Gamecock Saturday

“It’s another Gamecock Saturday…”  – WIS – AM 560

The news came Wednesday afternoon that Bob Fulton had died.

For 43 years, Bob Fulton broadcast University of South Carolina sporting events. Although he also broadcast baseball and basketball, most fans will probably remember him best for his football broadcasts. I fondly remember listening to WIS-AM on many a “Gamecock Saturday”. Gamecock Saturday wasn’t just a radio broadcast, it was an event.  Everything began with a two-hour pregame show as Gene McKay and his partner analyzed the opponent, ran down the injury list, and checked on scores from other games across the nation. The pregame show was broadcast from the stadium parking lot with thousands of fans nearby. Whenever arch-rival Clemson University was mentioned, Carolina fans would answer BOOOO! The catcalls turned to cheers if Clemson was losing their game.

The pregame ended about ten minutes before game time and then Bob Fulton’s voice brought the entire state into Williams-Brice Stadium. I was one of the far away fans – I could be raking leaves or sweeping the carport, it didn’t matter. If it was fall, my body was working but my mind was at the game.

A trip to the South Carolina State Fair when Carolina was playing at home was a double treat. Williams-Brice Stadium is directly across the street from the fairgrounds; you had to get there early if you didn’t want to sit in traffic all day. Unusually enough, you didn’t have to bring your radio. Every third person seemed to have a transistor radio pressed to their ear, and you could hear Bob Fulton broadcasting no matter where you were. Occasionally you might have to ride the Ferris Wheel and try to catch a glimpse of the scoreboard, but not often.

And then you’d hear Bob utter those magical words – “Touchdown, Carolina!” – and the stadium would erupt in cheers. State Fair strangers would raise their index fingers and shout “Go Gamecocks!” to each other. The sun seemed just a little brighter, the day a little warmer, and it was a great day to be in South Carolina.

Fulton retired in 1995; a few years later WIS-AM lost the contract to broadcast South Carolina football and the Gamecock Saturday tagline was retired. Carolina still plays football, of course, and we still have the State Fair, but it just doesn’t seem quite the same. The days of my youth have slipped by, and now Gamecock Saturday exists only in my mind.

Thanks for being such a large part of it, Bob.

Casual Fan

Certainly you’ve heard the big news – the University of South Carolina beat the number 1 football team in the nation,  the University of Alabama. Boy, it was something to see! I would have loved to have been there, but I am a “casual fan”.

Now I consider myself a pretty loyal Gamecock supporter, but 1) I am not a Student; 2) I don’t give a ton of money to the Gamecock Club; so the athletics department considers me a Casual Fan. And like most venues, the Casual Fan doesn’t qualify for Premium Seating Options (a fancy way of saying “Good seats”).  Sit in the student section? Nope! Take the elevator to the skyboxes or sit close to the field? Surely you jest. Casual fans get the leftovers. But there are 80,000 seats in Williams Brice Stadium – lots of leftovers! And even with my heart defect I am mobile, so I don’t sit in the Handicapped section. Someone else may need that space.

You still have to think ahead, because with 80,000 people trying to get to the same place, not everyone can park close. Usually the closer you can park, the more money you contributed. So a guy like me might as well plan to leave early, because I can’t get there five minutes before game time. Sprinting to my seat just doesn’t work for me – especially if I have a seat in the  upper deck. The advantage to getting there early, of course, is that you get to take your time, look around, and if you are lucky, bump into a friend who invites you over to a tailgate party!

But then you have to hike the steps to your seat – and not at your own pace anymore. Steps and I do not get along well, I need to take it slow and easy and rest occasionally. That’s really hard to do with a group of fans behind you, all anxious to get to their seats. (Yeah, I’m the slowpoke that’s holding up progress!) And if my seat is high enough, I ain’t coming down until the game is over. No concession stand trip, because the fan who walks down must walk back up. Once is enough for me!

I’ve sat in some high seats at times. A friend and I went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game in the early 1990’s. That was before my stroke and I could handle steps better back then, and we had very high seats. The game announcer told us that Steve Avery was the Braves’ pitcher that night, but we weren’t sure – this little guy about half an inch tall walked out to the mound! He was a very good pitcher, but we couldn’t tell you if it was actually Steve Avery or not.

I had two sets of tickets to an opening round baseball game at the 1996 Olympics – one pair was low on the field, the others were very high. I kept the low seats and gave the higher seats to a friend and her boyfriend. Since we never saw each other at the game, I called her later and asked if they had made it.

“We were there! It was great, thank you again!”

Where were you two sitting? I asked.

“We were in the very top row! I think we were two rows above Jesus!” (Which team was He pulling for? I thought, but didn’t ask.)

Weather can also be a factor. It can get cold in South Carolina – and I’m cold natured. When I get cold, I can’t feel my fingers and toes. Then I can feel them again – they hurt! And until I get warm, I can’t move them without pain. My dad and I were able to go the 1981 South Carolina – Clemson game, when Clemson finished with 12 wins and no losses. The game was miserable (Clemson ran us off the field) and the weather was miserable  – highs in the 40’s with a stiff breeze blowing.  Not pleasant at all! Still haven’t figured out what I was doing there.

So when you add the walking distance, the steps, the weather, and my heart defect, I usually just don’t go to ball games. But I still have the best seat in the house…

…right in front of the TV!

Urban Meyer’s Heart Problems

In a reversal of yesterday’s decision, University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer has decided not to resign or retire, but rather to take a “leave of absence”. Assistant Coach Steve Addazio will take over the team after the upcoming Sugar Bowl.  Meyer could come back as coach at a later date. According to press reports, Meyer apparently changed his mind at practice this morning.And if reports are true, he changed his mind despite passing out after a game.

Now it is starting to sound serious.

According to The Palm Beach Post, a University of Florida spokesman says that the previous reports of passing out and a diagnosis of a defective heart valve are both “inaccurate.” Meyer himself denied the heart attack story in a press conference earlier today.

So what is really going on? From the information that we have seen, it sounds as if Coach Meyer has a problem with one of his heart valves. Three of the four heart valves – the Tricuspid, the Aortic, and the Pulmonary – are composed of three flaps of muscle (each flap is known as a cusp). The Mitral valve is different; it only has two cusps (two flaps) and actually extends downward, it is called the Mitral valve because it looks like a Mitre, the tall triangular religious hat.

All four valves act as doors to keep the blood flowing on the correct path through the heart. All four are unidirectional – blood can only flow in one direction. Imagine working in a restaurant with large swinging doors connecting the kitchen with the dining area. If you are going in one direction and another waiter is coming from the other direction, there’s going to be a collision. To prevent this, the owner tells everyone to return to the kitchen through a different set of doors – but some of the staff are forgetful, and accidents keep happening.

So the owner drives a nail into the door frame, very close to the door, on the kitchen side. Now the doors will open into the dining room, but the nail prevents them from opening into the kitchen. Normal heart valves operate on the same principle – everything goes in one direction only.

Regurgitation occurs when the valve doesn’t seal well and blood leaks backward into the chamber it just flowed out of. When a heart chamber has more blood to pump out than it should, it will try to compensate – and this will eventually lead to problems. Seeing an enlarged heart chamber on an echocardiogram or an X-ray is a good sign that a problem is brewing. Corrective action would need to be taken.

Mitral Valve Prolapse is another guess that can be made from the limited information available. Prolapse is the thickening of one for the leaflets of the Mitral Valve, which can then become dislodged from its correct position. This leads to Mitral Valve Regurgitation. It can be fatal, but since Coach Meyer’s health issue has been described as “not life threatening”, this is probably not the answer.

My best guess – and it is just a guess, I am not a doctor, and I am certainly not Coach Meyer’s doctor – is that he has a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. A Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) has two cusps rather than three, and is a Congenital Heart Defect. It is the most common heart defect that there is and may not ever be diagnosed. If it is diagnosed, it is usually caught when a patient is middle aged or older (Coach Meyer is in his 40’s) when the valve starts to calcify.

The normal course of treatment is to monitor the valve (through EKG and Magnetic Resonance Angiography) and replace the valve surgically if that is needed. Under normal circumstances it is non fatal (though there can be problems with the Aorta) and someone with BAV has a lifespan comparable with someone who does not have the defect.

As I have said before, I am not a doctor and this is based on assumptions.

What’s going on with Urban Meyer?

That GASP you heard a few hours ago occurred when University of Florida football Coach Urban Meyer unexpectedly announced that he was resigning after the Sugar Bowl. It was completely unexpected and speculation turned to what would – or could – cause a highly successful and respected football coach to just suddenly step down.

Meyer has lived for years with a cyst in his head that becomes inflamed and causes headaches when he becomes excited, stressed, or angry.Those three emotions describes a coach’s life, but he has learned not to get so agitated as to cause himself problems. So that’s probably not it.

After the SEC Championship Game, Meyer was admitted to the hospital with  dehydration but was later revealed to include chest pains.He even suffered a heart attack during the football season.

ESPN is reporting that Coach Meyer is stepping down because of a “heart valve muscle defect”, while The Orlando Sentinel contends that is untrue – there is no official diagnosis yet. Early reports of any event are confusing, and it is often best to apply the 24 Hour Rule: Any news reporting within 24 hours of an unexpected/major event should be considered speculation.

Whatever the problem is – and I am hopeful that it is NOT a CHD – it has to be serious to make a man turn his back on such a job. No matter where life’s journey leads Coach Meyer, I wish him all the best.

You’re never too old!

My family was understandably worried when my 84 year old grandma had heart surgery a few years ago, it turns out that we didn’t have to be.

When you need help you call 911, even in bad weather. Paramedic SuperMonkey and his partner answer a call during hurricane force winds, and in the process they earn Oregon’s Medal of Valor!

Paramedic SuperMonkey strikes again when one of his patients turns out to be more than he expects…

Sean over at Poked and Prodded says that filling out the medical paperwork is just as much fun as having a tooth yanked. He’s getting ready for 2009 right now…

The Angry Pharmacist has some advice for you if you are trying to snowjob him into early refills of narcotics: “Lie better next time!” (WARNING: The pharmacist isn’t gentle, and sensitive ears might want to skip this one!)

But in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they know how to deal with addicts! (Especially the royal ones!)

Kevin, MD wonders why American Football players (who have access to some of the best medical care there is) are suddenly prone to infections. Could it be all those fancy diagnostic tools?

Now that you’re caught up on the news, go check on Katie!

Between the Hedges

The University of South Carolina plays the University of Georgia Saturday afternoon. I don’t like to think about Georgia. Yes, I am a Gamecock fan, but that’s not the reason.

We didn’t have a football team my first two years in college. Late in my Sophomore year, we decided to put together a football team, and in my senior year we traveled to Georgia to play the Bulldogs.

Now you need to understand that this was Club Football, not a varsity program. They called it Club Football because it wasn’t officially a part of the Athletic Department, but was funded through student fees. It was a “club”, much like a fraternity or the French Club. Only this club had official school permission to put on pads and helmets and bust heads. We didn’t play the #2 in the nation Georgia Bulldogs. Nor did we play the Junior Varsity. Shoot, we didn’t even play the 3rd string, the practice squad, or even the waterboys. We played the guys below that.

So I got a job with the team as the Statistician and I traveled with the team, keeping the official statistics. I would have loved to have gotten on the field for a play or two, but my heart wasn’t built for it. Not only that, I had never played full speed contact football in my life… those guys would kill me! Our team manager – all five foot three of him – did talk the coaches into letting him suit up and hold the ball on an extra point, but I never even did that. It would be just my luck that would be the one play when the other team would block the kick, tie our kicker into a pretzel, and step on my head. So I played it safe.

The day came in my Senior year that we were to travel to Athens to play the Bulldogs. We were surprised to learn that we would actually be playing in Sanford Stadium! A trip to play Clemson earlier that year had been a major disappointment when we fould out that we would not be playing in Death Valley, but in the hard dirt parking lot! Our guys and the Clemson players had to walk the length of the “field” before the game, looking for rocks, pop-tops, and any other dangerous items. At least their Club Football team wore the orange pants. Let the record state that WE were the first team to beat Clemson when their football team wore the orange pants!

I left the locker room and walked onto the field, where I was met by Georgia’s Statistician. He told me that it was about time to head up to the press box and get ready. My “press box” back home was the top of a panel truck, so I was looking forward to seeing what the facilities of a Major College Football Program really looked like. Suddenly, I realized this guy was heading for the bleachers.

“How do we get up there?” I asked.

“Go up the steps to the Club Level and the security guard will let us into the press box,” came the reply. “There’s an escalator there.”

Oh, boy. If you think Sanford Stadium looks big from the TV shot taken from the blimp, try standing on the field looking up at the press box.

“You guys got an elevator to the Club Level?”

“Yeah, but the stadium itself is closed. This is the only way we can get in.”

So we started climbing. Football bleachers are a lot like steps, and I don’t do so well on steps. Before long, my heart is pumping, my lungs are heaving, and my stomach is churning.

“Hey, hold on a minute, I gotta re -” I never finished the sentence, because right then I sat down hard and threw up.

“You OK?” The Georgia guy asked, but you could tell by the tone of his voice that he was pretty disappointed that I had just befouled his stadium. I was a bit disappointed myself, especially since my heart was still freaking out.

The security guard appeared, apparently summoned by the Stats guy. He took one look at me and called his boss, who called our team co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator helped me back down the bleachers — I was closer to the top, but it is much easier to go down than it is to go up – and to a waiting car. The car, driven by a University of Georgia Employee, took me to the nearest hospital.

I went over everything with the ER doc, but apparently the words “Congenital Heart Defect” and “Tricuspid Atresia” just didn’t register with him. That changed the moment he looked at my X-Ray. He didn’t say a word, but he looked at the X-Ray, looked at me, back at the X-Ray, and his jaw dropped.

The rest of the story is non eventful. After a half a dozen tests to make sure I was really OK, and a discussion with the hospital’s Chief of Cardiology and every intern he could find (“I hope you don’t mind, we see patients like you once a year.”) they told me I had just overdone it, warned me to be careful, and sent me back to the stadium. I got there just as the clock ran out. We lost 17-0.

It was my own fault I got into trouble and wound up in the hospital. I should have known better than to attempt to climb the steps, or I should have listened to my body and stopped and rested. But I let the “oh, wow!” moment get to me and I didn’t think. You can’t do that. With a heart defect, you always have to think about what you are doing.

I also learned that day to keep a copy of my relevant medical records with me at all times. I used to carry a small folder with exam notes and EKG results; now the folder has been replaced by a USB Drive clipped to my belt. I also carry the Adult Congenital Heart Association’s Health Passport in my back pocket, and I wear a MedicAlert bracelet. You have to consider who will speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself. (The ACHA’s Health Passport is free, but you must be a member to receive one. Membership in the ACHA is also free!)