. 7t-/>rutin/ //, fp<$p
 77/f ( XI//L ' 1////M'&
Hospital stay makes you rethink your priorities
OK, Eddie: Maybe I'll write a book, too
An aspirin-cured feeling had been in my foot for a couple of days, hut when the foot was so swollen that I couldn't get my shoe on, my boss told me, You're going to the doctor - and no arguments."
Earl Cox
Cats' Pause Columnist
I know you won't believe this, but I am blessed with a family physician who - are you ready for a shock? - will even come to your home when you need him! Dr. Charles P. Davis took one look and sent me off to see a vascular specialist He, in turn, called for a non-invasive examination (that means they don't have to cut on you to see what's the matter). A nice lady named Pat Rogers, who has a son at UK, let me look at my own veins, courtesy of an ingenious machine. It took her very tittle time to discover my problem; blood clot
Just those words were enough to scare me because it was a blood clot that caused the death of my mother.
So it was off to the hospital. As active as I am, there is no way that I could ever be a good patient. Hut the head nurse finally figured out a way to keep
me in Baptist East Hospital in Louisville: She kept assigning increasingly prettier nurses to fuss at me. No kidding.
This, thank goodness, was only my second time in a hospital. The other time I broke a shoulder when I stepped on my loyal, loving @#$&%A cat
Then I didn't have to worry about my oldest daughter. Her name is Sarah Cox, MD., and those initials make her think that she can gang up on me with my other doctors. She's on the staff of Baptist East, an OB/GYN. I keep assuring her that I'm not pregnant and that she has no business sticking her nose into my care - but did you ever try telling a doctor anything?
Seriously, I think it does some of us fortunate ones good to be in a hospital and see some really sick people - and the wondrous physicians, nurses and other personnel who make hospitals miraculous places.
I thought of a recent letter to CM. Newton, congratulating him on becoming the athletic director-to-be at UK It was from one of Newton's teammates and roommates at UK, Guy Strong. But the letter also contained the news that one of their friends had died.
AL Wiseman had been a lifelong friend of Strong in Irvine, where both bad been athletic stars. Strong, Newton and other Wildcats had fed A.I. off their plates when he visited Strong at UK
Al. (his name was Abraham Isaac, but one one but his REALLY close friends ever dared call him that) has died a lingering death, a cancer victim.
Strong's letter from one basketball coach to another contained these words, "It makes you stop and think just how insignificant basketball is."
TIMES CHANGE - Speaking of Newton, I had to laugh when I think of how much times have changed since he was hired by Transylvania for his first coaching job.
I was working my way through UK and one of my many jobs was covering the Transy basketball and baseball teams coached by the school's athletic director, Harry Stephenson.
Now when a coach is hired, a big press conference is caDed and the TV cameras are foiled out.
Former UK coach Joe B. Hall, who does color commentary on basketball games for ABC Sports and the SEC TV Network, has shown tremendous improvement as a television analyst.
But I was at Transy on afternoon when Stephenson said, "Don't you go by the SAE house on your way back to (the UK) campus? How about stopping in and telKng Newt that we've decided to hire him."
HOWS THAT? - I found the news story exceedingly interesting when Eddie Sutton announced that he and all of his assistants are keeping diaries so they can write a book or books.
Hey, guys, really it's unnecessary. I've been keeping one for two years andTIl be glad to share. Besides, some of you aren't at practice enough to keep up. I
will have to charge you something, say about $19.95. That's about what my book will cost m even autograph it for you
OK NOW? - Seeing hospital volunteer Becky Blunk, widow of Courier-Journal photographer Al Blunk, reminded me of a great football story.
Blunk was shooting a Louisville Central football game one night, but he wasn't getting good pictures because everything was too far away.
Central High assistant Edward Q. Adams asked what was wrong. Adams called time and called the quarterback to the sideline. The next six plays were run right in front of Blunk.
"Got enough?" asked the cooperative Adams.
Assured that the C-J man was taken care of, Central went back to its game plan.
ST. X GROWS - When you consider St Xavier's record in both atademics and athletics, the Louisville Catholic school may be Kentucky's finest. Now it's going to get better with a $5.5million athletic and assembly complex due to start this summer. Included will be an Olympic-size pool, weight room and wrestling room.
OLE MISS TICKETS - Over the years Ole Miss has depended on UK fans from the Jackson Purchase to fill up its gym when the Cats played there. As you know, the school refused to sell Kentuckians tickets this season.
Basketball never will be No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference, but it has come a long way. It used to be that some SEC teams scheduled their home games with Kentucky as places like Paducah, Owensboro and Louisville's Jefferson County Armory.
WAY TO GO, JOE - Joe Hall has improved tremendously since he's been doing analysis for ABCs No. 2 team. I thought he did a fine job with Gary Bender on the Louisville-Ohio State game.