It's been a great day. Period. Pablo was 100% all day. We played another inning of in-room flashlight rules baseball. The kid was beating me 16 - 0 when I had to leave for my speaking gig at Paramount Studios. When I got back from that, he was still smiling.
Jo Ann and Patricia went home when I got to CHLA this morning. They spent the day preparing the house for Pablo's arrival on Friday. They picked up Grady at school, hit In N Out Burger on the way home, and then headed back to CHLA for the night shift. They are pulling back-to-back overnights. And I ain't gonna complain! There was a different vibe in the room all day today. And this evening.
On the way back from Paramount, I realized I haven't been west of the hospital in 27 days. Insane! The city looked different, but still the same. Terry Green from the CHLA Development office drove me. Great man who is part of a great team of people; they raise $100 million a year for CHLA. They have to—or the hospital couldn't survive. Imagine if George Bush's war machine were a research and treatment operation for the five deadliest diseases in the world. Then Terry and his colleagues could all retire LOL!
Terry and I had a great carb loading dinner with the Paramount Triathlon team, who, like me, are doing the Malibu Triathlon on Sunday. It's a a two-day event, and a benefit for cancer research and treatment at CHLA. A bulls eye for me: cycling and supporting one of my kids. What could be better? I am on a relay team with Adam Harrison from Dangerbird (runner) and his friend Brendan Carroll (swimmer). One thing was odd though—they didn't have dinner plates—we piled our 'carb load' on dessert plates. Oh well. Carb loading is a myth anyway. It was great food, and I got to tell the story of Pablo/our family/cancer/CHLA. I made a point to look into people's eyes when I spoke. There were about 200 eyeballs to look at, so it wasn't hard.
When I finished speaking, they gave me a giant Paramount gift bag. It was filled with DVDs, two 'Love Guru' tees and a Team Paramount tee—all masssssive size L. I gave them to Patricia to give to Harry. I'm not sure if he'll rock the Mike Meyers/Guru tees, but who knows?
This afternoon, we met a new oncologist dude who stopped by to say hello. His 17-year-old son had Wilms' Tumor when he was 3.5 years. They are from Calcutta, India, and still lived there at that time; they traveled to Chicago for treatment. That was back in the 9-4. In the world of cancer treatment, the 13 year difference in treatment and technology is colossal. Although his son had Wilms' in only one kidney, he had radiation and chemo, and is happy and healthy now. I talked to the guy as long as I could. At some point, he clearly didn't want to talk anymore. So I kept talking. And then I said Goodbye and let him see his next patient. The man is not our doctor, and I believe he came by just to relate to us. Another CHLA angel. I was walking on air after hearing about his son.
Boy, was that baseball game fun. We have to keep that rolling when we get home.
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