The Long, Long Mitzvah

A friend and colleague underwent spine surgery a week and a half ago -- poor guy walked bent over into a comma shape, and was miserable.  We joked about him going to see the best spine guy there is -- he's a strong Gator fan -- but things worked out.  He had the surgery and woke up not peeing in his pants and able to feel his toes -- when that's the case post spine surgery, it's a good result.

He called last week to ask if I could take him for his follow up appointment.  I could -- it was at 1:30 and I made a haircut appointment for 4.  Turns out that was a strategic error -- academic docs ALWAYS run late.  Still...

I was thrilled when my buddy walked outside.  He was vertical, for the first time in months, although a bit slow moving.  Clearly, he could have taken Uber, but he's old school about stuff like that.  No problem -- I had the day clear.

We stopped for breakfast, and then drove to the former Cedars -- now UM Hospital.  The place is Shalala's folly -- she stupidly overpaid millions for the place after her ego prevented her from buying Doctor's Hospital in the Gables, which would have made more sense.  UM is still digging out of the financial hole caused by this, and I suspect it will become a major issue as Shalala runs for Congress -- but as we learned recently in US politics, real issues don't seem to matter.

Our nation elected a cartoon character, Donald Trump.

Anyway, we found our way to the Neurosurg clinic -- and I noticed the patients were a nice cross section of South Florida.  I overheard a Mrs. Howell type, dripping with jewelry, telling a new fellow waiter that she had driven down hours this am because "It turns out there are no competent spine surgeons in Palm Beach."  She's probably right.

There was a Chinese family there -- the grandma was in a back brace.  The nurse came out to get her, and the daughter got up to go along -- the nurse said patient only.  The daughter said "OK -- but she only speaks Mandarin."  The nurse wisely reversed course and invited the daughter inside.

The 1:30 appointment finally occurred after 3:30.  The UMH guys really are the best, and worth waiting for.

I texted my haircutter, and told her I was doing something I abhorred -- canceling an appointment.  She told me no worries -- she'd prevent me from looking like a gray haired version of a young Bob Dylan on Friday...

While my friend was seeing the doc, CNN was showing The Donald somewhere in the Southwest inspecting prototypes of the Wall.  He was checking out the concrete structures like he was looking over complicated equipment.  I laughed out loud -- and as soon as I did, realized maybe I shouldn't have -- I mean, some folks still believe in The Donald.

Nah.  Everyone of my fellow waiters shared the sentiment -- older Cuban folks shook their heads at him, the Chinese father waiting for his family said "We came to this country for HIM?" and Mrs. Howell said "God help us all." 

I was warmed.  Maybe the end of the national silliness is in sight.  The Boss sang "Maybe everything that dies someday comes back."  I hope he's right.

So it ended up being an entire day in the can.  I guess it's a mitzvah to take someone for a medical appointment -- so mission accomplished.

On the way home, I kindly and calmly espoused the wonders of Uber to my friend -- he can now drive again, anyway.

And besides, I got a happy peek at hopefully the coming political backlash...