Swine Flu: Here's What My Hospital is doing ...

>>> Public Affairs (UMC - Campus Notification) 4/30/2009 4:55 PM >>>

FROM:
Rathel L. Nolan M.D. F.A.C.P., Professor of Medicine, Interim Director - Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Epidemiologist
Karen Moise R.N. C.I.C. C.L.N.C., Interim Director of Infection Prevention

TO:
All Faculty and Staff

(Please share with your co-workers who may not have e-mail.)

H1N1 Swine Flu Update April 30, 2009

Swine flu continues to spread in the U.S. Although a cause for considerable concern we need to remember a few facts.

No cases have yet been reported in Mississippi.

Cases in the U.S. to date have been the usual spectrum of flu symptoms. This is not some new "killer flu". Although one death has occurred in the U.S. and many in Mexico, mortality occurs in any flu outbreak. In a normal year 35,000 persons succumb to flu, mostly the very old, and those with certain other chronic illnesses.

The flu in the U.S. so far has NOT been that contagious. Although this might change, as it can with any flu strain, cases to date have occurred in those returning from trips to Mexico and their close contacts in school or at home. "Casual" transmission, such as an exposure occurring in a restaurant, theatre, clinic etc. does not seem to be occurring presently.

What you can do to protect yourself and co-workers

- Adhere to good handwashing practices, preferably with alcohol foam or rub.

- Cough/sneeze into a Kleenex or your shirt sleeve.

- Stay at home if you have a cold or other respiratory illness.

- Wipe common use computer key boards with a disinfectant wipe each shift since these have been proven to be potentials for infection.

What's the hospital is doing to prepare

- Our first action is to resume the use of "cough etiquette" stations in the outpatient areas. This is to try to limit risk of transmission in the outpatient area by recognizing patients who might be affected and separating them from others. (Ordering information below) These are small stations that go in waiting areas that supply patients with Kleenex, gloves, masks and hand sanitizer.

- Upon entering outpatient areas, patients should be asked if they have a runny nose, nasal stuffiness, cough or sore throat.

- If they answer yes to 2 or more symptoms, they should be asked to use hand sanitizer and don a mask. If they can't wear a mask, then they should cough or sneeze into a Kleenex, discard in trash and use hand sanitizer.

- If at all possible these individuals should be placed in a separate area in the waiting area at least 3, and preferably 6 feet away from unaffected individuals.

- These individuals should be given priority in being placed in exam rooms.

- Once in exam rooms, they should be managed in Contact and Airborne Isolation Precautions with use of N95 particulate respirator mask if available. Hepa Filter Units may be used as available (See the Infection Control web page under Departments for details).

- If warranted, rapid tests for flu and culture for flu are available.

- When the room is vacated a hospital approved disinfectant wipe or spray should be used to clean all items touched by the patient and allowed to dry for 10 minutes before reuse.

Patients with Swine flu admitted to the hospital

- The hospital has a pandemic flu preparedness plan as part of general disaster preparedness. This may be invoked if things get bad enough (which as of today we're not expecting).

- This plan addresses where patients will be placed in the hospital, allocation of resources, delay or discontinuation of non-essential services, etc.

- Patients should be placed in Contact and Airborne Infection Isolation Precautions , using N95 particulate respirators and placed in negative pressure rooms or rooms with heap filter units if available.

- Patients should remain in isolation for 7 days or until symptom free, whichever is longer, and should wear a surgical mask if leaving the room as a medical necessity.

- Visitors to room should be limited to at most immediate family and must be given surgical masks.

- Individuals caring for affected workers may be offered anti-viral medications on a preventative basis.

If a patient is suspected or confirmed as a case of Swine flu please contact Infection Prevention:

Jolynn Lewis, Office 984-2189; Pager 929-0485

Debbie McCaffrey, Office 984-6783; Pager 929-2473

Karen Moise, Office 984-2999; Pager 929-2446

Office fax: 984-67

Cough etiquette stations and supplies

1. Kleenex

WIPE TISSUE (COUGH STATION ONLY) LARGE 005044 BX .64

2. Child's Face Mask (Kimberly-Clark Ref # 47127)

MASK FACE CHILD (COUGH STATION ONLY) 4052 BX 11.21

3. Procedure Mask-Adult (Kimberly-Clark Ref # (48100)

MASK SURGEON DISPOSABLE STANDARD 4049 BX 3.55

4. Hand Sanitizer (Kimberly-Clark DIN: 02243379 - 8 FL oz.)

SOAP SANITIZER (COUGH STATION ONLY) 007195 BT 2.49 BT.

5. Station Hygiene (Cough Station) Cat. No. 1010 Unit Price $53.05 Charge Code: 36012

PLEASE NOTE: Use supplies as stated in protocols. No stockpile of any supplies will last if used inappropriately.

N95 Particulate Respirator Fit Testing: Although there are presently there are no swine flu cases in Mississippi, it is possible we might see our first case at any time. If we do hospitalize affected patients they will need to be cared for in Droplet Precautions with the use of N95 Particulate respirators. These masks require fit testing to assure they work as intended. If you haven't been fit tested then call Employee/Student Health at 4-1185 to schedule fit testing. Priority appointments will be scheduled for direct care workers who have NEVER been fit tested, or whose most recent fit test was more than 1 calendar year ago. All others will be scheduled as quickly as possible

For additional authoritative information, visit cdc.gov.

General Update Concerning My Dad

My Dad's surgery on Friday went "as well as it could have", according to his doctor. He was in surgical ICU until Monday morning. He went to a step-down room yesterday and then I received a call from my Mom this morning and reported that he is going home!

He has done well. He was up and sitting in a chair 3 to 4 times on both Saturday and Sunday and walked a little bit on Sunday with the aide of a walker.

Our pastor and associate pastor - at North Park Baptist Church - came to visit before the surgery as well as a number of business associates over the weekend. It is always good to see an outpouring of support, care and concern.

With the fusion that he had in his back, the doctor had told him last October that he'd need to be off work for up to six months with his travel (like I do). However, he has taken a job locally and is hoping to be in a position to go back to work in about six to eight weeks. The Marine in him will probably want to push that envelope.

He's gone 40-something years without ever missing a paycheck. Something that he has been incredibly thankful for - and something, of course, that I'm proud of him for. Before this recent job had come through, and with his business going down, he was at a point that they were starting to explore unemployment benefits and he had contacted the VA to see about being able to get his meds, as a Vet, through them. But God took care of everything.

Thank you for all of your prayers, thoughts and concerns for my Dad. I greatly appreciate each and every one of them.

The Republic of Texas (or, err, Nation of Texas)

THE NATION of TEXAS
(Something that is making its way around the Web ... for a little fun, of course!)

In case things get a little tough during the next few months we Texans have a plan... Maybe you don't know it, but Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union. (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of 1848.)

We Texans love y'all Americans, but we'll probably have to take action since Barack Obama won the election and is now the President of the U.S.A. We'll miss ya'll though.

Here is what CAN happen:

1. Barack Hussein Obama, after becoming the President of the United States , begins to try and create a socialist country, then Texas announces that it is going to secede from the Union .

2. George W. Bush becomes the President of the Republic of Texas. You might not think that he talks too pretty, but we haven't had another terrorist attack and the economy was fine until the effects of the Democrats lowering the qualifications for home loans came home to roost. So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic?

1. NASA is just south of Houston , Texas . We will control the space industry.

2. We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States .

3. Defense Industry--we have over 65% of it.. The term "Don't mess with Texas ," will take on a whole new meaning.

4. Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. What will the other states do? Gee, we don't know. Why not ask Obama?

5. Natural Gas - again, we have all we need and it's too bad about those Northern States. John Kerry and Al Gore will just have to figure out a way to keep them warm...

6. Computer Industry - we lead the nation in producing computer chips and communications equipment - small companies like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Misconduct, Dallas Semiconductor, Nortel, Alcatel, etc. The list goes on and on.

7. Medical Care - We have the research centers for cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, as well as other large health centers. The Houston Medical Center alone employees over 65,000 people.

8. We have enough colleges to keep educating and making smarter citizens: University of Texas , Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Rice, SMU, University of Dallas , University of Houston , Baylor, UNT ( University of North Texas), Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the South anyway.

9. We have an intelligent and energetic work force and it isn't restricted by a bunch of unions. Here in Texas , we are a Right to Work State and, therefore, it's every man and woman for themselves. We just go out and get the job done. And if we don't like the way one company operates, we get a job somewhere else.

10. We have essential control of the paper, plastics, and insurance industries, etc.

11. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, and several military bases. We don't have an Army, but since everybody down here has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an Army in 24 hours if we need one. If the situation really gets bad, we can always call the Department of Public Safety and ask them to send over the Texas Rangers.

12. We are totally self-sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs, and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables, and let's not forget seafood from the Gulf. Also, everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good. We don't need any food.

13. Three of the ten largest cities in the United States , and twenty-three of the 100 largest cities in the United States are located in Texas . And Texas also has more land than California , New York , New Jersey , Connecticut , Delaware , Hawaii , Massachusetts , Maryland, Rhode Island , and Vermont combined.

14. Trade: Three of the ten largest ports in the United States are located in Texas .

15. We also manufacture cars down here, but we don't need to. You see, nothing rusts in Texas so our vehicles stay beautiful and run well for decades.

This just names a few of the items that will keep the Republic of Texas in good shape.. There isn't a thing out there that we need and don't have.

Now to the rest of you folks in the United States under President Obama:

Since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, only President Obama will be able to drive around in his big 9 mpg SUV. The rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes.

You won't have any TV as the Space Center in Houston will cut off satellite communications. You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes, but since Mr. Obama has predicted global warming, you will not need the gas as long as you survive the 2000 years it will take to get enough heat from Global Warming.

In other words, the rest of ya'll in the USA are screwed!

Signed, The People of Texas

P.S. This is not a threatening letter - just a note to give you something to think about! Sleep well tonight 'cause the eyes of Texas are on YOU!! One Nation Under God!!

''Life's tough...it's even tougher if you're stupid.'' -- John Wayne

Dad's Surgery Was Cancelled Until Friday

I apologize for not keeping everyone up-to-date; however, my Dad's surgery was cancelled from this past Tuesday to tomorrow, Friday, April 24.

Here was his note from Monday:

Can you believe that? My nerves are completely shot and I get a phone call about 2:30 p.m. that my surgery for tomorrow had to be canceled until this Friday. I have to be there by 8:00 a.m. so I guess it will be about two hours after that before they get the show underway.

I didn't realize how much pain relief I was getting from the anti-inflammatory medication I have been taking until I had to stop taking it last Thursday prior to surgery. Boy, I hurt worse than I thought I did.

I flew to Jackson for work Tuesday morning and am returning home this afternoon.

I will have my laptop with me at the hospital and will be able to provide updates tomorrow.

Dad's Major Back Surgery on Tuesday

My Dad is going to be having major back surgery, at 62, on Tuesday. I just found out late last night. I'll be coming back from Jackson Monday evening to be there when he goes in and to support my Mom while he is in surgery - which they expect to be a 6-hour procedure.

Here is the note that he shared with both of his partners:

Tuesday the 21st is the day guys. As bad as I am hurting and have been hurting this is not going to be fun. The doctors have been telling me for sometime now how bad my back was and I guess I knew it was bad but kept hoping for some comfort.

This is going to be a six hour surgery.

They are going to redo and reexplore everything that has been done before and perform a bilateral medical facetechtomy, lamminotomy from L1 to S1.

Then they will do posterior lumbar interbody fusion at L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1, posterolateral fusion at L2/3, L3/4 L4/5 L5/S1, implants and infuse. The implants are the numerous bolts and screws along with implanted spacers along the way. As you can see, the fusion is significant.

I will have a tube in my nose following surgery so I don't throw up and move anything around and will be in ICU where they can watch me more closely.

He told me that on day 2 and 3 to expect some of the worst pain I've ever experienced due to them having to move and reposition all of those back muscles and nerves so that they can get to the bones and do all of that work. They joked that I would be a bionic man but I wasn't laughing.

They also told me that this is a very blood surgery so along the way they will try to save and recirculate as much of my own blood as they can, but I did had to consent to the use of blood if necessary.

I will be in the hospital for 5 to 6 days and hopefully be discharged home but perhaps to rehab.

I will have to wear an external back brace for some time and will have an external pain pump for sometime as well. I got fitted for that this afternoon and picked it up.

I go to the hospital in the morning for all of the pro-op testing.

And then the bottom line that there is no guarantee that any of this will work.

I've never in my life wanted to avoid anything as bad as I would like to avoid this but I have no life at all right now with the current pain that I have.

This will be a very difficult time for me and Nance without any income for at least two and maybe three months plus having to pay over three thousand a month for my insurance coverage. We will be OK though.

I suspect my nerves have already taken over and I don't think I'm doing real well with that right now.

My faith in God is still in tact and I will have to draw on that for my strength. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that my Faith may have wavered a bit over the past few years however my Faith will see me through as well. I know I am in good hands there. He has never let me down before no matter how difficult the situation.

If you'll keep my Dad in your prayers, I would greatly appreciate it.

I hope that with this procedure that 1.) it will take and 2.) he'll commit to dropping as much weight as he can from what he has put on over the years.

Mississippi River Bridge Run 5K Race / IM 70.3 NOLA Event Reports

I’m not quite sure when I started to build my weekend schedule for 2009, but for whatever reason I saw that the first weekend of April would allow for me to go to New Orleans to cheer on a good friend of mine, Cassie Mondragon, in her first attempt at a Half Ironman.

And, as it should always be, I figured that I could add a race to the weekend’s schedule of events.

I was hoping that I would also be able to talk another good friend, Bill Dwyer, to come with me so that we could run the race together – even if it meant going over a steep bridge over the Mississippi River - and that he could cheer on the Team Strive members that he sees every week at track workouts on Tuesday nights (or whatever nights they are now since I can never make them).

As fate would be meted out to Bill in the form of his 2-year-old granddaughter’s birthday party, I would be making this trip alone. There was a possibility of Waverly going, but the plan that I had for the weekend didn’t fit in for her from a safety standpoint.

If I would have done things smarter, I would have “stayed the weekend” in Jackson and just drove down to New Orleans, but no, I had to make things a bit challenging.

I flew in from Jackson and I made it home at about 4:45 p.m. No more than an hour later, I would be completely packed – including my road bike in the bed of my truck – and be on the way to bank to get some money.

After a nearly six-hour drive (I wasn’t pushing 80-85 mph all the way, like I would with a rental car), I checked into the Marriott Courtyard in Metairie. I double checked the time and location of Saturday’s race in Destrehan – the 13th annual United Way Mississippi River Bridge 5K. It would go over the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge and would finish in Luling on the south side of the Mississippi River.

Tired, I gave a few thoughts of just sleeping in; however, the race was part of the entire, original plan for the weekend. And not doing it would cheapen the entire experience.

So on a short night’s sleep; I was up, showered and shaved and on the way there no later than 7:15 a.m. It would be less than a 30-minute trip west on Interstate 10 and south on 310 to exit 6. When I got there, I would find a pretty decent crowd – gathering under the bridge and close to road that crossed underneath -- at the event that was being produced by the New Orleans Track Club.

The one thing that I like about NOTC events is that they are like many in the Pacific Northwest – they have a no T-shirt option (on race day). The T-shirt was pretty cool looking so I threw down an extra $5 spot. (Parking in downtown New Orleans would cost much more than this though!)

We parked in a grass field on the grounds of a local elementary school. I was a little worried, while waiting around on the start, about my truck getting stuck in the muddy grass. There was a van behind me already firmly entrenched.

There must have been close to 1,800 runners and walkers and I’d say that there were more walkers than runners. I tried to position myself about 50% of the way up, but really it should have been more like at the 35% mark. For the first three tenths of a mile or so, I had to dodge quite a few runners.

The course went up an on ramp to the bridge, which put you in the right two southbound lanes. It was sloped in such a way that it reminded you not to go too hard – and I didn’t.

I passed through the first mile marker in 10:04.76. But the NOTC website had the following Race Directors note – “The 1 mile cone and timer was placed accidentally at 150 feet past the actual mile mark.”

That’s just nice! It means that my mile 2, which included the steepest part of the bridge, had a greater separation from mile 1 and mile 3. My time was 10:47.34. Actually 150 feet isn’t much at all. It is not even one third of a tenth of a mile.

Once I got to the crest, mile 2 was soon to follow, and it was time to run as hard as I could down the exit ramp to Luling. Things were fine until there was a little bit of a crest in the road, which surprised and slowed a few people down. Mile 3 was still 9:22.87. (Wish I could run downhill all the time!)

The cone for the 3-mile mark was just before where we made a left-hand turn towards the finish line and I think that it was short. Why? Can you say a 41.31-second finish? There’s no way. That’s a sub 7-minute pace for 528 feet. So the finishing “chip” or watch time was 30:56.28.

I dropped off my index time card, got something to drink, picked up my goody bag and T-shirt and then found where the school buses were going to take runners back at. While on the first bus (we had to change because it was at a place where we couldn’t get out), I sat next to a woman who asked me how many times I had done Houston. I replied, “Four” and asked how many times she had. She said “more than 10”. So, hmmm, a veteran.

I asked her what her name was and she said, “Phyllis”. I asked her what her last name was and she said Friedman. When we got to the other bus, a gentleman asked me about the Houston race having seen my CHM finisher’s shirt from this year. During the course of my conversation, I thought about the first woman and asked if she was any relation to Louisianians Michelle and Meyer Friedman. She said that they were her kids!

We had a great conversation talking about Meyer (he’s doing post Doctorate work out in San Diego and Fillis is thinking about running Rock N Roll San Diego with him) and Michelle (didn’t realize that she’s been out with a stress fracture). We also talked about how Jen Brown was doing with her running – which has been great!

Saturday afternoon and evening was spent at the Ironman 70.3 New Orleans Expo, which was pretty weak, and then dinner with Cassie and Manny and her Mom and aunt. At the Expo, I had to track down Ashley Barkley with Premier Sports Event Management to get my press credential. This would basically let me get to where I needed to be (with one exception – more on that later).

I saw the elites come out of there pre-race briefing. The only one that I really knew for sure was Desiree Ficker. I was able to deduce who Chris McCormack was, but beyond that I was clueless. To me, I could have been at an X Games gathering and it would have been all the same. (No disrespect to fans of triathlons, but I just don’t follow the elite triathletes perhaps like I do runners at that same level.)

I attended a swim clinic by Terry Laughlin. Supposedly he’s supposed to be pretty good … will it be enough to get me in the pool? Maybe. Actually, it was pretty enlightening stuff. He was a pretty good presenter.

Four-something Sunday morning came early, and I wasn’t even competing! I had checked my bike the night before and was actually a little worried when I couldn’t keep air in the back tire. Somehow the screw around the valve stem came too far up and it wouldn’t keep air when I tried to seal the nozzle to the top of the valve stem and start pumping air into it. I finally figured it out.

I think I had my bike loaded up and was rolling towards downtown no later than 5:30 a.m. I stopped at the convenience store to get something in my stomach. It was humid already, and the forecast the afternoon before was calling for isolated thunderstorms throughout the race.

Parked by 6 a.m., I was on my bike and rolling soon thereafter. I started to go up Canal, but realized that was taking me in a westerly direction and I need to be going north. (When I saw the sign for Bourbon Street, I knew I was going in the wrong direction.) I went a street farther west and then headed north through a back street in the Quarter. Before Esplanade, I turned right, crossed Bourbon and headed over to where I could connect to Elysian Fields.

As I got further north and approached Interstate 10, the traffic on Elysian Fields got heavier and soon I was in the area where triathletes were queuing up for a mile bus ride to the swim start area. I did a little surveying of the logistics to see where I needed and wanted to be. I knew that I wanted to get out on the bike course, and I was trying to figure out how to do that without being on the course. Even though I was a spectator with a media badge, I respect those that are actually competing and don’t believe that I should be trying to share the same space.

I soon saw Cassie and she seemed in great spirits (i.e. not looking nervous). As her line to the bus started to move, I headed down to the swim start area on my bike and positioned myself to where I could see every body from the Montgomery County that I knew either make the mile walk or get off the bus.

I wouldn’t see Cassie again until she came out of transition, but I did see Dana Lyons, Susan Rouse, Greg and Gena Alvarez, Dee Akers and Vivian Corliss. Once I saw everyone and I noticed that the men’s elite was in the waters of the Pontchartrain, I headed back to the end of the swim-to-bike transition.

People are idiots and completely disrespectful. I can’t tell you the number of people who think it is their God-given right to cross the lane of traffic where bikers come out of transition and onto the course. I stood at the corner where cyclists would make a right-hand turn for two reasons – 1.) to get some good pictures and 2.) tell people that if they had to cross to do it farther up where there was a better line of sight for them and the participants.

Team Strive’s Matt Horak was the first one out. Then I think Susan and Dana were next before I saw Cassie. She looked excited and was smiling. (It turns out that she had a great time on the swim.) I stayed until the last person that I knew – who was Gena … in the last wave – had come out of transition. Then it was time to head out on the bike course.

I had no idea how far I was going to go out and what the course was even like. I tried to go on a street that was parallel to Lakeshore to get out to a bridge that the riders would cross over on Haynes, I believe it was. I had a local yocal law enforcement official – even with my media badge clearly identifiable – who would NOT let me go down that way. I had to bike a street back to Franklin and do what I didn’t want – get on the course.

Some in the men’s and women’s elite waves were coming back. The street was completely closed and participants were hugging the right hand sides of each lane. I decided to ride right up the middle.

I ended up going about 14-15 miles out. I remember passing the 20K mark and then going over Interstate 10 heading south on what I believe was the start of 510 South. On the way there, I was starting to feel the effects of the warmth that was building in the sky so I stopped at a convenience store along Haynes, which runs parallel to the Causeway. It is one of these true neighborhood convenience stores in a less than prosperous part of town. Needless to say, I walked my bike inside to get some water and something to put in my stomach.

As I was riding, I would stay to the outside of the cones and police officers would try to motion me to the left – and I had to constantly show them my badge. And it must have been kind of strange to see somebody riding with a camera hanging around their neck.

Once I made it to where I was going to end up (I crossed a couple of more overpasses and wasn’t going to make it a third, which would have put me about at about mile 40), I think I surprised everyone – including the people that I knew and those that I didn’t. Kind of cool, I guess. I don’t want people to respect how much I train or what my times are, but I do seek respect for how hard I work to do the things that I enjoy doing.

As people would pass, I would send Kim Hager a text or a call.

Once I saw everyone, I then hustled to get back as soon as I could. Gena was the last one to pass and having been on one organized ride that she had been on, I knew that I wouldn’t catch her.

The cyclists really faced a stiff headwind for much of the last 20K back in and going over two decent-sized overpasses into that wind was tough. I was still peddling, but it was a slow go.

As I approached the circle in the middle of Lakeshore (and Elysian Fields), I veered to the left as riders would go to the right to enter the transition area and start the run. I soon saw Manny, Cassie’s Mom and aunt. We chit-chatted for a few as I got an update on how things were going for Cassie.

As I started to head out on the run course, I saw Gena first. She said that she was having stomach issues and was walking. She told me about the water issues on the bike course. Wow! She told me that Dee was just ahead of her, and I made to her in a few. I spent a little time with both of them while wondering where Vivian was. I surmised that she must of still been in transition because I didn’t see her as I found Greg and Cassie.

They were running together at a decent pace, but the temperatures were getting a little toasty. And the run course was starting to look like the field of walking wounded. I hung with Cassie for a little bit and then went back to check on Vivian. I met her at about mile 3.5 and stayed with her until mile 5, and then it was time to catch up on the rest of the crew.

I came up on Dee and Gena between mile marker 7 and 8 at a place where there was a short out-and-back. This was in a place where I had done the Ole River Half Marathon the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I talked to some New Orleans Track Club volunteers and had complimented them on the race on Saturday and the one that I had attended last November.

When I started doing the math of the time that I rode with Vivian and then for a shorter length of time with Dee and Gena, I realized that Greg and Cassie were probably a good bit ahead. It was time to start to get moving a little faster.

I caught Greg just as he was making the left hand turn on to Esplanade. I gave him an update on everyone, and then went to catch up with Cassie.

I felt odd. My original plan was to come, watch and cheer on Cassie, but I have been blessed with a lot of friends – and some of those were also competing. I hope that they didn’t feel cheated in any way because I have known Cassie a little bit longer than everyone else. I think that I had said some things that might have been construed the wrong way, but I also think everyone knows that I just don’t go out to try to hurt someone or make situations awkward. I don’t think anybody thought any differently, but I just wanted to throw that out there.

I caught up with Cassie at about mile 10 and a half. We talked for a little bit, and she was passing a lot of people by just keep running. Once we passed mile 11, I told her that if I didn’t see her at the finish line (because I needed to drive back to Houston that evening) that I was, in essence, congratulating her. However, she said that she needed me to stick around for a little bit.

I didn’t say it then, but it was going through my head. As a friend, I was excited for Cassie. I was also very proud for her though certainly not even a small amount of what her husband, Mom and aunt were. I was comfortable enough with Cassie to let Waverly hang with her in Parkersburg, West Virginia in 2005 while I ran the News and Sentinel Half Marathon. I had only met Cassie not even three months before at a Thursday night 5K in downtown Houston where I think I helped her to the first of two 5K PR’s. Some people, you just have that feel for and trust in.

When Cassie and Manny got married, Waverly and I made the drive to Austin to register for the marathon that morning (to be able to run with Bill for much of the Half) and then drove back to attend their wedding and reception that evening. (We would drive back over the next morning to run!) You just do those things for friends – and never even think about it.

But all of that to say this: If there was anybody that I hoped Waverly would be able to emulate their successes, it would be that which Cassie has obtained in her life.

She mused a little bit about not beating the Blogger Half Ironman record that Sarah set, but hey, the bottom line is that she was finishing what she had set out to do.

I gave Cassie a high five shortly before she turned right on to Decatur, and then I saw her again probably less than 200 yards from the finish line.

After that I saw and talked to Leslie Watts and her husband for a few minutes before getting on my bike, getting back to my truck and beginning the long drive back to Spring.

It was a good weekend and well worth all that was undertaken.

United Way Mississippi River Bridge 5K Picture

Courtesy: nolaPIC.com

Not A Good Last 30 Days

The last 30 days or so has brought what I hope to be a finite amount of sorrow.

On Saturday night during the Texas Independence Relay, we received word that Edwin's father, Haywood Quarles, had passed away from his battle with lymphoma.

Two weeks later, one of our TIR teammates, John Maloney, got a call on a Friday night that his daughter, Allison, was critically injured in a car accident on the way to the Rodeo Houston performance of Taylor Swift. She would succumb to those injuries the following afternoon at Ben Taub Hospital.

Last week, I received news from my Dad, through a work associate, that a former co-worker and family friend, Geenita Sturdivant, had lost a 2-year battle to pancreatic cancer. She and her husband, Morris, were two of many individuals who had helped me as a young Patient Financial Services professional while I worked for American Medical International (AMI) in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s.

And just last night, on the drive home from watching Cassie and others compete in Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, I got a call from Lance Phegley of RTN/ITR that Kent Wells, one of Gary Mulvihill's timers with Run Wild Sports, suffered a heart attack while he was on a post-race run at the Lone Star Triathlon Festival on Sunday.

I hadn't heard anything more today, but saw former HARRA president Tom Stilwell's Facebook message that a group was going to gather for an informal 4-mile run on Saturday at Memorial Park of one of Kent's favorite routes.

Here is the note that I received from Tom just about an hour ago:

Sorry you found out this way. I was sure you knew.

This is what I know from talking to people who were timing the race with him as well as from talking to the doctors.

Kent was timing the Lone Star Triathlon -- specifically he was helping with the half iron half marathon portion late in the afternoon on Sunday. His segment of the course had been completed, and he decided to go for a run. He was running on the course and came up on a water station.

He started complaining of chest pains, and went down at or near the water station. They called 911. EMS arrived and Kent was unconscious and had no pulse. They worked on him and transported him to the airport. They life flighted him to Hermann Hospital, working on him in the helicopter. He arrived and they worked on him about another 30 to 40 minutes and called it.

The doctors told us about 6:45 pm on Sunday evening. His brother and Uncle are in town and are trying to take care of some of the arrangements. He will be buried where he grew up and where his family still lives in Arkansas.

People are contributing pictures to an album at:
http://gallery.me.com/scottwonderly#100030&bgcolor=black&view=grid

If you don't know who Kent is, you may have recognized him at races in the timing tent as he had a large strawberry over his left eye.

But he is one of the nicest people anyone could have ever met.

I would see Kent at numbers of races and talked to him at length at the YMCA Trail Run 5K in Conroe as well as last October's Huntsville Half Marathon.

His pleasant personality and kindness will most definitely be missed in the Houston running community.

Been Busy!

March 7-8 - Texas Independence Relay
March 15 - Lucky Trails Marathon, Seabrook (Public Address Announcing)
March 22 - Tour de Houston, 70-miles
March 28 - Run The Woodlands 5K, The Woodlands
March 29 - Angie's Half Crazy! Half Marathon, Houston

And it doesn't get any less busy soon ...

April 4 (Sat) - United Way Mississippi River Bridge Race 5K (Destrehan to Luling, La.)
April 5 (Sun) - (Watch) Ironman 70.3, New Orleans
April 11 (Sat) - (Public Address Announcing) Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon (Groveton)April 18 (Sat) - MS150
April 19 (Sun) - MS150
May 17 (Sun) - Delaware Half Marathon (Wilmington, Del.)

Bellaire Trolley Run vs. 4 The Park Run

If I were going to be in town and running a race, I would be at the Bellaire Trolley Run.

The bottom line: Support HARRA and the Al Lawrence Running Club.

This note from Roberta's column in the Houston Chronicle this morning: "The popular Bellaire Trolley Run will also be held Saturday, and Tyler said that next year, 4 the Park organizers would look for a new date that doesn’t conflict with any of the races in the spring series sponsored by the Houston Area Road Runners Association."

Please. They - and their primary sponsor - knew of the date conflict and still chose to keep it as it is. It was relayed to me that the primary sponsor advised the MPC in favor of the date versus "a small part of their constituency".

Let's hope that the primary sponsor has a check on hand to give to the Conservancy that equals or tops the $25,000 that HARRA committed more than a year ago.

Then I would say all is forgiven. Maybe.