and the docs don't seem worried about it being anything more sinister than a momentary little blood clot passing through.

We are very disappointed to be missing a major family gathering today in Sveadal, a Swedish-American resort area near Morgan Hill. My mother's mother's side of the family, the Peter Christian branch originating from Sweden (and Denmark), has been gathering every summer for many years, and we have attended most years. Everyone was quite anxious to see the new "Irv 2.0" this year, since most of that group has not seen him since last year when he was still very ill. So apologies to all the Carlsons, Hughes's, Hansens, Raibleys, Greens, Urmsons and offspring for being no-shows. We were sure we would make it this year, until Friday night's events.

Here's hoping for the next edition to be issued from the TX Trib home office by the man himself!

This is so Not Funny

Robert J has authorized me to share this latest turn of events, since he is once again without internet access. We had the best time last evening with our kids and our son-in-law's wonderful family. I drove him directly from the hospital to the BBQ, and we enjoyed the company, great food and beautiful evening immensely.

It was after we arrived at home after 10 pm and prepared for bed, that he noticed that the fluid in his catheter bag was definitely the wrong color - red instead of yellow. (Apologies in advance for probable TMI). After we both pouted and whimpered for a few minutes, he called in and of course was directed to return to the UCSF Emergency Dept. asap. So we re-packed all his personal belongings that had just been unpacked, swapped pajamas for clothes again, fed the cat and headed out to the freeway for the 50-mile ride back to the hospital. It was pretty much a repeat of the previous Friday night, but with different faces to greet us - "What are you doing back here so soon Mr Moss??".

By then the catheter (Foley Jr.) was the correct color again, but more research was of course needed. The round of lab work began, and he was taken for a CT scan. By 4 am the decision was made to keep him there, send him for the biopsy as scheduled and then admit him back to the 10th floor after that. I bailed out at that point and returned home to sleep. I had taken my pillow on this trip hoping it would make my chair more comfortable, but no such luck.

Which brings us up to the moment. I just spoke with him from the cath lab holding area, where he was preparing to enjoy the famous turkey sandwich/apple/milk/graham cracker bag lunch that is so enjoyable after hours of no food or drink. The biopsy went well, with no outward signs of rejection, although the tissue biopsy results are needed for specific info. He had not heard any theories about the kidney issue, although one doc said it could have been a small and temporary blood clot that passed through. He has been on and off blood thinners so much this week, his blood is bound to be confused. It's been thinned, then thickened with plasma so he would not bleed too much during the biopsy, then thinned again each time the biopsy was cancelled.

He will be located back on the 10th floor as soon as a bed is available. I will return tomorrow to visit, and bring him home yet again if we are so fortunate. No bets are being placed, however. He is in very good spirits, considering, and knows that he has the best care possible. He is almost at the 6-month anniversary of the transplant, and we can't help but wonder if the excitement will continue another 6 months, or settle down as it does for many transplant recipients at this point in their recovery. We are looking forward to a very special family arriving from Barcelona next week for a short visit to the Bay Area, and don't want them to have to see him in a hospital room again - been there, done that, on their previous trips.

And that's the news for now.......TGIF!

We Interrupt This Program for a Transplant Trib Nooz Flash

LIVE FROM THE TRANSPLANT TRIB MOBILE NOOZ UNIT AT UCSF MED CENTER

In an unprecedented major move, UCSF has announced my emancipation from the hospital ASAP. I was rejected from having the heart biopsy once again (4th time in 4 days) due to this morning's lab results. I called everyone I could think of, begging and pleading lamely on all the various voice mails. I finally connected with a real person, Sarah J in the heart program. I told her my spiel and even offered to run up and down Parnassus in my underwear.

This must have been TMI for her, she begged me not to do that, PLEASE. But not five minutes later, my Nurse AND both Dr. McG and Dr. D. came in. They were quite frustrated and concerned, and told me they were springing me. I need to return early tomorrow for blood work then hang out at the cath lab and hopefully have the biopsy done tomorrow sometime. I am unbelievably grateful to everyone who got into this, particularly my super heart transplant docs. I even fully understand the decision by Dr. Y in the cath lab, who I have known here for about four years or so. I know him well enough to realize that he truly has my best interests in mind.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming, Beat the Reaper, which is already in progress.

Bob/Irv

It's 10:30 am; Hello, Earth to Cath Lab

It is now about 10:30 am and the cath lab watch continues. I have heard that they are awaiting lab results. I had desperately hoped I would be on the ol' table by now. Everyone is behind me on this, and I am deeply flattered. But it's time to GIT IT ON!

Dancing the Parnassus Polka

WASTEFUL WEDNESDAY

I was scheduled for that biopsy today, but nobody knew when. At about 11:00 am my nurse, Ann told me I was scratched for today. My IR results indicated I was still a bleeding risk, so "never mind" as Gilda Radner used to say. At least I was able to get lunch, but I will be NPO again at midnight for another opportunity tomorrow.

I did the "Poor Me" thing with the cardiac team, and Dr. McG assured me she would try like Hell to get me to the very much anticipated BBQ at the Schnurr's tomorrow evening. I told the team I was not above getting on my knees and begging, which they did consider for a moment. But they decided that would not be necessary this time. Maybe later. Whatever. It still will be based on blood work.

SO, HERE WE ARE, EH?

Yes, here I sit, enjoying our new Mac and dashing off this little wee blog for y'all. Cherie brought some stuff (Coke Zero...slurp, slurp, slurp.......BURP!.......ahhhhhhhhhh) and made a rapid departure to return to her Console. She is swamped with Oceania requests and is frankly stressin' too damn much. I am missing my shopping and dishwashing duties, not to mention several doc appointments and cardiac rehab.

I just got a new add-on, an IV drip of heparin, running until I go downstairs tomorrow. So now I have that, Mr. Foley, and soon my insulin pump all hanging off various appendages (don't compliment yourself, Bob/Irv). If I can get just one nurse or aide to join me, I mean US, it officially constitutes a Party by Med Center Policies and Procedures. The nurse's station is decorated with balloons and streamers, the lights automatically dim and loud rock 'n' roll tumbles out of the speakers. And everyone (even the geezer next door who coughs and wheezes all night) is required to ROCK IT OUT! Right on!

SILLY LAST-MINUTE MUSINGS

Oh, did anyone notice my fluency in Canadian? Up there ^ in the title of the last segment, I used the word "eh". This is in honor of my brand-new Canadian nephew, Isaiah Patrick Caples (Born July 19 2010 at 1:03 am central 7 lbs. 6 oz. 20.5"). Way to go, Maribel, Joel and Aevan! So "have a hike, Hosers" and make mine a Molson's"

I almost forgot. My old buddy Jay Russio shared a story on Facebook. A recent study suggest men who stare at women's breasts will live up to an additional FIVE YEARS! Jeez, I never knew that. Do I get extra credit for drooling? I should live to 100 now, new heart and kidney plus LOTS of ogling to my credit.

That's about all the ridiculous and heart-warming blather I can muster right now. Time for a short excursion to the Solarium and some deep thought.......

Bob/Irv.

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

NO, IT'S NOT EXACTLY CHEERS

But pretty much every face is familiar here on 10 Long, UCSF Med Center. Which is actually good. What is not good, though, is waiting all day for a heart biopsy to be told at 5:00 pm that it is a "no-go" for today. Evidently beside a logjam of cases, the doc decided my blood was still too thin , and the bleeding risk too great to do the cath.

Oh, and did I mention I have been NPO ( "nothing by mouth") since before midnight? So at long last I did get a dinner tray. Of course, tomorrow will be a repeat of sorts; NPO starting at 12:00 am. This means no French toast yet again.

SO, WHAT'S NEXT, BOB/IRV?

You got me. Probably, the biopsy results may not be available real rapidly, since the sample must be analyzed by a pathologist. And I will not necessarily go to the cath lab very early, depending on the urgency of other cases. On the kidney, they tell me the bug I have is a weak one and should not pose a significant threat. Kidney function is good, creatanin lower and it is largely quiet on that front.

"PAGING DR. HOWARD, DR. FINE, DR, HOWARD"

Anyone remember that call from The Three Stooges episode where they are running around being docs at some unfortunate hospital? I coulda sworn I heard them paged here today. I musta been trippin', though. Nyuk Nyuk.

More to follow when and if available.....

Bob/Irv

.....The Next Day, Ups and Downs and Sideways.....

I will dare to provide today's update and trust my dear husband will not delete this as he did my Saturday evening edition. He is without a computer and is not getting any reception in the room even with his iphone, so other than incoming calls to his room phone, his only outside contact was when he called me on my toll-free office phone. And I got a lot of calls as his situation seemed to change by the hour. We decided I should stay home and work in my office, since things are very busy for me. I did manage to accomplish quite a bit for both existing and new clients, but my main client was a certain RJ Moss.

Although he had several visits by docs over the weekend, today brought out the full onslaught from every specialty that has any interest in his situation. He was checked out by the Nephrology team (new kidney's in some distress from this infection), of course the Cardiology and heart failure specialists, Urology, and Infectious Disease docs. Everything seemed to be moving along nicely until his lunch arrived.

Just as he was ready to dig in, a nurse swept in and pulled the tray off his table, telling him he could not eat anything since the cardiologists decided to do a right heart cath and biopsy on him this afternoon. So he called to report this news to me, as he worked on his insulin pump to cancel the insulin that had just been delivered to cover his meal. No reason given for the sudden cath lab plan. Forty-five minutes later he called back to tell me that the procedure was cancelled, when the team remembered he was on the blood thinner coumadin. So he could have lunch after all. He alerted his nurse, but no one could locate his tray, so a new lunch order had to be placed. Meanwhile the Infectious Disease docs dropped by to inform him they had identified the source of his infection, and it was the same bug that caused his last hospital stay in May.....not good. They may be able to come up with some drugs to help prevent a recurrence, until the main culprit can be dealt with: an apparent blockage in the delivery system from the bladder. That does not sound like a fun fix, but he will think about that when the time comes.

My phone quieted down for a couple of hours then, as he needed to rest from all the excitement. When I spoke with him just before dinner, he mentioned that he would not be going to the cath lab until Tuesday afternoon. Excuse me? When did that get rescheduled? Apparently during nap time. Turns out there is some concern that his heart may be having some rejection, based on an echocardiogram earlier today or yesterday. Geez.....

The good news is that he really did not miss my presence today, with all the company he had coming and going. So I got to take care of much needed business, as he did his best to take care of his business of being a healthy person. In spite of all this, he is feeling much better and remains in good spirits. I will take the laptop back to him tomorrow so he can give his perspective in the next post.

Until then, stay tuned and cross your fingers!

One Day You're Up, Then the Next Day...

A TRULY FINE WEDNESDAY

We came to The City with our friends the Henrys and Frates' for a matinee performance of Young Frankenstein. Despite some poor reviews, we found it entertaining. This despite the fact that I largely slept through the first act, which I suspect is a common problem at matinees. I firmly believe this was a portent of the events of Thursday, but I really dunno.

The show was followed by dinner at Greens in Fort Mason, a famous vegetarian restaurant. I had not been there since a lunch during my FDI days, well over 20 years ago. Cheryl has never been there. It was unbelievably excellent, to say the least. It is magical what they do with veggies, tofu, fruit, nuts and particularly seasonings. Nothing trying to be phony meat, just truly delicious items served by professional SF servers. It was a stark contrast to our sad lunch experience at Il Fornaio in Walnut Creek on Tuesday. And Greens was full, with a wait, by 6:30 or so, that is how good and popular it is.

A LESS THAN SATISFYING THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY.........?

After an afternoon of car wash, grocery shopping and general errands, I suddenly became extremely fatigued. My shoulders ached, and when I sat down to catch some nooz on the tube I virtually melted into the chair. I could not keep my head up nor my eyes open, and my mouth was totally dry. I could not even bear the thought of eating the Togo's sandwich I had picked up. Cherie was at a travel agent get-together, so I was doing the Lonely Livermore Guy deal. After a while, I broke down and called the after-hours heart transplant support, and spoke with the on-call physician. She recommended getting hydrated and keeping an eye on it overnight. Robin coincidentally called, and she and Pat came over immediately when I told them I felt crappy and Cherie was not home. By this time I had retired to bed, as I was trembling a bit and had some difficulty standing. Just then, Cherie returned and took over. I sure appreciate the concern from Robin and Pat.

In the middle of the night, I got up from bed for one of my frequent bathroom visits. Immediately I experienced severe lower back pains, reminiscent of the many disc-oriented back problems I started having 30 years ago and have now been gone for quite some time. Very unpleasant and confusing as well. Friday provided no beneficial changes, and the transplant team still held off on summoning me, which greatly pleased me. At bedtime the other shoe dropped when my temperature shot up to 101.1, definite fever territory. My call to the transplant service did produce the expected and feared invitation to the ED, so off we went.
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Arriving at about 1:00 am, we cooled our heels in the ED hoping for a quick fix and departure maybe with some miraculous drug or two. Fat chance. The cardio doc immediately called for admission, and a mere 14 hours later I finally departed the ED bound for my beloved 10 Long. I have had several tests, IV antibiotics and, just moments ago, an unhappy reunion with ol' Mr. Foley.

The current thinking is a bacterial infection due to incomplete emptying of the bladder, this an effect of obstruction in the uh, er, urethra. Still to be determined are my length of stay and subsequent treatment plan, especially with the strange back pain feature. But for now we feel strangely comfortable in familiar surroundings, being cared for by skilled and familiar people. And best of all, tomorrow morning....FRENCH TOAST!

Bob/Irv

Transplant Trib Inks Monster Deal

MY DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE!

The other day, I was having lunch with my buddy Steve Jobs about this iPhone nightmare he is having right now, Oh, you didn't
know we were close? Yeah, in fact his mother and my mother went to different high schools together. Not only that, but he is an avid reader of this humble blog, not to mention we are both thankful transplant recipients ( he got a liver).

So, anyway, we were eating and talking, and suddenly his face lit up. "Hey, I gotta great idea! Why don't we do a deal?" he said.
"I need something to get our stock going back in the right direction. Why don't we announce that Apple and Transplant Tribune have linked up?" I thought about it for a while, like about 42 milliseconds, and exclaimed "S**t yeah, Steve-O, let's do it!" Notice I call him "Steve-O" like that dude on the old Hawaii Five-O ("Book 'em, Dan-O. Murder One"). And so with a firm handshake the deed was done.

And just what exactly IS the deal, Bob/Irv, you may ask. Well, Apple will announce tomorrow that Transplant Tribune will utilize exclusively Apple equipment. This nooz alone is sure to rock the NYSE and send Apple shares into orbit. At the same time, Steve has agreed to supply us with the needed equipment at very attractive prices, i.e full retail list. I hear you all murmuring out there
why would he do that? To that I say, stop murmuring and speak like an adult, please! Just kidding. But really, Google Transplant Tribune and you will see it is at the TOP OF THE LIST ahead of nearly 3.5 million other matching sites! How's THEM Apples for ya (Apples, get it?).

So your very own Transplant Trib is now the proud owner of not one, but TWO iPhones (just the old 3G) AND a brand spanking new MacBook Plus. I am writing this post on it as we speak, and I bet you didn't even know! And muchas gracias to Pat and Robin for saving our bacon when our old Fujitsu bit the dust by loaning us a laptop, allowing us to keep up this flow of horses**t to which you all have become hopelessly addicted.

I"M TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

As a testament to the New Bob/Irv phenomenon, courtesy (partially) of UCSF, may I relate my accomplishments today? Oh, no, you may not, you say. Well "it's my party and I'll relate if I want to, relate if I want to, relate if I want to, you would relate too if it happened to you". I started out at Quest Labs, then home for brekkie. Off to cardiac rehab, then Nob Hill to shop for dinner.

A bit of lunch was enjoyed simultaneously with calling all over to pharmacies, doctors and of course the Heart Transplant Team. Then I jetted to the sprinkler aisle at OSH for repair parts and new furnace filters. These were expertly installed by your Editor/Publisher all by himself, and then I instantly swung into dinner prep. I cooked AND cleaned up, not to mention doing the dishes. And, I am now BLOGGING, which I do only for you, my readership. The old Bob/Irv woulda maybe got up outta his chair once or twice, while my dear Sweetie did most of the rest. Maybe not the sprinkler aisle, but you get my drift. It's a major miracle she is still around.

OK, that's about enough self-centered chest-pounding for now. Anyway, I am expressly forbidden to pound my chest due to my recent surgery.

Sorry for the messed up formatting on this post, but I have not as yet figgered out all this new-fangled Mac business. Steve J. promised to drop over Thursday for a one-on-one training session, so I got that going for me, too.

Thanks for playin'.

Bob/Irv

Blog Post Overload

Three postings in four days! What is up with THAT, Bob/Irv? Well, as you all know, we have no requirements (check your contract) to publish daily (or monthly or yearly for that matter), so we write something when there is something to talk about. We don't need no steenking deadlines! But this morning, there most certainly is a fine event to discuss.

THE CRUCIBLE'S HEAT: A FIRE CABARET

The Crucible is an educational organization housed in a large warehouse-style building in East Oakland. It is a non-profit that teaches welding, metal-working and other industrial arts to adults and kids. Every year they put on a big fire-oriented production to raise money and attention for their classes. Last year, it was staged on an empty parking lot just beside and under an I880 on ramp. There were large, complex pieces of metallic art, each emitting flames as part of the sculpture. It was hot, noisy and totally awesome. There was a stage with some type of entertainment, but nobody was paying much attention since the show was, well, WEIRD. Cars were stopping on the on-ramp above for a look at the fiery panorama.

Oh, yeah, one that did not have any flames was this immense mechanical hand, controlled by a guy in a seat attached to the base of the hand. It had all sorts of motors, belts, pulleys, hinges etc. to allow it to move like a human hand. It could and did pick up a car and repeatedly slam it to the ground. Very loudly and effectively, I might add.

The guy told us they are developing a truck-mounted version for the general public. Imagine having one of these on your pickup, and using it to lift and destroy that jerk in the Beemer who just cut you off on his high-speed way to the golf course. At the very least, you would be able to flip him the largest bird he would ever see the rest of his wealthy-attorney life. The only problem so far is how to engineer it if one owner encounters another owner, and a large mechanical hand chop fight erupts.

This year, Crucible announced a new concept, A Fire Cabaret. It was indoors at their building, and had some fire sculpture, but on a very small scale. The focus this year was on the entertainment, and rightfully so. It was nothing but outstanding. It took place on a stage in a large space in the building. There were a few bleachers, but they were way at the rear of the space. So it was stand and watch, which was OK if there was not some tall guy (or a short guy with a big hat) standing in front of you. Which in our case (except for D. Henry) was the reality. The stage was decorated with fire-emitting metal objects, including a very impressive flame thrower mounted on a balcony above.



One of the four acts was two lovely young ladies performing pole-dancing. What made it remarkable was the fact that they were both on the same pole at the same time. They were quite strong and very flexible, and were performing very close to each other on the pole. This made for some very interesting interactions, so to speak. Use your imagination, then double it.

Just as this segment ended, sirens went off, lights flashed and the "Oakland Fire Department" (fake, of course) ran onto the stage. All the fires were extinguished and all performers were "busted" and sent off the stage. To my dismay, somehow the ladies lost the tops of their two-piece costumes in the melee and exited stage left with four colorful pasties literally bouncing off the platform. I had to avert my eyes, so actually Cheryl described this part to me.

The "firemen" then started dancing with their axes alight with flames. Even the fuddy-duddy "chief" was up there rockin' out. And the music was great, provided by a sultry jazz singer (Kim Nalley) and a great back-up band.

The rest of the building had smaller shows going on, stuff like "Jewelry Peep Show", "Glass Belly Dancing", "MIG Welding Striptease", and "ARC Welding Flashdance". I definitely hurt my neck attempting to take it all in.

Crucible asked for attendees to dress in costumes, the theme being "Flappers and Gangsters" No, they did not mean dolphins accompanied by doods with their hats on backwards and their "shorts" riding low beneath their undies (those would be "gangstahs"). We disregarded this request, but those that did not looked pretty cool. Especially the ladies, I must say. Lotsa feather hats, mesh stockings and very, very short skirts.

All in all, it was a most enjoyable evening's entertainment, and very well organized. I highly encourage attendance, but for sure get a sitter for the rug rats.

OH YEAH, DINNER!

I suggested we eat beforehand at Burma Superstar, a former "Dinner with the Gang" location. And again it was superb. If you go, try the Tea Leaf Salad. Excellent.

Whew, what an evening, and what an unnecessarily long blog. Well you know me. Why not use 500 words to describe 50 words worth of nooz?

So now your Editor/Publisher and the lovely CFO will enjoy a peaceful weekend here in hot and beautiful San Liverisco. Stay cool.

Bob/Irv

Heart Transplant Clinic: A Mixed Bag

A NICE/NOT NICE EXCURSION

It was definitely good nooz/bad nooz visit to Parnassus yesterday. The bad nooz is not all that bad; don't get excited! Because of the massive bruises I have on my poor tummy, I will be switching to Coumadin. So rather than injecting Lovenox, I will be taking another pill. I have always been frightened and confused by any mention of Coumadin, after a friend of my Dad's referred to it as "rat poisen". Somehow that failed to entice me to use it. But unfortunately an ultrasound revealed the blood clots in my left arm are still there, and about like they were the last they were looked at.

Today, our transplant coordinator called to say my cholesterol is a bit high. This surprises and disappoints me, since I need to keep this new heart up and running for the long haul. The total cholesterol is not too bad, but the LDL ("baaaad cholesterol") is high. Therefore another new med and a lot less meat, cheese, eggs etc. to get this in line.

Two high points of the visit were, one, being examined by one of my best and most frequent attending physicians, Dr. David M. He just recently transferred from Cardiology to Transplant Cardiology, replacing another fave of ours, Dr. Kathy T. Dr. T had a one-year deal at UCSF, and now she returns to UC Davis.

The second high point was seeing my heart surgeon, Dr. Charles H. He definitely is not known for his bedside manner, by any means. The coordinator told him we were there, and he shook my hand and said "You look MAHVELOUS darlink". Well not exactly, but he did say I looked good and I assured him I am really good. You may recall that this is the same doc who twice told us it was unlikely for me to get this transplant. Goes to show ya, eh?

SLEEPLESS IN LIVEREATTLE, THE SEQUEL



Oh, here is a photo Cheryl snapped of me on her iPhone the other day. I had just spent another sleeepless Prednisone Night, so I am a bit uh, unhappy as you can see.

A MINI RANT FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE

With your permission (or without it, I'm gonna do it anyway), I want to give you a bit of an idea how I feel, for quite some time, about Mel Gibson. You can hardly go ten minutes without hearing some awful thing about ol'Mel. To this I say "Right On". When he did his drunken tirade about the Jews during a DUI stop, I said "Later, Mel" and I refuse to see any movies involving him. Yeah, I bet he lost some sleep over my reaction; NOT! Anyhow, I consider him a drunk, woman abusing, anti-Semitic hypocrite of the very first order. Didn't he make a seriously intense movie about Jesus? Would Jesus have approved of Mel's antics, especially the Jew-hating? I kinda doubt it. So the more crap that is discovered about him, and the more embarrassment and criticism he receives, the happier I will be. I humbly apologize to all of you Mel Gibson fans within the range of my voice, but hey, the guy is a LOSER!!

Thanks, I feel way better now.

Bob/Irv

Where, Oh Where, Has My Transplant Trib Gone?

MISSING IN ACTION?

For all three of you who are wondering what the Hell has happened to the Transplant Trib, I am offering several (im)plausible excuses along with semi-appropriate comments on each. If you really don't give a poop, you may skip this list and proceed directly to whatever I think of to write down there.

Reason 1...The dog ate my rough draft..................We don't have a dog,and this IS the rough draft.

Reason 2...Cherie wouldn't let me.........You KNOW that's a lie.

Reason 3...We went to Marrakesh on the
Marrakesh Express..............................It's too far from a transplant center.

Reason 4...Nothing to report..............Patently ridiculous.

Reason 5...Prednisone has worn off,
less hyper................................................Very plausible.

Reason 6...No reader interest.............Help me out on this one.

Reason 7...Enough with the reasons........OK, on to the nooz!

HEY, SUDDENLY WE ARE VOLUNTEERS!

Perhaps you recall that last Sunday morning we staffed our first CTDN booth. This one was part of the vendor/info arcade at the Eden Hospital "Run to the Lake" 5K/10K run and walk. We met a very nice young heart transplant recipient, Lennie, and her father, sister and grandma. We talked about our own experiences, answered questions about donation, gave out some trinkets, and actually signed up two people for the donor registry.

Most questions were about driver's license registration. However one visitor had an unusual suggestion. He thought it would be cool if funeral homes gave a discount to families of organ and tissue donors. He objects to the high costs associated with funerals, and thinks the government should somehow subsidize them as a public service program, like the library or the fire department. I can only imagine like Medicare or something running a public funeral program.. My very nice wife said we would pass it along. Pass it along to what?

At any rate, it was a terrific experience, although the number of visitors to our table seemed kinda light to me. Perhaps it was because we were located between the free pastry booth and the free banana table. Or maybe it was the energy drink display across the way with some very attractive energy drink ladies. I honestly don't know.

SO BOB/IRV, WHAT'S NEXT?

Funny you asked. Thursday finds us in the ultrasound department (great view but by far the dirtiest windows in the hospital), then across the street for Heart Transplant Clinic. No surprises or delays, pleeze. I cancelled my urology appointment on Friday 'cuz it scares me and I don't really need it. I got rescheduled for October 1, which is their next opening!

Cancelling that also allows us to more easily meet Dan and Carol Henry for dinner at Burma Superstar prior to attending The Crucible's "Heat: A Fire Cabaret", an exhibition that is impossible to adequately describe in this issue. Suffice it to say it is spectacular, at the very least.

That about covers it for now.

Bob/Irv

Patrons of the Arts

A NICE, BUT UNNECESSARY, DRIVE

Due to the July 4th holiday, Quest lab was closed and I was scheduled for Tuesday morning. I realized over the weekend that the kidney transplant folks might not get results in time to make our Thursday clinic visit meaningful. So I emailed our nurse practitioner, Sue R., and asked if it might be better to come early Thursday and do stat labs at UCSF. Of course she wasn't in until Tuesday so I went to Quest and did the labs that morning. After another email and a call about coming to The City early on Thursday, she did reply "Go TODAY."

Still unclear if she meant Quest or UCSF, Cherie and I reasoned that she must mean UCSF. So I uncovered the S2000, dropped the top, and scooted off to SF. I have never taken that car, since I did not want to burn out a clutch on the steep hills. But with my newly-rediscovered driving skills, I confidently attacked those grades, and rather successfully.

I approached the lab "reception" desk, and said that kidney transplant had sent over an order for me. After going through an unbelievable stack of (antiquated) paper, I was told "no dice" by the cheerful (NOT) "receptionist". I called Sue R., and she said "Where are you?". My heart sank when she told me "I meant Quest". So, I took it philosophically and decided to savor a nice ride home, with no bitterness (remember this is RJM Version 3.0 here) so that is what I did.

UCSF VISIT TWO

Our clinic appointment was at 10:45 am on Thursday, so we figured it would be safe to arrange a visit afterwards to the De Young for the Birth of Impressionism exihibit. This is a collection of famous paintings from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. I made our reservation for 2:00 pm, allowing us time to enjoy a relaxed lunch on the way to Golden Gate Park.

Incredibly, we have apparently forgotten the Curse of UCSF Scheduling; particularly surprising due to the dozens of delays we encountered for the last six or seven years. As you might be imagining, things went quickly South. Dr. V arrived in the exam room at 11:30. He had old labs, from like June, but the nurse was able to somehow get the ones I had just done here in town. Then he said I would need a series of infusions to treat the BK virus, and I would need labs to determine the level of medication needed. He said we should go to the lab and get it done now, since it only involved a blood draw, and only one tube at that.

Checking my Rolex (yeah, right) it still looked pretty possible to get everything done in a timely manner, with perhaps a small modification to the lunch plan. Transplant patients usually have priority at the lab, but since these results were not needed immediately, you can guess the outcome...yes, we waited ONE HOUR before my number came up on the board. And then I got a very talkative phlebotomist who wanted to kibbitz and talk about Oscar Grant, the weather, the Giants etc. etc.

So now we were in serious trouble. Lunch would have to wait. Then we realized we knew where the De Young is (I could see it from several of my hospital rooms), and we knew how to enter the park, but the exact route inside the park? Why, no, not really. We outsmarted ourselves and missed the entrance, having to go way down Oak to make a u-turn at Masonic and get in from that direction.

We followed the signs and the tour buses to the museum. Some very close and trusted friends had answered my paranoiac question about parking; "parking is easy, no problem". Maybe it was when they went, but it was anything but easy on Thursday, with the entrance to the parking garage actually blocked off with a sign announcing "Full". So our problems were compounded by a long walk to the entrance, still somewhat of a struggle these days due to our foot/back issues, but remarkably doable all the same for the first time in years.

We did make it, and were told we could start our tour as late as 2:30. So it was off to the De Young Cafe for a quick grab 'n' go lunch, then to the 2:30 line for the exhibit. Needless to say, despite the crowds it was spectacular (Had my face mask on the entire time in that milling crowd, btw). We each got the audio tour headphones, which were an excellent way to learn a bit about many of the paintings and the lives and times of the artists. So it was well worth it, despite the horrific traffic we encountered at Prime Time both at the Bay Bridge and 580 from Pleasanton to Liverman City.

A MOST ENJOYABLE FRIDAY EVENING

We enjoyed a very memorable get-together with our dear friends Chef Alison and Hubbie Kevin. Again driving the S2000, it was a perfect time for open-air motoring. We met up at Sasa in Walnut Creek, a relatively new place featuring sushi and Japanese-style small plates. It was quite a (somewhat noisy) young person social scene, with many groups of mainly females eating, drinking, and shrieking happily. Food and service were terrific, and the (shouted) conversation was most enjoyable. If the Transplant Trib did restaurant reviews, this would get an enthusiastic 4.5 chopsticks (out of five). It's not cheap, though, but actually worth it.

Once again I have hogged too much of your valuable time. So until later, so long,

Bob/Irv

Special July 4th Edition: A Tribute to George M. Cohan

THE FOURTH APPROACHES

As performed by a very young James Cagney, portraying George M. Cohan:

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A Yankee Doodle, do or die
A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam
Born on the Fourth of July

I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart
She's my Yankee Doodle joy
Yankee Doodle came to London
Just to ride the ponies
I am the Yankee Doodle Boy

And just who the heck was George M. Cohan? Well, he was known in the decade before World War I as "the man who owned Broadway", and he is considered the father of American musical comedy. His life and music were depicted in the Academy Award-winning film "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) and the 1968 musical "George M!".

And yes, I AM in fact the Yankee Doodle Boy, as we all should be, not only this weekend but all year long. This is the First Fourth with my new parts and I will admit that despite the lack of any fireworks plans, I am looking very much forward to it. Shoot, I am looking forward to and enjoying virtually EVERYTHING these days. I am probably gonna feel this way for a while about any and all upcoming events and holidays. I just can't help myself.....Happy Feet indeed.

Speaking of feet, I just returned from Walnut Creek where my excellent long-time podiatrist, Dr. Paul S., had a gander at mine. By the way, Dr. S. restores and drives his own British sports cars, like Austin-Healy Sprite and Jag XK-E. Very brave and talented guy.

You may wonder "Hey Bob/Irv, what is with the foot problems?". Well, I'm gonna share a little secret that only my dear parents knew. And that is....uh, this is difficult...OK, here goes....no, wait.....(deep breathing).....er, well.....OK. I HAVE FLAT FEET! Whew, there it is, I have finally come out, so to speak. I feel way better. Even My Cheryl does not know this because ever since we first met I NEVER HAVE APPEARED IN HER PRESENCE WITHOUT SHOES AND SOCKS ON!! I am not making this crap up. It has been a real challenge. Good thing I hate the beach because it was damn embarrassing the few times we went and I had my swim trunks on with wing-tips and black socks. And the lady that she is, she never said a word! What a gem!

HEALTH NOOZ MARCHES ON

I had an appointment with another old provider, Dr. Karen G., the ophthalmologist who did my cataract surgery. One memorable previous appointment found me walking down East Ave. from another doctor to her building, thus passing by John Muir Concord (formerly known as Mt. Diablo). This was the one where I got wobbly, fell and hit my head on the sidewalk as Cheryl drove by to park. She freaked, fer shore. Just one of many fun pilgrimages to UCSF Emergency Department.

Anyhow, it was determined my eye pressures are high, but she is confident it is not a sign of glaucoma. We will re-check in a month and make a decision on treatment, which would be some sort of drops.

On the dental front, Dr. Brent L. wants to do a bridge to fill in the place where the cracked tooth was. And for "only" $3000, of which our marvelous dental coverage generously pays $600! At the moment, $2400 is pretty steep as we approach the dreaded Donut Hole of Medicare drug coverage. Prescription costs will go from awful to unbearable quickly, so an extra coupla grand or so on dental is not advisable at the moment. I already have a couple of embarrassing gaps in my teeth so what's one more? You can't see it with the naked eye (?) so "Only Your Dentist Knows for Sure" as the old commercial used to say.

FATHER'S DAY III WITH THE CHAWS

Leslie and Chris hosted the finale of Father's Day 2010 for Allan and I. Needless to say, Mr. LuckyManBBQ (Chris) was on his game, and Leslie once again provided the rest of an excellent meal, with some assistance from the Moms on the salad course. Incredible fun was had by all, and we capped it off with a lovely (sedate) top-down ride back to Liver Valley.

I truly am enjoying my little car, as I keep pointing out, and I really think I have re-learned how to properly drive it after what was virtually a five-year hiatus. The only thing I need to do now is adjust that non-existent brake pedal over on the passenger side, the one I see Cheryl pressing in vain every time I start to get "competitive". Chicken.

EQUIPMENT FAILURE

No, it's not another case of Car Trouble on a Three-Day Weekend this time. We gave our trusty but goofy laptop to our computer guy, Steve, who messed with it and pronounced it DOA. The sensible solution is a new one (see Donut Hole dilemma above) so we will at least do some shopping. I think it is likely the stress and strain of producing the Transplant Trib took its toll, so it is understandable that the old guy finally succumbed to all the sarcasm and downright stoopid stuff I include in the Trib. Rest in computerland peace, my friend.

Have a safe and sane Fourth.

Bob/Irv