A Thought for Kyle Busch

I have some thoughts I'd like to share about the sudden passing of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch.

While I do not follow NASCAR or motorsports in general, I was certainly aware of Kyle Busch's success and his reputation as NASCAR's bad boy. 

Less than two weeks before his death, Busch was actively racing having finished 8th at Watkins Glen, winning the Craftsman Truck Series and competed in the NASCAR All-Star Race in Dover. The Dover race took place four days before Busch's death. 

During the Watkins Glen race, Busch was experiencing a sinus cold and his symptoms got worse in the days which followed until he became non-responsive and coughing up blood on Thursday while in a racing simulator preparing for the Coca Cola 600 which took place today in Charlotte.

Busch's death was caused by pneumonia complicated by sepsis. This means his immune system was attacking his healthy organs causing multiple organ failure. Sepsis can complicate any number of conditions including kidney stones. Given my own history of kidney stones, I know this is something of which I am at risk should it ever occur again.

Of course, the key is seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Yet there is a natural tendency to resist doing so. One does not want to disrupt our routine or not fulfill our obligations. There is a tendency among healthy people to think they are healthy. There is also the fear that you will seek treatment, and the doctors and nurses will tell you that nothing is wrong. But, at some point, your body will tell you that you're not going anywhere. Unfortunately, by the time that message is delivered, it might be too late.

Kyle Busch was only 41. While he had a 25-year racing career, he still had most of his whole life ahead of him. Instead, he leaves behind a wife and two children aged 11 and 4, respectively. 

Given the rigorous schedule and harsh conditions which drivers endure, one can only hope that NASCAR will implement a regime of regular wellness checkups to prevent what happened to Kyle Busch from happening to anyone else. R.I.P.