OPINION
I wondered if the railroad car felt safe, if the caves had ever felt safe. I asked him.
He said,“ The thing about a cave is you can see out of it. You can hide in it. But it’ s open to the air.”
“ So it gets really cold and it gets really hot, but you can see who’ s out there?”
He nodded. He said,“ My nuns let me sleep in their basement when it’ s freezing. But I got to have open air whenever I can.”
I said,“ Now it’ s March and nice weather is coming – we hope – do the railroad guys come around and roust you out?”
“ Naw. I’ m the unpaid night watchman. They can sleep on the job!” We laughed. I said,“ Which nun should I call and tell‘ em you’ re here?”“ Sister Mary Agatha. She’ s the boss.”
I went straight to the phone. His nun was relieved to hear that her friend had surfaced, was getting care and was not frozen. I asked her if he had VA benefits and she said, yes, she’ d filed all that, but he’ d never agreed to go. She said,“ You have to make it his idea, he’ s very set in his ways, but if he simply won’ t then he has to manage the basement steps to stay with us.”
This was excellent: a goal.
I went back.“ Crutch – here’ s the deal. You have to stay and get your leg fixed; then you gotta improve enough to go up and down the steps at Holy Name. That means PT and probably the VA. It’ s gonna take a while. The ortho docs will try to get your leg fixed enough to use. After that – you got to work on getting your strength back.”
“ They can’ t just fix it and I leave?!”
“ Not till PT says you are safe on steps. Look – you have been so brave so far! You got help when you had to crawl, even though it hurt like hell. You got friends. You need surgery quick before this bone gets infected: you do not want to lose your leg! The ortho doc will explain.”
He simply deflated. I put my hand on his shoulder and said,“ You took care of your guys in Korea when they got hurt. Now it’ s our turn to take care of you.”
He muttered awhile. I just kept my hand on his shoulder. Finally, he said,“ You read your Bible?”
I said,“ Only at church – Catholic.”
He laughed.“ I know that’ s right! Well, here’ s what: I’ m gonna be the wheat not the chaff.”
I said,“ We’ re Team Wheat, and we’ re gonna kick some chaff butt.”
And he did: a week later at the VA, I tracked him down and took him cookies. He was still on a walker, but his eyes were clear, his smile was bright and he looked about 3,000 % better. He said,“ Here’ s what I want to tell you. If ever we feel like we are gettin’ weak, we are gonna think, Team Wheat! Team Wheat! And then we are gonna be strong.”
“ Our whole lives,” I said.
I never did see him again. But Team Wheat has sustained me, as I hope it has for him. Go Team Wheat!
Dr. Barry is an internist and Associate Professor of Medicine( Gratis Faculty) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, currently retired and mulling her next moves.
STANDING OVATION
As your local medical society, we are always looking for ways to highlight the achievements of our members. We want to give a standing ovation to the following physicians on their great accomplishments in our medical community. We congratulate you on winning these awards and representing the Greater Louisville area so proudly!
Have you or a colleague recently won an award or been recognized for your work? Contact Kathryn Vance at kathryn. vance @ glms. org to be recognized in the next Louisville Medicine.
BUSINESS FIRST HEALTH CARE HEROES 2026
» Dr. William Dillon – Lifetime Achievement
» Dr. Susan Bornstein – Health Equity Champion
» Dr. Soham Dasgupta – Innovator
» Dr. Justin Givens – Innovator
» Dr. Richard McCarthy – Innovator
» Dr. Carl Paige – Innovator
» Dr. Laura Jacks – Provider
» Dr. Melissa Perrotta – Rising Star
» Dr. Andrew Swiergosz – Rising Star
OPINION March 2026 33