Just got off the phone with Sam Harvey,
who has been going thru some tough times health wise of late.
Sam has been a long time pioneer in the pinball collecting hobby
and has taught me most everything I know about pinball,
as he is super knowledgeable about the history of pinball with binders and binders full
of pinball info and trivia and vast knowledge of what classic games are
the best players and how best to play them.
He is definitely a character and always at the ready with a new joke.
Anyway he has been in and out of hospital and rehab facilities these past several months.
He is having trouble with mobility and other health issues, related to his diabetes
and his arthritic knees which will eventually need replacement.
And to make matters worse last night it was discovered that he probably has kidney stones.
He is feeling better today, and in fairly good spirits, hopefully his stones will pass easily.
His mobility is improving with rehab, and use of a walker,
but he really needs the knee surgery replacement,
hopefully his doctors and insurance will get that approved, otherwise
he may never be able to return home.
On the brighter side he has been able to lose over 60 lbs in the last 6 months or so
which will make it easier on his knees.
Anyway just wanted to let those interested, to wish him well and say a few prayers.

Hey Mike, just watched your American Pickers episode online, Sam said he is looking forward to seeing it,
if you know next when it might be on cable again, let Sam know, hope his rehab place carries it on his TV in his room.
Bet you those rows of file cabinets with pinball paperwork that you showed the pickers were sorted and organized by Sam many times over the years.
He does have a cell phone now but may take several attempts to get thru to him.
Phoebe PM me if you want that number, as his home landline voice mailbox is full and beside he has not been home in weeks.

Here is a youtube link where Sam explains how to play WMS 4 Roses, (one of his favorite EM pins)

Be advised that he does swear and curse while playing the game.

August 19th will be Sam's 72nd Birthday.
He is still in rehab, awaiting approvals for knee surgery.
When i called a few days ago he seemed in good spirits,
but was growing impatient with all the time it is taking to get his surgery approved.

Happy Birthday Sam!!

Got some good news from a close friend of Sam,
that he has been approved for knee surgery replacement on one of his knees.
Operation is to take place at the end of this month.
If that goes well he may get approved to repair his other knee.

Apparently some cross signals or mixed messages about when/if Sam is actually approved for surgery.
Sad to say no surgery yet.
Apparently he needs to get some hormone levels under control first before surgery is approved
otherwise he may be at risk for a stroke. So it is just a waiting game now.

Talked to Sam today.
He was in good spirits and sounded good.
The good news is that his blood work and hormone balances are now good to go
for his knee surgery, approved, he is now just waiting to get it scheduled.
Hopefully it will happen before the new year.
It would make a great Xmas gift, if he can walk again.

I will be sure to tell him of your best wishes, next time I give him a call.
No update on knee replacement surgery as far as I know,
I will have to check in with him soon.

I have not talked to him personally in a couple months, he does not tend to answer his cell phone and his voice mailbox has not been activated, but i have talked with a mutual friend who said he is doing OK, but unfortunately still no time scheduled yet for his badly needed knee operations.

Finally got ahold of Sam by phone after weeks of trying, and talked with him for about 45 minutes.
Kind of a good news bad news situation.
Good News is that he is alive and seemed to be in good spirits, as good of spirit as Sam normally is.
Voice seemed strong and he told me a few jokes.
His weight has been holding fairly steady at 230-240 lbs after a 90-100 lb weight loss over the past year.
The rehabilitation center where he has been staying for the past year, has been Covid-19 virus free.

Bad news is he has not been scheduled for his much needed knee operations
(even before the moratorium on elective surgeries).
Worse than that is he scheduled to be released back to his home by the end of the month.
Normally one might think that is a good thing,
but the fact that he is bedridden and can not take care of himself properly,
will be a challenge for him to find in home nurse care when he finally does get home.
Challenge both physically and monetarily.
Fortunately his next door neighbor is a nurse and might be able to help get him set up.
It is a bit more complicated (more details) than all what I have stated, but that is the gist of it.
Wishing him well and I told him that people on pinside are also wishing him well.

I was on a ZOOM pinball video chat call yesterday with Matt from the Pinball Ranch,
Brad from Pin-a-GoGo and Pin-A-Lodi and Steve Ritchie of Stern Chicago.
We were talking all things pinball and other topics.
Steve had mentioned the new TMNT pin just announced by Stern and
indicators are that it is initially selling very well, despite the economy aftermath from the virus.
Anyway the subject of Sam Harvey came up and Matt mentioned
that he talked with Sam's old neighbor nurse friend
and she stated that Sam's house in Pomona is now equipped with a hospital bed
and Sam was supposed to be released from the rehab center (on Tuesday)
where he has been for nearly 2 yrs,
but Sam refused to go (in part because he thinks someone of the staff has stolen cash out of his wallet
and his cell phone is missing since about 2 weeks ago).
Also I think he knows it is going to be tougher living at home.
He is still unable to walk on his own (his knee operations sadly will likely never be approved,
(in part due to Sam's stubborness of refusing to do his rehab excersizes).
When they finally do get him moved back home,
whatever Medi-Cal/MediCaid health nursing home inspection staff comes to see what Sam's needs will be,
they will then determine what type of nursing care on daily basis he will need.
I assume they are moving him out of the rehab center, because they need the bed space for others
that need it and can use it, because Sam's is not using the rehab part of it.
Wish him best.
Hopefully he will soon be able to receive calls on his old phone landline
(once he clears out his answer machine).
Hopefully they will find his cell phone soon.
Write him a letter (Sam is old school he does not have internet or email).

Sam is apparently still at the rehab center that he has been at for the past year,
but it was just reported to me that he has tested positive for the Covid virus.
No news regarding how serious his affliction is, but hoping he will be one of the lucky ones
and come out fighting and lick the bugger.
He is stubborn enough he can probably do it.

Just got off the phone with Sam.
He will be 73 yrs old tomorrow (Aug19).
He seemed to be in very good spirits (despite his situation) and in good health. (voice was strong)
He survived covid (tested positive last month), had no or only mild symptoms.
His neighbor in his rehab room also tested positive and survived also.
We talked for about 50 minutes, once he gets going and talking pinball
it is hard to get him to stop.
Helped him with area codes for some on his phone list
(like Wayne Neyens and Gordon Hasse);
it appears that his paper phone list, cut off all the area codes,
so if you have not heard from him in a while that may be the reason.

Joke he told me:
There was an air flight getting ready to board and take off.
The stewardess was asking for tickets,
please show me your ticket, she says to everyone boarding.
And a guy walks up in a trench coat and flashes the stewardess.
Stewardess then says, you misunderstood me sir, I was asking for your ticket,
not your stub.

You all be sure to wish Sam a Happy Birthday
by telling that joke to the next person you meet.

cheers to all.
I turned 65 yrs old yesterday.

Sam is still in the rehab. And will probably spend the rest of his days there, as he is not likely to get approved for his knee surgery, he has been basically bedridden for over a year now. He survived covid.

Update:
Sorry, but I had some old info about Sam's current status.

According to Matt Christiano
"Sam has been home for at least 2-3 months. He has a hospital bed in his living room, and visiting nurses who come in 2x/day."

I still believe he is bedridden and has not had any knee operations.