March 25, 2025 • 27 mins
Being a physician is Leslie’s calling; a gifting.
In this episode, she recounts a whirlwind weekend trip where she visited a recovering friend, and was reminded of a time years ago when she saved a friend’s life through medical intervention and advocacy.
Angella and Leslie emphasize the importance of knowing your gifts and using them to help others.
The conversation highlights the critical need for medical self-advocacy, especially for Black patients
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey Ange, Hello Leslie, how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm good, I'm tired but I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You have every right to be tired.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
You always say that you have every I need to buy an
alarm clock.
If you guys don't know thereference to alarm clock, you
should.
We will put a link somewhere.
I need an alarm clock.
But anyway, inside joke forthose of you who are not
subscribers, Welcome to anotherepisode of Black Boomer.
(00:37):
Besties from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
I'm Angela and that's Lesley, my best friend of
almost almost 50 years.
We're going to be saying 50years soon.
I think we're at 48 now,something like that I think.
So go deep into conversations.
(01:01):
We'd like to share them withyou because at this point we are
very clear that we bring a lotof insight, we bring a lot of
laughter.
We bring deep thinking totopics that typically stay on
the surface, so we're going toget into it today.
(01:23):
I've had a whirlwind weekend.
She has Leslie, leslie.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Just thinking about it makes you tired.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, leslie is.
Leslie has done some remarkablethings, crazy things, in in her
life and it's when you reflecton them that it's like wow you
really, you really did that.
Yeah, you really did that sowe're going to be talking about
(01:57):
some of what she's been up to,and then, um, that reminded us
of something huge that happeneda few years ago that you know.
Her list is so it, it, it getsso full of my shenanigans on the
bottom you forget what's on thebottom.
These are not shenanigans, theseare big time shit.
(02:18):
So you'll hear.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Anyway, go ahead, leslie, tell the people so I was
minding my own business, justwalking around minding my own
business.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Own business.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Well, I went down to Florida after work on Friday to
surprise my mom because it's herbirthday.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Happy birthday mom.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So she's down in Florida with my sister and I
have a house down there as youall know.
So I went to check on the house, surprised my mom and we took
her out to dinner on Saturday.
So it was really nice, wasreally important for me to visit
(03:10):
a really close friend of minewho just went through major
surgery and she's a veryimportant part of my life, and I
said that I couldn't go down toFlorida, even though I spoken
to her over the telephone.
I really needed to eyeball itand see for myself that she was
going to be okay and just togive her a quick hug.
So I drove on Sunday from myhome on the east coast of
(03:37):
central Florida to her home inTampa.
It took about a two and a halfhour drive.
Home in Tampa it took about twoand a half hour drive and then
my plan was to leave out ofTampa and fly home because I had
to work today.
So I went and I checked on herand progress is coming along but
(04:02):
she's not really out of thewoods yet.
But I'm glad to have seen herand prayed for her and caught my
flight.
I got home a little aftermidnight last night.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's today.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, today, yeah.
So, as I'm telling Ange thestory, I say you know what this
reminds me of, that time that Iwent and literally saved my
girlfriend I'll call her LeighSaved Leigh's life.
And Ange is like what did yousay?
(04:39):
You're like what are youtalking about?
What?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
are you talking about ?
I know you when did this happen?
But again, because there's somany things.
Because the first thing that Ireminded you of is when you
witnessed a dog being hit by acar.
Oh, and what did you do?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, I didn't mind my own business that time.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
It was a poo.
She got hit by a car.
Yeah, Leslie's a dog lover.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, I certainly am, and it was two doors away from
two homes away from mine.
So when I, you know, saw whatwas going on, this was a oh my
gosh.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So I Hold.
Hold a moment Now that you knowwhat we're going to be talking
about just stay just like that.
We want to remind you to pleaselike and subscribe.
This is how we do it.
We have candid conversations.
They will just really edify andgive you joy.
Please hit like and subscribeand the notification bell so
(05:46):
that you can know when we loadmore content Go.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Go.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Okay, so you're so silly.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So, anyway, so the dog got hit and the poor dog is
yelling and yelping and did thisand I'm like nobody is doing
anything.
By this time the police came,the car stopped and it was a
little bit of a commotion, butthe dog is on the ground,
yelping and stuff, and I'm like,well, I have a dog, I had a dog
(06:14):
at that time and I'm like, allright, first thing, I'm going to
get this dog to the ER.
I'm going to take it to the ERthat I take my dog to maybe a 15
minute drive from the house.
All right, how are we going toget this yelping, screaming dog
into the car?
And oh, just thinking about itwas so I run in my house and get
(06:35):
my dog's muzzle and I tell the10-year-old kid who owns the dog
put the muzzle on the dog,because he's gnashing at this
point and he's like I'm tooscared I'm too scared.
I'm like what do you mean?
You just get your dog.
(06:56):
But anyway so I get the muzzleon and the police help me to get
the dog into the.
I had the Q5 at the time so ithad the you know the SUV with
the back, so I took the openingoff the top and I put the dog in
the back.
So meanwhile I'm driving andthe au pair of the dog of the
(07:20):
you know the homeowner thefamily, thank you, was in the
car with me.
So I drive to the.
Oh my God, it was horriblebecause the dog was injured and
I don't want the dog to be anymore hurt than he is.
I don't know the extent of hisinjuries and he's yelping and
(07:43):
he's gnashing around.
It's like, ah, and now the aupair and I.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
This is when I would have fainted.
I just would have fainted.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
We're driving, we're stressed, I'm probably going
through red lights and soobviously there's nobody in the
back seat.
So there's one seat.
We're one seat removed from thedog and the dog keeps like it
looks like he's about to comeover the thing and we're both
like if he comes over, we'repulling over and running out the
car.
You know, I don't.
(08:12):
I think he got out of themuzzle by this point.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Oh my.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
God we hurry up and get the dog to the, to the, to
the emergency vet.
In fact I called up and saidI'm bringing in a dog, told them
what was going on, they're like, come right in.
But unfortunately the dog wasalmost mortally injured.
He broke his back and stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So they put him down and all.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And the owner.
So it was funny because Iremember I must have been coming
from work because I was wearingscrubs.
So when the owner came in, youknow, he saw me and he thought I
was one of the staff, hethought I was a vet.
And I'm like no, no, no, no,those are the experts over there
(08:59):
and he and I became friendsever since.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Wow, yeah, so that was a nice story.
So that was just one, but thatwasn't the main story.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Oh Lord.
So a couple of years ago I usedto.
I think we were in our early20s.
We used to work together, meand Lee, so we stayed close and
friends over the years.
Our families, our kids grew uptogether and all of those things
(09:30):
right.
So now Lee has become hadbecome very ill.
This is a couple of years ago.
She has lupus and I'm familiarwith the disease.
So she, she, she developedproblems with her kidneys and
(09:51):
this was really the start of hergoing into kidney failure.
So she was at a local, one ofthe local community hospitals in
Brooklyn, probably for a coupleweeks in the hospital with
worsening kidney function andI'm on the phone with her every
(10:12):
day or every other day.
How's it going?
What's going on?
What medicines are you on andall of this stuff?
And poor Lee was getting sickerand sicker and sicker In the
hospital.
In the hospital and I'm like,well, I mean, she was breathless
at the time and this, and Iunderstand the pathology of
renal failure, but I'm like, dothey have you on this?
(10:33):
Are you doing this?
And you know, her family is atbedside and this, and I'm like
this lady in her fifties orwhatever it's like, I don't like
what's going on.
So I went to visit her and shejust looked awful and I said to
her you know what?
You can't stay in this hospital.
(10:55):
And I think her sister andbrother were there at the time
or whatever.
And they're like, well, she'sin the hospital, they're
treating or whatever.
I said you know, I'm going tocome back tomorrow.
If there's no improvement bytomorrow, tomorrow you're
getting out of this hospital.
Uh, okay, you know, butmeanwhile she's really
(11:17):
decompensating.
So I left jersey and went backto brooklyn to see her the next
day and she was no better and II said you know what?
My friend is going to die ifshe stays here.
You said that to the doctor.
Myself and I said to her youneed to get out of here.
(11:39):
At that time her family wassaying like I don't think you
should.
I said now, mind you, you guys,if you subscribe and you know
our podcast, you also know thatI have a son who was in renal
failure, got a kidney transplantand all of this.
So, as I said, I know whatkidney failure and treatment
(12:00):
looks like.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
But these people just know you as Lee's friend.
They're not really thinking ofyou, as they only know me.
They know I'm a doctor, rightright.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Right, they know I'm a doctor, but they also know me
as Leslie the secretary.
At 20 years old you know thepal and hang out buddy or
whatever you know, they don'tknow me in a clinical way.
I am going to sign you out andtake you to NYU where my son had
(12:34):
gotten treatment.
I called up his nephrologistand told him what was going on
and he said to bring her over.
So now I had to convince Leeand her family that this was the
best plan.
I said we have to go, you arenot going to make it.
(12:56):
And I'm going to say shewouldn't have had days I'm going
to say I mean, she was reallyin that.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
And nobody was doing anything.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I was there and I'm speaking to physicians and I'm
like, well, what's the plan?
What are you going to do aboutthis?
What are you going to do aboutthis?
And nobody would give me astraight answer.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
What, in your estimation?
Why were they so lackadaisicalabout this?
I'm going to be honest.
I'm going to be honest, ofcourse.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I think that they saw this Black woman in into kidney
failure.
That's just the naturalprogression of illness and if
(13:58):
and when she dies, that's whathappens to people like that.
Wow, I don't see any otherexplanation.
Nobody else could tell me whythey weren't bending over
backwards to save the life ofthis woman with two children and
this and that, and nobodythought it was urgent other than
(14:22):
continue to plan, continue, thesame plan continue the same
plan.
I said to her Lee, I'm takingyou out of here.
I went up to the nurse'sstation and I said she is
leaving now.
Print up her medical records,get me a wheelchair.
And were you wearing your capeat?
Speaker 1 (14:44):
the time I think.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
I think at this point , I mean I'm wearing jeans and
whatever coming in, you knowRight right.
And I think and they're like,okay, like.
So I waited in the room andtime is going and I'm like and I
go out where's the medicalrecords?
We got to get a doctor and makesure she's.
So when it was presented to Leethat she had to sign out
(15:10):
against medical advice, ofcourse this became even more
scary and I said you can be noworse getting in my car, and I
even bought a monitor with meand an oxygen tank with me.
Thank God we didn't need to useit, but I finally got the
(15:34):
medical records.
I wheeled her downstairs, shelaid in the back seat of my SUV
Wow and we drove the 45 minutesfrom Brooklyn into midtown
Manhattan and at the time Icalled up the ER and told them
(15:59):
I'm bringing this patient, she'ssuch and such, such and such.
And they saved her life herlife First of all.
She is now with a new kidney.
You saved her life.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
You saved her life.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
I'm telling you, my friend, would not be here today
if I didn't leave work.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
What gave you the nerve?
What gave you the nerve?
You know what?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
it is a couple of things.
The simplest, most honest thingis that I was afraid that my
friend was gonna die wow I sawit, there was no sense of
urgency among the medical staff.
(16:57):
I didn't have an explanationfor it and I said, if she's
going to die, at least letsomebody do the most that they
can do to try to save her.
And I didn't see that happening.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I see.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It's unfortunate that I had to work so hard to
convince her and her family thatthis was the right move.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
We depend on doctors.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I was just going to say we go there for help.
We go in there open and say weneed help, save my life please.
And we put our trust in them.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And I'm not going to say that they couldn't.
Perhaps they didn't have theability or the resources or
whatever, but they didn't saythat and they kept going through
day by day, going through themotions.
And if one hospital 45 minutesaway could have saved her, why
couldn't this one?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Exactly.
I have to think that it hadsomething to do with them not
caring that much that it wasn'tthat urgent a situation to lose
a patient who's critically illin?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
renal failure, a patient like that, because, as
you said, that is how thathappens.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
that's the progression of this regular day,
this is how it happens andwe've seen this before.
Yeah, wow, and to this day thefamily says you saved her life
because you did this day becauseyou did so To this day.
(18:43):
Because you did so, she gotinto the ER.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Yeah, I, you know, I want all the.
I want it all.
I'm watching the movie at thispoint.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And then at that point you know they did the
triage, they assessed her andstuff.
I know that they.
I remember going up to theintensive care unit with her and
this and that, and she was inthere for a couple of weeks.
She was on dialysis for anumber of years before she
(19:11):
finally got a transplant, and meOmari had gotten a transplant,
I guess a year and a half or sobefore her, so I was able to
tell her what to expect.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
The process yes, we talked about how her dialysis
was going and this and that andthis lady, lee man.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
She lived, dialysis or no, she lived every day like
it was her last day she's intopartying.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
She was always a very lively, active person and her
family was always very involvedso she didn't let any grass grow
under her feet.
I'm telling you Wow, oh, mygosh, goosebumps, yeah,
goosebumps, isn't that something?
So, in this new hospital, howlong did it take for her not to
recover but just for things tochange Like within?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
how much time, oh probably a day or two.
I mean it wasn't long.
I mean I saw results right away.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Oh my, and she had been in the other one for weeks.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Oh probably two weeks .
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
No.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Languishing, in my opinion, getting worse.
Because when I first went tovisit her, you know she didn't
look good and weak and this andthat.
And then the second time I wasthere, I'm like oh no, no, what
are you doing here?
Somebody?
Needs to say uncle I give up,discharge this patient you know,
(20:32):
I'm just.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
You know, this is not a 90-year-old woman we're
talking about.
Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, wow, les.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Oh my gosh, Unbelievable.
And I recognize I'm like no.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
No, yeah, there's a different way.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Right, because you saw her humanity.
We gotta try something.
Yeah, yeah, right right.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Oh my gosh, I can't, I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
I gotta reach out and see how she's doing, but last
time I spoke to her she's doingjust great.
She was living a good life.
She is still living her goodlife.
Living la vida loca.
I live la vida loca.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Well, we're happy for her.
We are Very happy for her,Thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Now I'm not saying I drove my three hours over to
Tampa so I could do anything.
Now, I'm not saying I drove mythree hours over to Tampa so I
could do anything, although if Isaw something awry I was going
to say, hey, maybe we need to go.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You know, I'm just giving an opinion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got to be.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Listen, this is something that you say all the
time, Ange.
Listen, this is something thatyou say all the time, Ange.
When we are gifted with certainabilities, one we can't take it
for granted, that's one thing,but the other thing is it is our
obligation to use those giftsin the best way we can.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
It's an obligation, because not?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
everybody has that ability, an obligation, because
not everybody has that ability.
And I'm blessed to be able torecognize and have an effect on
certain things.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I can't do everything but the things that I can do.
I need to.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Because just think, just think and I never went
there, but just think.
If I didn't say, oh well, ifthat's the way, it is sorry, you
know.
Oh, and mourn with the familyand all of this, what would I be
thinking?
Did I do the best that I coulddo.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I should have spoken up, and I was too afraid to
speak up.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
It became your responsibility because you had
the skifting.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
It was my responsibility because I knew
better than the nonsense thatwas going on.
That was nonsense and malarkey.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Foolishness, foolishness, foolishness, wow,
crazy.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Listen, I'm going to just add some exclamation points
to this, to what you said aboutyour gifting.
First of all, if you don't knowwhat you're gifted in, that's
where the problem starts it'strue if you don't know where
your gift, what your gifts are?
Problem, listen, reach out tome, I will help you.
(23:11):
I will help you because it'simportant, because when you know
what they are, then what lesliesaid you know that it is your
responsibility to show up.
That's why you're there.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, it's not happenstance.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
It's not happenstance , it's not.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I even go back and say 40 years ago, when we first
met.
Yeah, about 40 years ago.
Who knows why I sat next to herworking every day 40 years ago.
Right Right, you know the God Iserve puts things in place and
(23:48):
knows, way before we're evenborn, how things are going to
play out.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Alpha and the omega.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
yes, so I could have worked next to her at the
physical therapy place, only tosave her life 40 years later
Maybe she had a job that has notbeen finished on this earth,
yeah, yeah.
And he used me as a conduit.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
We don't know, Yep, we don't know, and he'll use you
.
That's what gifts are for.
They're not for you.
Yeah, I mean you get to havethem, but I'm just saying
they're there in service ofothers.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And speaking of gifts and service, look at the cup
that I'm using my kidney donutcup.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh, very nice.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
So you guys also know I donated my kidney and my
recipient is doing just greatAwesome and it was another thing
that I could do.
Yeah, I didn't know you knowwho knew but I stepped up, I
shared my spare and now somebodyelse is living a good life.
(25:00):
This think he's about50-year-old man Good and happy
life.
Living his happy life, nodialysis, and he's taking good
care of my old kidney and youare taking care of yourself.
And I'm doing the best I can.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
One-dega-dega kidney is kicking it, it is.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It's kicking it.
Wow, awesome, leslie.
I just thought of that.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Really, it's a beautiful thing.
It is, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
It's important to share this with folks so they
understand that number one youtalk about this all the time.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That's number three why I need to get to bed right
now.
Number one Right now, right now, about your gifting.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And number two, about how you have to advocate for
yourself.
Right, there has to, justbecause these doctors know what
the doctors know.
If you see that you're notgetting better, whatever Do, you
know what I mean?
It's not this is your lot inlife.
Yeah, that's serious.
Yeah, like see what it is thatyou need not getting better,
(26:02):
whatever Do you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
It's not this is your lot in life.
Yeah, that's serious.
Yeah, Like see what it is thatyou need to do.
It doesn't mean it's your timeto go.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, you got to try everything.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
And when you don't know what everything means and
when you see a loved one who'svery sick.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
You don't know that there are options or you know
that there are other things thatit could be.
This could be like time to saygoodbye, yeah, but guess what I
knew?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
yes, I knew yes, you did yes you did well.
Thank you for showing up.
I'm sure that um you know sheis um praying for you every day
because you, her life would havebeen stuffed out now anyway, I
(26:49):
know why did this have to be soheavy?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
because sometimes it is, sometimes it just is you
know me and my life of rainbowsand unicorns.
I like light.
I want to keep it light, yeah,but life has all of it.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah, I don't want me in my life of rainbows and
unicorns.
I like light.
I don't want to keep it light.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Yeah, but life has all of it.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah Right, it's not just those parts, it has these
parts too.
Anyway, all right, folks,that's it for this episode.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for listening.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
So this has been another episode of Black Boomer
Besties from Brooklyn, brooklyn.
Hey Ange, Hello Leslie, how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm good, I'm tired but I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You have every right to be tired.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
You always say that you have every I need to buy an
alarm clock.
If you guys don't know thereference to alarm clock, you
should.
We will put a link somewhere.
I need an alarm clock.
But anyway, inside joke forthose of you who are not
subscribers, Welcome to anotherepisode of Black Boomer.
(00:37):
Besties from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
I'm Angela and that's Lesley, my best friend of
almost almost 50 years.
We're going to be saying 50years soon.
I think we're at 48 now,something like that I think.
So go deep into conversations.
(01:01):
We'd like to share them withyou because at this point we are
very clear that we bring a lotof insight, we bring a lot of
laughter.
We bring deep thinking totopics that typically stay on
the surface, so we're going toget into it today.
(01:23):
I've had a whirlwind weekend.
She has Leslie, leslie.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Just thinking about it makes you tired.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, leslie is.
Leslie has done some remarkablethings, crazy things, in in her
life and it's when you reflecton them that it's like wow you
really, you really did that.
Yeah, you really did that sowe're going to be talking about
(01:57):
some of what she's been up to,and then, um, that reminded us
of something huge that happeneda few years ago that you know.
Her list is so it, it, it getsso full of my shenanigans on the
bottom you forget what's on thebottom.
These are not shenanigans, theseare big time shit.
(02:18):
So you'll hear.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Anyway, go ahead, leslie, tell the people so I was
minding my own business, justwalking around minding my own
business.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Own business.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Well, I went down to Florida after work on Friday to
surprise my mom because it's herbirthday.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Happy birthday mom.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So she's down in Florida with my sister and I
have a house down there as youall know.
So I went to check on the house, surprised my mom and we took
her out to dinner on Saturday.
So it was really nice, wasreally important for me to visit
(03:10):
a really close friend of minewho just went through major
surgery and she's a veryimportant part of my life, and I
said that I couldn't go down toFlorida, even though I spoken
to her over the telephone.
I really needed to eyeball itand see for myself that she was
going to be okay and just togive her a quick hug.
So I drove on Sunday from myhome on the east coast of
(03:37):
central Florida to her home inTampa.
It took about a two and a halfhour drive.
Home in Tampa it took about twoand a half hour drive and then
my plan was to leave out ofTampa and fly home because I had
to work today.
So I went and I checked on herand progress is coming along but
(04:02):
she's not really out of thewoods yet.
But I'm glad to have seen herand prayed for her and caught my
flight.
I got home a little aftermidnight last night.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's today.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, today, yeah.
So, as I'm telling Ange thestory, I say you know what this
reminds me of, that time that Iwent and literally saved my
girlfriend I'll call her LeighSaved Leigh's life.
And Ange is like what did yousay?
(04:39):
You're like what are youtalking about?
What?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
are you talking about ?
I know you when did this happen?
But again, because there's somany things.
Because the first thing that Ireminded you of is when you
witnessed a dog being hit by acar.
Oh, and what did you do?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, I didn't mind my own business that time.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
It was a poo.
She got hit by a car.
Yeah, Leslie's a dog lover.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, I certainly am, and it was two doors away from
two homes away from mine.
So when I, you know, saw whatwas going on, this was a oh my
gosh.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
So I Hold.
Hold a moment Now that you knowwhat we're going to be talking
about just stay just like that.
We want to remind you to pleaselike and subscribe.
This is how we do it.
We have candid conversations.
They will just really edify andgive you joy.
Please hit like and subscribeand the notification bell so
(05:46):
that you can know when we loadmore content Go.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Go.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Okay, so you're so silly.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So, anyway, so the dog got hit and the poor dog is
yelling and yelping and did thisand I'm like nobody is doing
anything.
By this time the police came,the car stopped and it was a
little bit of a commotion, butthe dog is on the ground,
yelping and stuff, and I'm like,well, I have a dog, I had a dog
(06:14):
at that time and I'm like, allright, first thing, I'm going to
get this dog to the ER.
I'm going to take it to the ERthat I take my dog to maybe a 15
minute drive from the house.
All right, how are we going toget this yelping, screaming dog
into the car?
And oh, just thinking about itwas so I run in my house and get
(06:35):
my dog's muzzle and I tell the10-year-old kid who owns the dog
put the muzzle on the dog,because he's gnashing at this
point and he's like I'm tooscared I'm too scared.
I'm like what do you mean?
You just get your dog.
(06:56):
But anyway so I get the muzzleon and the police help me to get
the dog into the.
I had the Q5 at the time so ithad the you know the SUV with
the back, so I took the openingoff the top and I put the dog in
the back.
So meanwhile I'm driving andthe au pair of the dog of the
(07:20):
you know the homeowner thefamily, thank you, was in the
car with me.
So I drive to the.
Oh my God, it was horriblebecause the dog was injured and
I don't want the dog to be anymore hurt than he is.
I don't know the extent of hisinjuries and he's yelping and
(07:43):
he's gnashing around.
It's like, ah, and now the aupair and I.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
This is when I would have fainted.
I just would have fainted.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
We're driving, we're stressed, I'm probably going
through red lights and soobviously there's nobody in the
back seat.
So there's one seat.
We're one seat removed from thedog and the dog keeps like it
looks like he's about to comeover the thing and we're both
like if he comes over, we'repulling over and running out the
car.
You know, I don't.
(08:12):
I think he got out of themuzzle by this point.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Oh my.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
God we hurry up and get the dog to the, to the, to
the emergency vet.
In fact I called up and saidI'm bringing in a dog, told them
what was going on, they're like, come right in.
But unfortunately the dog wasalmost mortally injured.
He broke his back and stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So they put him down and all.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And the owner.
So it was funny because Iremember I must have been coming
from work because I was wearingscrubs.
So when the owner came in, youknow, he saw me and he thought I
was one of the staff, hethought I was a vet.
And I'm like no, no, no, no,those are the experts over there
(08:59):
and he and I became friendsever since.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Wow, yeah, so that was a nice story.
So that was just one, but thatwasn't the main story.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Oh Lord.
So a couple of years ago I usedto.
I think we were in our early20s.
We used to work together, meand Lee, so we stayed close and
friends over the years.
Our families, our kids grew uptogether and all of those things
(09:30):
right.
So now Lee has become hadbecome very ill.
This is a couple of years ago.
She has lupus and I'm familiarwith the disease.
So she, she, she developedproblems with her kidneys and
(09:51):
this was really the start of hergoing into kidney failure.
So she was at a local, one ofthe local community hospitals in
Brooklyn, probably for a coupleweeks in the hospital with
worsening kidney function andI'm on the phone with her every
(10:12):
day or every other day.
How's it going?
What's going on?
What medicines are you on andall of this stuff?
And poor Lee was getting sickerand sicker and sicker In the
hospital.
In the hospital and I'm like,well, I mean, she was breathless
at the time and this, and Iunderstand the pathology of
renal failure, but I'm like, dothey have you on this?
(10:33):
Are you doing this?
And you know, her family is atbedside and this, and I'm like
this lady in her fifties orwhatever it's like, I don't like
what's going on.
So I went to visit her and shejust looked awful and I said to
her you know what?
You can't stay in this hospital.
(10:55):
And I think her sister andbrother were there at the time
or whatever.
And they're like, well, she'sin the hospital, they're
treating or whatever.
I said you know, I'm going tocome back tomorrow.
If there's no improvement bytomorrow, tomorrow you're
getting out of this hospital.
Uh, okay, you know, butmeanwhile she's really
(11:17):
decompensating.
So I left jersey and went backto brooklyn to see her the next
day and she was no better and II said you know what?
My friend is going to die ifshe stays here.
You said that to the doctor.
Myself and I said to her youneed to get out of here.
(11:39):
At that time her family wassaying like I don't think you
should.
I said now, mind you, you guys,if you subscribe and you know
our podcast, you also know thatI have a son who was in renal
failure, got a kidney transplantand all of this.
So, as I said, I know whatkidney failure and treatment
(12:00):
looks like.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
But these people just know you as Lee's friend.
They're not really thinking ofyou, as they only know me.
They know I'm a doctor, rightright.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Right, they know I'm a doctor, but they also know me
as Leslie the secretary.
At 20 years old you know thepal and hang out buddy or
whatever you know, they don'tknow me in a clinical way.
I am going to sign you out andtake you to NYU where my son had
(12:34):
gotten treatment.
I called up his nephrologistand told him what was going on
and he said to bring her over.
So now I had to convince Leeand her family that this was the
best plan.
I said we have to go, you arenot going to make it.
(12:56):
And I'm going to say shewouldn't have had days I'm going
to say I mean, she was reallyin that.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
And nobody was doing anything.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I was there and I'm speaking to physicians and I'm
like, well, what's the plan?
What are you going to do aboutthis?
What are you going to do aboutthis?
And nobody would give me astraight answer.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
What, in your estimation?
Why were they so lackadaisicalabout this?
I'm going to be honest.
I'm going to be honest, ofcourse.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I think that they saw this Black woman in into kidney
failure.
That's just the naturalprogression of illness and if
(13:58):
and when she dies, that's whathappens to people like that.
Wow, I don't see any otherexplanation.
Nobody else could tell me whythey weren't bending over
backwards to save the life ofthis woman with two children and
this and that, and nobodythought it was urgent other than
(14:22):
continue to plan, continue, thesame plan continue the same
plan.
I said to her Lee, I'm takingyou out of here.
I went up to the nurse'sstation and I said she is
leaving now.
Print up her medical records,get me a wheelchair.
And were you wearing your capeat?
Speaker 1 (14:44):
the time I think.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
I think at this point , I mean I'm wearing jeans and
whatever coming in, you knowRight right.
And I think and they're like,okay, like.
So I waited in the room andtime is going and I'm like and I
go out where's the medicalrecords?
We got to get a doctor and makesure she's.
So when it was presented to Leethat she had to sign out
(15:10):
against medical advice, ofcourse this became even more
scary and I said you can be noworse getting in my car, and I
even bought a monitor with meand an oxygen tank with me.
Thank God we didn't need to useit, but I finally got the
(15:34):
medical records.
I wheeled her downstairs, shelaid in the back seat of my SUV
Wow and we drove the 45 minutesfrom Brooklyn into midtown
Manhattan and at the time Icalled up the ER and told them
(15:59):
I'm bringing this patient, she'ssuch and such, such and such.
And they saved her life herlife First of all.
She is now with a new kidney.
You saved her life.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
You saved her life.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
I'm telling you, my friend, would not be here today
if I didn't leave work.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
What gave you the nerve?
What gave you the nerve?
You know what?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
it is a couple of things.
The simplest, most honest thingis that I was afraid that my
friend was gonna die wow I sawit, there was no sense of
urgency among the medical staff.
(16:57):
I didn't have an explanationfor it and I said, if she's
going to die, at least letsomebody do the most that they
can do to try to save her.
And I didn't see that happening.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I see.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It's unfortunate that I had to work so hard to
convince her and her family thatthis was the right move.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
We depend on doctors.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I was just going to say we go there for help.
We go in there open and say weneed help, save my life please.
And we put our trust in them.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
And I'm not going to say that they couldn't.
Perhaps they didn't have theability or the resources or
whatever, but they didn't saythat and they kept going through
day by day, going through themotions.
And if one hospital 45 minutesaway could have saved her, why
couldn't this one?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Exactly.
I have to think that it hadsomething to do with them not
caring that much that it wasn'tthat urgent a situation to lose
a patient who's critically illin?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
renal failure, a patient like that, because, as
you said, that is how thathappens.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
that's the progression of this regular day,
this is how it happens andwe've seen this before.
Yeah, wow, and to this day thefamily says you saved her life
because you did this day becauseyou did so To this day.
(18:43):
Because you did so, she gotinto the ER.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Yeah, I, you know, I want all the.
I want it all.
I'm watching the movie at thispoint.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And then at that point you know they did the
triage, they assessed her andstuff.
I know that they.
I remember going up to theintensive care unit with her and
this and that, and she was inthere for a couple of weeks.
She was on dialysis for anumber of years before she
(19:11):
finally got a transplant, and meOmari had gotten a transplant,
I guess a year and a half or sobefore her, so I was able to
tell her what to expect.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
The process yes, we talked about how her dialysis
was going and this and that andthis lady, lee man.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
She lived, dialysis or no, she lived every day like
it was her last day she's intopartying.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
She was always a very lively, active person and her
family was always very involvedso she didn't let any grass grow
under her feet.
I'm telling you Wow, oh, mygosh, goosebumps, yeah,
goosebumps, isn't that something?
So, in this new hospital, howlong did it take for her not to
recover but just for things tochange Like within?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
how much time, oh probably a day or two.
I mean it wasn't long.
I mean I saw results right away.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Oh my, and she had been in the other one for weeks.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Oh probably two weeks .
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
No.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Languishing, in my opinion, getting worse.
Because when I first went tovisit her, you know she didn't
look good and weak and this andthat.
And then the second time I wasthere, I'm like oh no, no, what
are you doing here?
Somebody?
Needs to say uncle I give up,discharge this patient you know,
(20:32):
I'm just.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
You know, this is not a 90-year-old woman we're
talking about.
Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, wow, les.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Oh my gosh, Unbelievable.
And I recognize I'm like no.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
No, yeah, there's a different way.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Right, because you saw her humanity.
We gotta try something.
Yeah, yeah, right right.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Oh my gosh, I can't, I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
I gotta reach out and see how she's doing, but last
time I spoke to her she's doingjust great.
She was living a good life.
She is still living her goodlife.
Living la vida loca.
I live la vida loca.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Well, we're happy for her.
We are Very happy for her,Thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Now I'm not saying I drove my three hours over to
Tampa so I could do anything.
Now, I'm not saying I drove mythree hours over to Tampa so I
could do anything, although if Isaw something awry I was going
to say, hey, maybe we need to go.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You know, I'm just giving an opinion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got to be.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Listen, this is something that you say all the
time, Ange.
Listen, this is something thatyou say all the time, Ange.
When we are gifted with certainabilities, one we can't take it
for granted, that's one thing,but the other thing is it is our
obligation to use those giftsin the best way we can.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
It's an obligation, because not?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
everybody has that ability, an obligation, because
not everybody has that ability.
And I'm blessed to be able torecognize and have an effect on
certain things.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I can't do everything but the things that I can do.
I need to.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Because just think, just think and I never went
there, but just think.
If I didn't say, oh well, ifthat's the way, it is sorry, you
know.
Oh, and mourn with the familyand all of this, what would I be
thinking?
Did I do the best that I coulddo.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I should have spoken up, and I was too afraid to
speak up.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
It became your responsibility because you had
the skifting.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
It was my responsibility because I knew
better than the nonsense thatwas going on.
That was nonsense and malarkey.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Foolishness, foolishness, foolishness, wow,
crazy.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Listen, I'm going to just add some exclamation points
to this, to what you said aboutyour gifting.
First of all, if you don't knowwhat you're gifted in, that's
where the problem starts it'strue if you don't know where
your gift, what your gifts are?
Problem, listen, reach out tome, I will help you.
(23:11):
I will help you because it'simportant, because when you know
what they are, then what lesliesaid you know that it is your
responsibility to show up.
That's why you're there.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, it's not happenstance.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
It's not happenstance , it's not.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I even go back and say 40 years ago, when we first
met.
Yeah, about 40 years ago.
Who knows why I sat next to herworking every day 40 years ago.
Right Right, you know the God Iserve puts things in place and
(23:48):
knows, way before we're evenborn, how things are going to
play out.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Alpha and the omega.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
yes, so I could have worked next to her at the
physical therapy place, only tosave her life 40 years later
Maybe she had a job that has notbeen finished on this earth,
yeah, yeah.
And he used me as a conduit.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
We don't know, Yep, we don't know, and he'll use you
.
That's what gifts are for.
They're not for you.
Yeah, I mean you get to havethem, but I'm just saying
they're there in service ofothers.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And speaking of gifts and service, look at the cup
that I'm using my kidney donutcup.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh, very nice.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
So you guys also know I donated my kidney and my
recipient is doing just greatAwesome and it was another thing
that I could do.
Yeah, I didn't know you knowwho knew but I stepped up, I
shared my spare and now somebodyelse is living a good life.
(25:00):
This think he's about50-year-old man Good and happy
life.
Living his happy life, nodialysis, and he's taking good
care of my old kidney and youare taking care of yourself.
And I'm doing the best I can.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
One-dega-dega kidney is kicking it, it is.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It's kicking it.
Wow, awesome, leslie.
I just thought of that.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Really, it's a beautiful thing.
It is, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
It's important to share this with folks so they
understand that number one youtalk about this all the time.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That's number three why I need to get to bed right
now.
Number one Right now, right now, about your gifting.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
And number two, about how you have to advocate for
yourself.
Right, there has to, justbecause these doctors know what
the doctors know.
If you see that you're notgetting better, whatever Do, you
know what I mean?
It's not this is your lot inlife.
Yeah, that's serious.
Yeah, like see what it is thatyou need not getting better,
(26:02):
whatever Do you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
It's not this is your lot in life.
Yeah, that's serious.
Yeah, Like see what it is thatyou need to do.
It doesn't mean it's your timeto go.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, you got to try everything.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
And when you don't know what everything means and
when you see a loved one who'svery sick.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
You don't know that there are options or you know
that there are other things thatit could be.
This could be like time to saygoodbye, yeah, but guess what I
knew?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
yes, I knew yes, you did yes you did well.
Thank you for showing up.
I'm sure that um you know sheis um praying for you every day
because you, her life would havebeen stuffed out now anyway, I
(26:49):
know why did this have to be soheavy?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
because sometimes it is, sometimes it just is you
know me and my life of rainbowsand unicorns.
I like light.
I want to keep it light, yeah,but life has all of it.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah, I don't want me in my life of rainbows and
unicorns.
I like light.
I don't want to keep it light.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Yeah, but life has all of it.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah Right, it's not just those parts, it has these
parts too.
Anyway, all right, folks,that's it for this episode.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for listening.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
So this has been another episode of Black Boomer
Besties from Brooklyn, brooklyn.
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