THE EQUS GOLF STORY - CHAPTER 16 – WAKE UP CALL
The golf club had once again reached a crossroads but that was not my main problem. My heart was getting worse and we needed to make other plans. It had been almost two years since I had been placed on the cardiac transplant list. As great a distraction as it was, designing and building a golf club while walking around with a pump on my arm was less than desirable.
Perhaps the two week stay in the ICU or the suggestion of a portable mechanical heart made me reassess my situation. In reality it was a chance discussion between my brother-in-law and a fellow KU medical graduate who recognized my urgent situation. A reevaluation by another transplant program could not hurt. The decision was made. The Mid America Heart Institute and their cardiac transplant team were to be my new best friends.
Large well known medical centers are great for most types of medical care and often excel at specific diseases and conditions. However, when it comes to organ transplantation, a well known name or big reputation does not carry the same clout. Organ transplantation is driven by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).
The US is divided into 11 geographic regions to facilitate transplantation and although governed by the same two entities, they are not all the same. Fortunately, fate allowed me to evaluate another region resulting in my return to the Midwest to receive the care I so desperately needed. My wait was over. I was ready for a new adventure.
We took the dog to the kennel, packed two suitcases and flew to Kansas City. The decision and the move took less than one week. My wife handled the logistics and I handled…well not much. Although my alma mater, The University of Kansas, was right next door it did not offer cardiac transplantation so I proceeded to its neighbor St. Luke’s Hospital. I was on the list again, Cinco de Mayo 2012! One week, 1,000 miles and one deductible later, I was in.
© EQUSGolf 2016
Also in Story
THE EQUS GOLF STORY - CHAPTER 19 – MOMENTUM
“The strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.”
Regaining momentum after a nine month hiatus was difficult at best. To break the boredom and monotony of the standard micro-management, of a newly acquired heart, was a challenge. Momentum is a fleeting force. We had it, we lost it and just like that the outcome to our iron development project was in jeopardy.
