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My father had very successful career as an entrepreneur. He sold his business about 10 years ago but has really been unable to enjoy his retirement the way he had planned because of illness. First he had kidney failure and all the problems that go along with that. He was able to receive a transplanted kidney, which greatly improved his quality of life. Of course due to all the medication required to prohibit rejection, he was still limited.
Next, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He has been under treatment for that for several years and has done very well. Some of the drugs he was taking for the bone cancer and the kidney transplant masked other symptoms and he ruptured bowel about two-three years ago. The Docs, both UF trained, said get the family together, this may be it. They were wrong. He fought through that and recovered but was left with a colostomy bag and long term infection and wound.
His condition was such that no local doctor wanted to tackle the wound infection and he was referred to Shands. The Doc at Shands was confident that he could correct the infected wound and sent him for the battery of tests which are required before any major surgery. The Shands doc heaped praise upon the local docs for saving my father's life and scheduled the tests. Those test reveled that he had a heart valve which needed replacing. Again Shands said we can handle it and handle it they did. I watched the first three quarters of the last years Vandy game at the Swamp and then trudged up the hill to Shands. Of course ya'll remember the 4th quarter, but my memory is different as I was watching it from the Shands cardiac floor. I was so impressed with docs and staff at the cardiac surg unit. They treated us like family. Again he was fighter and made a much faster recovery than usual.
His wound eventually heeled on it own and he is doing very well now. He called last night and said his wife was not interested in watching the game and was on the computer and asked if could come over and watch the game. I thought he was joking but realized he was serious and of course told him to come over.
During the game while watching the jawing that was going on early in the game he said he had not been in fight since the 10th grade, but almost got in one earlier that afternoon at a local club when a semi- gave him grief about his gator shirt. He said if had not been smarter, I am sure I would have gotten into it with him, but decided, what the heck, I'd rather leave than deal with this ass. While he is/was a fighter, he like the mighty Gators are smart fighters and know which battles to take on.
At the end of the third, we got to do "We Are The Boys" in our living room. I will never forget that. God bless my father and God Bless the Gators.
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CONSIGLIEREG8R
(71.2.141.65) on 1/9/2007 - 9:46 a.m. says: ( 174 views
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