While I was in Reno I ran into one of my old friends from fire. He has made lots of money contracting in the fire game and is extremely wealthy now. He and I took a liking to each other many years ago. He reminds me a lot of my grandfather. He is about the same size (real small) with the same coloring and his eyes are the lightest clearest blue just like grandpa's were.
This past year he had to have a pace maker put in to keep his heart in rythm. When they did the surgery they left a 4"x4" sponge below the pacemaker when they were closing up after the surgery. He was very sick and full of infection and finally went back. They removed the sponge and worked on some other problems he was having. While they were doing it they found he had cancer very badly in his bowels and removed a large part of his colon. He is doing really good now and is starting to gain back some weight. He lost a tremendous amount fo weight through this ordeal and is very thin.
We were visiting and he told me "everyone thinks I should sue the doctor - everyone - and I know I have a well documented case that an error was made during my surgery. My biggest problem with suing the doctor is that if he hadn't made a mistake and I hadn't been required to go back he wouldn't have found my cancer and I would be dead now. I really don't feel like suing him. What do you think?"
I told him "If you really think they wouldn't have found the cancer if you hadn't been required to go back then I wouldn't sue him - but that is entirely your call."
He said "That's the problem with the world and why doctors and hospitals cost so much is that everyone wants something for nothing so they sue. When they win all of our bills go up. The doctor did a good job of keeping me alive even though I was pretty sick for a while. I have thought about this for a long time (almost a year) and I am not going to sue him."
I really enjoy the friendship I have developed with this old gentleman and this little incident makes me very happy that I know him. He has always been fair in all of his dealings and I think that is why he has become so wealthy.
Later on in the evening I had one of the Logistics Chiefs from California come up to me and ask how I could afford to go out on the town with him. I told him that we didn't do anything that required a lot of money. Mostly we just went to dinner and visited, but if he had wanted to do anything else he could damned sure afford it - he is worth several billion dollars. It makes me happy that I have a friend like him that just enjoys visiting about things we both enjoy.
HOPE HE GETS LOTS BETTER AND MAKES IT TO FIRE CAMP THIS SEASON - he was too sick to make it last year.
Some say the world will end with fire.
Others say with ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those that favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate,
To say that for destruction ice,
Is also great and would suffice.
Robert Frost
"YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID" - Ron White
"Good things come to those who wait, but, only the things LEFT by those who hustle." - Unknown (at least by me)
"Life is wonderful, without it you are dead." - Hy "Pete" Peterson - Park City and Kenecott Miner
"Don't worry about those people in your past---there is a reason they are not in your present." - Unknown
"Life's tough - it's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!" - Vince Lombardi
"If you aren’t living on the edge, you’re probably taking up too much space.” ~ Attributed to Jim Whittaker by Doug ‘Swani’ Swantner, Alaska Smokejumper and Air Attack Base Manager (Ret.)
Others say with ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those that favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate,
To say that for destruction ice,
Is also great and would suffice.
Robert Frost
"YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID" - Ron White
"Good things come to those who wait, but, only the things LEFT by those who hustle." - Unknown (at least by me)
"Life is wonderful, without it you are dead." - Hy "Pete" Peterson - Park City and Kenecott Miner
"Don't worry about those people in your past---there is a reason they are not in your present." - Unknown
"Life's tough - it's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!" - Vince Lombardi
"If you aren’t living on the edge, you’re probably taking up too much space.” ~ Attributed to Jim Whittaker by Doug ‘Swani’ Swantner, Alaska Smokejumper and Air Attack Base Manager (Ret.)
About Me
- Dee Ice Hole
- I am married and have seven children and twenty grandchildren. I retired January 1, 2010 after working 39+ years for the Forest Service...NEW CHAPTER IN MY LIFE HAS BEGUN!
2 comments:
I wish there were more level-headed people in this world. I think the world would run a lot more smoothly.
I could've sued UPS when I hurt my back. Looking back now, I kind of wish I would've. After all, they did make me finish my shift before letting me go see a doctor. Pretty sure I'd have had a strong case, and could've gotten a lot of money. Ciest la vie.
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