(Captblowdri @ Talladega Superspeedway)
Labor Day is now upon us and that signifies the end of summer. The Labor Day weekend is traditionally the last weekend of the family sun and fun.
My 2010 summer has been drastically different from any other that I have had since graduating from Fresno State in June 1973, or for that fact in my entire life!
The preface to my summer was written on the evening of May 16, 2010. That was to be the beginning of, what I will deem, my enlightening summer! The series of events, the UAL Flight Safety Investigation and the NTSB Investigation, that followed the cockpit fire, made me feel like I was under the intense scrutiny of both United Air Lines and the federal government.
In conjunction with dealing with the above events, I was notified that one of my closest college buddies, and the former Chief of Police of Madera, CA, had lost his gallant battle for his life. It was the summer of ’69 that I first met Jerry Noblett. However, it was a cool spring morning on May 24, 2010 that I had to say farewell to my buddy!
As the next few weeks progressed, I came to realize that there was something strange going on in my chest. I was feeling like my pulse was erratic, my blood pressure was giving me strange feelings, and I was feeling tired. So I did what most responsible patients do, I contacted my cardiologist, Dr. John R. Nelson.
On Monday July 5th, I was able to get in to see my cardiologist. Before I left his office he had me hooked up with a heart monitor that I had to wear for 24 hours. Late the next evening my cardiologist called me to relay to me the news from the monitor data. The doctor instructed me to report at 8:30am for a heart CT scan and an echocardiogram. By the time I left his office on Wednesday afternoon, I had an appointment to see the Electro-Physiologist, Dr. Khoi Le, regarding my newly found issue, Ventricular Tachycardia!
Thursday morning at 8:30am I consulted with the Electro-Physiologist. When I left his office around 9:15am, I was scheduled for a cardiac ablation procedure with a hospital report time of 8:00am Friday morning. The four hour procedure and my stay in the hospital was an experience that I soon will not forget!
One of the several outcomes from the cardiac ablation is being grounded by the FAA pending the outcome of this procedure and many tests that are to follow. The latest from the FAA is that I am grounded until at least November of 2011. Another outcome from all of this is that my aorta valve is approaching the point whereby it is needing to be replaced. Another procedure that I must confront sometime in the near future!
In spite of the medical conditions that have come to light, I was able to meet up with one of my brothers in Belleville, KS and Knoxville, IA to get a heaping dose of midgets and sprint car racing in August.
So all was not lost! In spite of it all, I have had a very enlightening summer!
Other than that Captain Blowdri, how was your 2010 summer?
Capt. Leon,
As it has been said, life is what happens when you are making other plans.
I’m just happy that you are on the road to recovery and that there are new parts available these days to make your life more enjoyable. I don’t envy you having to jump through the hoops to satisfy the FAA that you are fit to continue flying, but I pray for a positive outcome for you.
I sure wish that there was a racing venue of interest to you in Western SoDak, because I sure would like to see you and catch up on old times. In the meantime, I’ll just continue to be entertained by the interesting things that you post on your blog.
Regards,
Denny
Capt. Leon,
As it has been said, life is what happens when you are making other plans.
I’m just happy that you are on the road to recovery and that there are new parts available these days to make your life more enjoyable. I don’t envy you having to jump through the hoops to satisfy the FAA that you are fit to continue flying, but I pray for a positive outcome for you.
I sure wish that there was a racing venue of interest to you in Western SoDak, because I sure would like to see you and catch up on old times. In the meantime, I’ll just continue to be entertained by the interesting things that you post on your blog.
Regards,
Denny
I am hoping next will be easier on you as you deserve it. What a year we have had ole buddy.
I am hoping next will be easier on you as you deserve it. What a year we have had ole buddy.