Some news about Darin (MLastovo)

[wkohler]

In light of recent events, Darin asked me to bring people up to speed on what’s been happening.

If you have been around for a long time, attended many BMW events on the “west coast” or have had the pleasure (I did a survey, no one has been disappointed) of attending the St. Paddy’s Day festivities in San Diego for the last 20 years or so, you probably know Darin.

You’ve probably also had a great time with Darin. Most people do. It’s also entirely possible that Darin took a bunch of his own time and traveled well out of his way to help you with a project - often multiple times. Sometimes he even donated his own parts to make your task come together all while he had his own project patiently waiting to be completed. As part of that, he usually had a cocktail in his hand and kept trying to keep your glass filled too.

About 10 years ago or so, he ended up with some physical symptoms with his complexion and it came with some lethargy. This was particularly frustrating for him and it seemed like his medical providers didn’t have an answer. He was on various medications to try to fix the issue, but it persisted.

Over the last few years there have been more changes: less of an appetite, more sensitivity to temperature. Pre-pandemic, Darin came over to Phoenix with Jeff B. for the Scottsdale auctions in January. During that time, Darin mentioned he had taken a break from alcohol back around Thanksgiving. I was pretty surprised he was doing so well since I very rarely saw Darin without a cocktail or a beer. He told me that he didn’t have a hard time since he drank because he enjoyed it not because he needed to. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it and enjoyed the rest of our time with them in town. A couple months later, he said things had improved and he was doing okay according to his doctors.

The pandemic came and Darin was working from home. You could tell this wasn’t good for him as he had little reason to leave the house. He’d end up with the heater on, under the blankets and eating very little. Not much motivation to get out and do things. It was certainly disappointing to see. The kind of casualty of the pandemic that doesn’t get much consideration. He still would head down to La Jolla Independent on Fridays or have a couple friends over to his house as a regular thing, but it wasn’t the same.

End of 2021 into early 2022, things had gotten pretty rough with a series of “upper GI bleeds” putting him in the hospital at various times. They’d patch him up, send him home with an prescription and move on. It hadn’t really been made clear but Darin’s liver was failing. He had been told after a rough experience over the Christmas holiday in 2021 that if he ended up in there again, he probably wouldn’t survive it.

Fortunately, Darin has a lot of friends. He might not have realized just how many he has but they do exist. One of whom, Pedro, is a patient advocate by trade. It was clear that Darin’s care was disjointed and we all heard what Darin told us but none of us of course knew what he was being told by his caregivers. Fortunately after some time, Pedro was on the case and was able to get to the bottom of some of the issues in both the actual care and the communication. This allowed him and eventually Darin to understand what was actually going on.

March, 2022, Darin ended up in the hospital again which is why we didn’t see him for St Paddy’s Day. By Sunday he was moved out of a real hospital to a convalescent hospital in La Mesa where he had to do certain things and develop a regimen to function independently. Fortunately for the return home, Pedro had a plan and had assembled a team of Darin’s friends to come by spend time with him and get him to exercise and eat regularly.

We had a meeting Sunday morning following St Paddy’s and Pedro outlined the situation that Darin’s liver is not functioning (processing the toxins), therefore ammonia is building up and it eventually makes its way to the brain which prevents him from thinking clearly and functioning normally. With the severely limited liver function, he has to take a drug called Lactulose. The lactulose is designed to eliminate the foreign material quickly to prevent or mitigate the formation of the ammonia. Unfortunately it’s a tricky balance to get right and this was problematic for Darin but the key was making sure he stuck with it. Using the drug is a very uncomfortable experience so it’s very common for patients to quit as soon as they begin to feel any improvement. Pedro also explained that Darin needed a transplant but quickly followed that up with all of the roadblocks for someone in his position and what he’d have to do to even get on the list. Then once on the list, he’d be at the bottom. The important part is being on the list though as it goes by need/health from there. Of course, until that happens - which would be months away, Darin is tied to the lactulose.

The next few months were full of everything you’d expect. Some ups and downs but on the whole, Darin was improving and largely managing the dosage. He has been getting stronger, exercising, eating more nutritious foods more regularly and despite some early pushback was expanding his horizons. He was even able to return to working remotely. Plenty of other stressors came and went with work and whatnot but he was making improvements.

It seems that the big step forward was checking into the Betty Ford clinic in the desert. Unfortunately there was a hospital stay in the middle of that for an ammonia issue but he made it through in the end and that seemed to be the thing that impressed the transplant team (gatekeepers to the list) to get him a spot on the list!

Great news of course, now a waiting game. A few potential livers came available but none were viable. Then Sunday, January 29, Pedro sent us a photo of Darin in the hospital prepping for an 8 hour surgery for a new liver.

Success! The liver came through and the surgery was successful. He spent the rest of the week in the hospital and was exceeding expectations when it came to recovery milestones. We talked on the phone toward the end of his stay and it was like talking to a new Darin. Energetic, amazed at how many people were involved in the process and what a big deal it is. We talked for nearly an hour and he didn’t seem to be running out of energy at all. It was pretty astounding, especially just a few days removed from a major surgery. His sister has come into town to help assist with the post-op care and that has been positive as well.

Following up with him the other day, things are still going well, he’s still exceeding expectations. He has also had about half the stitches removed for the incision and he’s doing great. Positive attitude and it seems Ike Darin is back, in it for the long haul with a new lease on life. It’s really fantastic news. Fortunately he’s got a great support system to help him and I, for one, am definitely excited to get to see him in the near future. He’s definitely looking forward to St Paddy’s Day so hopefully we will at least get to see him at the bay.

[Aldo525]

Didn't know Darin but very good news his recovery. Same disease that my mother-in-law suffered... but she could not bear it.

[jhh925]

This is fantastic news! I know it was quite a team from here within the E28 community ... so thank you as well for all of your efforts & dedication.

[5280 JB]

Thank you, Chris, for this update and it is great to read that Darin is through this major surgery milestone and starting to feel like himself again. I don't know Darin personally, but he feels like a brother just via the years of association with this community.

And huge props to Pedro for what sounds like outstanding work with Darin's case as a patient advocate!

Jim

[Shawn D.]

Oh, my, what an ordeal! Darin is such a great guy and I regularly kick myself for not staying in touch with him regularly. I'm so glad to hear that after all that, he's on the mend! Kudos to everyone who has been helping him get to where he is now!

[Mike W.]

Much better news than I feared from the title. I remember in Reno, 2021 he seemed low energy but had no idea. Great news that he's now on the mend!

[vinceg101]

When I look back on these last 12 months, what moves me most is the genuine power of love and friendship and the ability for it to truly change someone's life for the better.
When we met as group last March that Sunday morning, the dozen or so of us made a pact to be there for Darin in whatever way possible. The real reason Darin is here today and that the ending of Chris' post is a positive one, is because of the tremendous efforts of 6 or 8 members of that group and Darin himself obviously. Those individuals that lived the closest and were there every day for Darin. They made sure he exercised and ate well and also provided companionship and support to ensure he improved every day. The rest of us, given our distance, could provide little more than emotional support for them.

Darin's future that Pedro laid out for us was not an overly bright one that morning based on his very poor health at that time. He did not mince words and was blunt about his chances; that was just to get on a transplant list let alone finding a viable donor before his health deteriorated further. Darin was facing a monumental uphill battle and if we all didn't step up, then the ending of Chris' post would have been a very different one.

One of the things that Pedro said to us that struck me the most was how alone Darin felt. He could not have been more wrong about that as witnessed by those 6 or 8 people who proved that to him day in and day out over the last year. I know we all say the same cliched comments about our car gatherings ("It's about the people, not the cars...") but this year has really shown that to be absolutely true to me. I am truly honored and humbled to count many members of this group as my closest friends.

We will continue to be there for him during his long journey of recovery. I am looking forward to spending time with Darin and the rest of us in a few short weeks to once again hear his laugh and see his smile knowing there is a brighter future ahead.

[mottati]

great news, thanks for posting, Chris.

[Rich in Tupelo]

Wow. Been away from the board for a few years. Thank you for posting this update and I'm glad that Darin is OK.

[a]

Thank you Chris Hoping for Darrin

[LarryM]

I don't know Darin but after somebody said his old E28 was currently on BaT I looked him up. Sounds like a great guy; we should all be so lucky (and deserve to have) so many good friends. I hope to meet him someday; meanwhile, be well Darin!

[Mike W.]

Sorry to see it and him perhaps exiting this E28 world. Of course I sold mine over a decade ago, so no telling...

But that'll go for money. A lot of money. A nice car with a jaw dropping paint job.

[Shawn D.]

Sorry to see it and him perhaps exiting this E28 world. Of course I sold mine over a decade ago, so no telling...

But that'll go for money. A lot of money.

Damn, that's sad to see.

A nice car with a jaw dropping paint job.

And a Shawn D. gauge panel!

[MLastovo]

Hello Larry,
Did you make it to La Jolla Independent yesterday? If so, I was the guy with the Jeepster. If not, thanks for the well wishes and I am sure we will meet someday.

Hello Folks,
It has been awhile since Chris posted regarding my world (Thank you Chris for the excellent write up and for the support.) and providing a snapshot of what I have been up to for the last several years and I owe it to the community for a big THANK YOU!

As noted, I was struggling for the last few years and not getting better. The outlook was not pretty and without the help from the community I wouldn’t be here today. I am not a religious person but I can certainly say I am blessed. I am happy to say the recovery process has been fantastic and I am doing great. Not looking forward to going back to work (retirement can’t get here soon enough!) next month but having no income for the last 6 months has been a bummer.

I really can’t express enough how great and thoughtful everyone in the E28 and spill over communities has been. I have been around since the first BB days, rode through the Roadfly exodus, attended the first 5ER Fest in Dallas in 2002, chaired 5er Fest 2004 and hosted the St. Paddy’s Day gathering for the last 20 years out of my house. If I would have ended it there I would say I did pretty well. But that is not the end of the story and I know there will be plenty of more adventures and get-togethers in the future.

I can’t say it enough, THANK YOU to everyone for their support and positive thoughts.

If you know me, and you are ever in San Diego, the house is always open and a spare car can usually be rounded up somewhere.

[Shawn D.]

Darin,

Thank you for visiting to give us some personal notes about how things are progressing. Those of us who know you are lucky we do, and those who don't have been missing out.

I'm sorry to see your E28 is no longer in the stable, but had been wondering about the Jeepster and am glad it's still with you!

Yours,
Shawn

[Adam W in MN]

Good to hear from you Darin and glad to hear of your improving situation and health updates.