Keeping a 43-Year-Old Promise

October 28, 1975: I underwent surgery at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, then located at 1919 Madison Avenue, at 123rd Street, in Manhattan's Spanish Harlem, to correct a problem in my legs that made walking difficult.

My 2 weeks in that hospital were a blur, as I was almost 6 years old. What I do remember from the experience, I wouldn't wish on anyone. I've been a hospital patient on Halloween Night at age 5, and I've been a hospital patient on Thanksgiving Day at age 17. Halloween at 5 in a hospital is worse.

Those 2 weeks included the Daily News' "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD" headline and the Rangers' trade of Eddie Giacomin and his well-received return to The Garden, but I don't remember those things happening at the time. Nor do I remember, the week before, the 1975 World Series, including Carlton Fisk's "Fenway Twist."

A follow-up surgery was performed on July 12, 1976. This time, I left the hospital after 1 week. Both times, it was in a wheelchair.

As with the previous one, the surgery was successful, to an extent. But the problem, caused by a birth defect, wouldn't go away. I still developed arthritis, and the pain in my legs frequently makes walking a chore.

I told myself that, one day, I would walk out of that hospital. I was walking within a few weeks, and I have made literally hundreds of trips into New York City since. But I never did ever walk out of that hospital.

*

Now, a promise made is a debt unpaid

and the trail has its own stern code.

In the days to come, though my lips were dumb

in my heart how I cursed that load.

-- Robert W. Service, "The Cremation of Sam McGee," 1907

I kept telling myself, "Someday, I'm going to go back up to that hospital, and I am finally going to walk out of that building. Someday... "

"Someday" wouldn't be easy. For the late 1970s, the entire 1980s, and the early 1990s were dark times for New York City. My mother wouldn't let me go alone into The City at all, let alone to Spanish Harlem.

I'm waiting for my man.
Twenty-six dollars in my hand.
Up to Lexington, one, two, five.
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive.
I'm waiting for my man.
-- Lou Reed, "I'm Waiting for the Man," 1965

A very different poet.

That $26 would be worth $207 today. Though I don't know the amount of heroin Reed's character was buying, or how much it would cost now. I have had many problems over the years, but a drug addiction has not been among them.

And to reach that hospital by the Subway, you would have to take the 4, 5 or 6 Train up to that very intersection, 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. It's a lot safer now than it was in 1965, or in 1975, or in 1987 when I turned 18 and no longer needed Mom's permission to go where I wanted.

But the late 1980s became the 1990s. The New York Police Department and the federal government worked together to make the City so much safer. And the end of the 20th Century became the beginning of the 21st Century.

In 1979, Joint Diseases moved into a new building, at 301 East 17th Street, off 2nd Avenue, as part of New York University's Langone Orthopedic Hospital. In 2006, it was fully absorbed into the NYU Langone system. Its old building is now an apartment building, with the ground floor occupied by another health care facility, the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center.

Joint Diseases spent some time as the official hospital of the Mets, which became a bit problematic when a couple of their players got caught with marijuana, bringing to mind another definition of "joint."

The new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, MetLife Stadium, the Barclays Center, the Prudential Center, Red Bull Arena, the new Rutgers Stadium and the Rutgers Athletic Center rose. The old Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Giants Stadium and the old Rutgers Stadium fell. The Meadowlands Arena was built, and was closed, and now faces demolition. Madison Square Garden had 2 major renovations, the Nassau Coliseum 1. And a new arena for the Islanders is planned, adjacent to Belmont Park.

The New Jersey Devils have moved into the New York Tri-State Area. The New York Cosmos folded, and the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC have been founded. World Championships have been won by the Yankees (7), the Giants (4), the Islanders (4), the Devils (3), the Mets (1), and the Rangers (1). Rutgers football has had an undefeated season and a Big East Conference Co-Championship, and Rutgers basketball has had an undefeated regular season and a Final Four berth. Even the football team at East Brunswick High School, which in 1975 I didn't even know existed, has won 2 Central Jersey Group IV Championships.

8 Presidents have served, as have 6 Governors of the State of New York (2 of them named Cuomo), 10 Governors of the State of New Jersey, 6 Mayors of the City of New York, and 5 Popes -- but only one British monarch.

Arsenal Football Club won 13 trophies. Then I found out they existed, and became a fan of theirs. Then they won 3 more. They have now gone through 6 managers (8 if you count caretakers).

And still, I never walked out of the Hospital for Joint Diseases.

Actually, given that the New York City Arsenal Supporters operated out of the Blind Pig, on 14th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, it would have been far simpler for me to just walk up to the new Joint Diseases 3 blocks away.

But I never did. I never walked out of that hospital. Not the old one, not the new one.

And now, my arthritis is getting worse. I could still walk out, but for how much longer?

*

February 21, 2019, over 43 years later, yesterday: I was in New York to watch another Arsenal match. (It was in UEFA Europa League play, home to Belarus side BATE Borisov. They won, 3-0, securing advancement.) And, I thought, "You know what? It's about time. Let's do this."

I walked into the Subway, and took a 4 Train up to 125th. I walked over to 1919 Madison (shown above). I discovered that most of it is now an apartment building, and so, I knew I wouldn't be allowed into the main entrance.

But I found the entrance to the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center, and walked in.

And walked out.

It may not be the same thing as walking out of the Hospital for Joint Diseases, but, at least now, I have walked out of that building.

The promise was made, and the debt has been paid.

And whenever I reach the point when I can't walk anymore -- through debility or impending death -- I can know that I did it.

UPDATE: Just under a year later, on February 19, 2020, my right hip was replaced at St. Peter's University Medical Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In between, I had gone into NYU Langone, the successor to Joint Diseases, and asked if they took my insurance. They did not, because it's limited to New Jersey hospitals. I had to accept this, and walked out. At least now, I had walked out of what passes for the current version of the hospital I was in.

On July 14, 2021, my left hip was replaced at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's Somerset facility, in Somerville, New Jersey. It was a different hospital because it was a different surgeon, because the right hip had a complication that my main orthopedist was not qualified to operate on. He did replace the left hip.

As a result, my right hip is now pain-free, my left hip still has some muscle weakness but not really any pain, and most of my back pain is gone. The process was hardly easy, and it took a long time, but it was completely worth it.

As was my trip up to 123rd & Madison.

*

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 1, tomorrow afternoon, against the New York Rangers, a.k.a. The Scum, at Madison Square Garden. The next game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. The Philth, will be on Friday night, March 1, at home. The Devils are not scheduled to play the New York Islanders again during the regular season.

Days until Arsenal play again: 2, at 9:00 AM New York time this Sunday, home to Hampshire team Southampton. Yesterday, they defeated Belarus team BATE Borisov to advance to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 5, this coming Wednesday night, home to Atlético Pantoja of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, in the 2nd Leg of the Round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions League. Metro won the away leg 2-0.

Days until the next North London Derby: 8, a week from this Saturday, at 7:30 AM, at the new Wembley Stadium in London, with Tottenham as the home team. Whether the "New Tottenham Stadium" will open for any game this season remains to be seen. But between new Wembley and that one game in Milton Keynes, it makes "Spurs" fans like goddamned fools when they call Arsenal "Woolwich Wanderers."

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 27, on Thursday, March 21, a friendly against Ecuador at Orlando City Stadium. Under 4 weeks.

Days until the Yankees' 2019 Opening Day: 34, on Thursday, March 28, home to the Baltimore Orioles. Under 5 weeks.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 53, on Tuesday, April 16, at Yankee Stadium II. Under 8 weeks.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 57, on Saturday night, April 20, against the New England Revolution, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The next game against the Philadelphia Union will be on Saturday night, June 8, at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania. The next game against New York City FC will be on Sunday night, July 14, at Red Bull Arena. The next game against D.C. United iwll be on Wednesday night, August 21, at Audi Field in Washington.

Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 105,  on June 7,  in France. Just 15 weeks. The U.S. team is 3-time and defending Champions.

Days until the Yankees and Red Sox play each other in London: 127, on June 29. A little over 4 months.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 190, on August 31, home to the University of Massachusetts. A little over 6 months.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown, because the 2019 schedule hasn't been released yet. Usually, the next season begins on the 1st Friday in September, which would be September 6, which would be 196 days. It has been announced that East Brunswick and its arch-rivals, Old Bridge, will no longer play each other on Thanksgiving Day. That game will not be played early in the season, but we don't yet know when. For most of its history, 1963 to 1987, it was an early-season game, sometimes the opener.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State game: 281, on Saturday, November 30, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. A little over 9 months.

Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 299, on December 18, 2019. Under 10 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 333, on January 21, 2020. Just 11 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 518, on July 24, 2020. Under a year and a half, or a shade over 17 months.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 620, on November 3, 2020. Under 2 years, or under 21 months.

Days until a fully-Democratic-controlled Congress can convene, and the Republicans can do nothing about it: 681, on January 3, 2021. Under 2 years, or under 23 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 698, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 2 years, or under 23 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, China: 1,078, on February 4, 2022. Under 3 years, or under 36 months.

Days until the next World Cup is scheduled to kick off: 1,368, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Under 4 years, or a little over 45 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.