I'll See You a Pandemic and Raise You a Liver

 I know.  We haven't blogged in ages.  But all that changes today!!! It is hard to believe that any year could be worse than 2020 but we are working on it.While the exile of Trump to Mar-A-Lago is truly a source of joy and succor and the ascent of My Boy Joe (I was backing him for YEARS and taking a lot of guff for it) is so far marvy, the rest of the Searles' world has been a bit trying.  So, here goes.

As Alex had just began to launch his new business (website services for highly underserved businesses in Ajijic) he started to get sick.  First it was occasional episodes that would recede in a few days.  Then they began to get closer and more intense.  So, off to the Doc.  Initially, they said that his liver was inflamed but with a special diet and no liquor or Tylenol the liver would repair itself in a year or two because that's the way livers are -- resilient.  More illness.  Closer, worse.  More doctors.  "Well, we can treat it but at some point he may well need a liver transplant." Yikes!  More illness.  Closer, worse.  More doctors. "He needs a liver transplant NOW!" Double Yikes.  Despite the accumulated knowledge of zillions of doctors they have no idea why his liver has gone south.  Best thought is that he has had Epstein Barr which has been known to lurk in one's system and go crazy and attack an organ. 

Before we left Ajijic, Chico was looking after Alex as he slept.

Let me interject at this point that our GP in Mexico is super.  Call him on his cell at 3AM and he's  immediately on the phone to you. Totally has your back.  But there is only so much he can do. So we end up going to see a Mexican liver transplant specialist.  There were 2 in Guadalajara but one had his license pulled for jacking around with the transplant waiting list (probably bribes involved) and so now there was one.  There may be more but nobody knew of any. We did not view this as hopeful.  But we went to see him.  Now, he was extremely nervous about dealing with us.  He kept repeating things like:  "Well, it's hard with Americans because everyone thinks they do medical tourism and come here and pay somebody's gardener to get half his liver."  He said this multiple times while also invoking something about the Declaration of Istanbul which meant there couldn't be a transplant for three months...or forever, who knows.

He dismissed us even though Alex could hardly stand and wasn't making a lot of sense and within 12 hours Alex was comatose and unable to perform any physical or mental tasks.  Call to Santiago.  Call to ambulance.  Off to hospital (for the third time in 3 months).  They got him somewhat stable and then Santiago, looked at us and said, "If I were you, I'd get him on an air ambulance and into the States." No need to repeat that.  On our way.

You might think that riding in a Lear Jet is pretty sexy and cool.  Forty years ago I rode in one and it WAS sexy and cool.  Not so much this time.  I have never paid so much money to ride crumpled up with someone's (Alex's) feet in my face.  So, we're packed in with pilot, co-pilot, critical care doctor, general practice doctor, stretcher, Alex, tubes, oxygen, bottle of God knows what and some snacks.  And we fly to LA.

The Mexican ambulance dropping Alex off to take the air ambulance to LA.

The air ambulance - a Lear jet.

Loading some of the gear onto the jet.

Alex and the two doctors on the jet.

The American ambulance with Alex loaded for transport to Cedars - Sinai.

The Docs escort us via ambulance to the Cedars Sinai Emergency Room.  It is Saturday night.  Do you know what an ER in LA looks like on a Saturday night?  Just let your imagination run wild and then double it.  However, if you ever want to get quick service, show up with a cadre of people wearing shirts that say in blaring red letters FLIGHT CREW and two thousand pounds of medical equipment.  Clearly not their first rodeo,  the Air Docs wangle us to the front, brief the ER folks and within a few hours Alex is stationed in his room.  

Meanwhile Justin has been working his magic to get Michael's second covid shot at Dodger Stadium but has to get me an appointment at a different site.  We all pile into the car anyway and head for the stadium along with about 5,000 (I may not be exaggerating) other cars.  The experience renewed my faith in American efficiency and good will,  We snaked and meandered through the endless red cones until we reached the injection tent.  No horn honking, road rage, hurled insults.  AND they gave me the shot too even though I wasn't registered there.  One thing off the list.

Lines of cars waiting at Dodgers Stadium for the Covid vaccine.

Michael and I have quickly rented a VRBO in spite of the fact that there is a perfectly fine 2 bedroom condo we own in LA.  Justin, eldest son is, at his point, trying with all his might to dislodge the two "roommates" who were supposed to be staying for a few weeks and ended up staying over a year.  They seem to have difficulty understanding why they should move even though they pay no rent or assume any responsibility for...well anything.  In order to accommodate us, we order a queen size sleep sofa for the living room and deposit the old couch on the curb for some penniless student/actor to pick up and cherish.  But this is LA.  Two days later it is still there.  The next morning it is STILL there but there is a homeless person sleeping peacefully on it.  Justin ends up having to pay a "charity"  $100 to take it away. So LA. 

It didn't take long for this person to take advantage of a comfortable sleeping spot.

We always seem to end up with very interesting VRBO hosts.  Exhausted and bedraggled, we were met by Peggy who imparted in rapid fire style the following:  1) she has a son whose career is being a stilt walker (you read that right) in Humboldt County.  What this really means is that he grows a serious crop of weed and, by the way, can walk on stilts; 2) She was a female wrestler and is now a female wrestling umpire. "Even though it's all fake, after you push 40 it starts to hurt."; 3) She augments her income by renting out her property to film crews (she lives across from Warner Bros.). This is demonstrated one day while I am working on a jigsaw puzzle in our "private" courtyard when 8 young Japanese people walk in, completely ignore me, and start to decide how they will position the their warriors and archers.  Why warriors and archers would be fighting on a patio in suburban Burbank I find rather confusing but I just let it go.

Chico on his dog bed on the futon sofa at the VRBO after his exhausting three day journey from Ajijic to LA.

Meanwhile, Alex is being blood-let, imaged and prodded vigorously by the liver transplant team at Cedars Sinai.  Yes, indeed, he needs a new one.  After about five days the financial people run his insurance and discover to their (and our) surprise that as of March 1 (it is now March 8ish) Alex's insurance stopped using Cedars Sinai as a provider so -- sorry buddy-- no liver for you here.  He will, instead, have to go to USC Keck Liver Transplant center which is also very good but this whole thing is a pain.  Particularly, and oddly, just after the insurance issue is surfaced, Cedars pronounces Alex good to leave.  Yep, out you go sonny.  About 18 hours later, Alex goes south once more and is checked into the LAC + USC ER and hospital where he spends another four or five days (it all blurs).

Alex at Cedars-Sinai...

and getting ready to be discharged. His belly, legs and ankles were still very swollen with water weight. Within two weeks of this Alex lost a little over 30 lbs. of fluid and was back to his normal self.

After Alex's stay at Cedars Sinai and his sojourn at LAC + USC, Michael has flown back to Ajijic to fetch belongings for the long haul and Chico Rico, the world's friendliest pit bull.  He throws everything in the car and drives for three straight days to make it back to LA.  He crosses the border brandishing various documents including a hard won health certificate for Chico.  The border agent inspects nothing, looks at no documents but spends a pleasant few minutes discussing pit bulls and which kind he should get.  The border is always a crap shoot.

I'm only going to take you up to today because, well, it is just so wearing.... Alex's PCP cannot see him for two weeks after he gets out of the hospital even though the discharge notice says he should see "immediately".  This is because he is one month from retirement and "easing" himself into it by only working two days a week.  When Michael and Alex finally make it into his office it is apparent that he should have retired perhaps a decade ago.  He pronounces: "you don't need me, you need a hepatologist".  Well, duh.  Meanwhile, while Alex calls Keck each day they reiterate that he is "not in the system" and therefore does not exist.  This, despite the fact that he was referred to USC Keck by USC.  It is inexplicable but after about another two weeks he miraculously "enters the system" and he is now scheduled to run the gauntlet of preliminary liver appointments in Mid-May.  After that we should know more -- God, I HOPE we know more.

We have managed to have some fun and see some interesting places -- many parks to assuage the condo confined Chico. Also, Alex has been gaining strength and stamina each day so we aren't as crazy worried/obsessed as we have been.  Although, maybe we should be.  So to lighten the mood, we shall include some pastoral scenes (kind of) of LA.  We hope all of you are well and we are holding our collective breaths for the end of this pandemic (and liver) nightmare.  Take care.  More soonish.

One day we took Chico for a walk in Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills and encountered this garden "nymph".

The flowers in the garden park were fabulous...

and as we got closer the "nymph" was taking pictures of the flowers with her phone.

A shady pergola with benches for resting and viewing the flowers,...

such as this magnificent rose.

Deirdre spotted this cupola and asked what Church this might be...

and I pointed out this was the Beverly Hills City Hall.

The Brand Library at Brand Park in Glendale, where we went on another outing.

The relocated, restored Doctors House at Brand Park. A quintessential example of a Queen Anne Victorian house.

Also at Brand Park was this sculpture titled "Miss American Green Cross"...

an early tribute to the conservation movement.

Springtime in LA brings out some amazing flowers.

Finally we will leave you with what we have termed "doggy TV". Chico enjoys looking out the window while on his dog bed, because it is the perfect height for him to observe the comings and goings of the neighbors (especially the many dog neighbors).