A few moments after Dr. McKusick and Dr. Kopits spoke, Dr, Kopits came to me and asked if he could take me on as a patient, and would I be willing to wait and see him after he finished with his other patients. WOW...like I had anywhere ELSE to go?!! "Yes!"
We had this conversation around 9:45 A.M. I was his last patient and saw him around 7:30 P.M. and absolutely did not mind. One of the very first questions he asked was, "Please tell me, HOW do you get ON your horse?!!"
He had all my records and at first, could not believe I was able to walk again following the bleed out and hematoma paralysis of my most recent spine surgery. With his nurse he spent over an hour with me. We also discussed the new spine pain I was experiencing, which turned out to be the arachnoiditis.
Dr. Kopits asked if I could remain in Baltimore for at least four weeks. Financially, I told him there was no way I possibly could. He said, "Wait a moment," and made a call.
Where Dr. Kopits was staffed at the hospital in Towson, Maryland, the hospital had a Ronald McDonald kind of house on the property just for the patients and families of Dr. Kopits. He secured a room for me.
Since neither Dr. Kopits, his nurse, or myself had eaten all day, he wanted to take us out to eat. Hours earlier I wasn't even his patient...hadn't even met him before, and with his nurse, I had been asked to join him for dinner! All because I took a step of courage.
The specially designed House I stayed in, had low sinks, toilets, bathtubs, etc. just for a little person 3' tall. It was amazing. I had to actually get on my knees when at the sink! For the first time in my entire life I felt what it was like to be "tall."
My first Saturday in Baltimore, Dr. Kopits came and watched the Preakness horse race with me. He hadn't seen it before!
I was seen by many doctors, including a renown hematologist, and underwent many tests. One in particular not only revealed the arachnoiditis, but the severity of it. And my blood counts were still out of control, necessitating many transfusions. This is when Dr. Kopits asked if I could move to Maryland. There was no doubt my physical future would be a very daunting one, and it grieved him.
He was a dear man...an incredible man, and a very gifted orthopaedic surgeon who deeply cared about all his patients and was beloved by all. Sadly, in 2003, after a courageous fight, Dr. Kopits succumbed to a brain tumor.
If I did not have the courage to take that step of a thousand miles to make it to Baltimore, I never would have known many things about my medical journey. And most of all, never would have known such an amazing doctor.
Have courage dear ones, to take that single step.
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