SLO County cartoonist takes ‘Rubes’ on the road to help friend recover from heart transplant
When Steve Ulrich’s heart stopped one afternoon in early December during his shift at Duckwall Fruit in Hood River, Oregon, he knew who to turn to.
Ulrich, a warehouseman, suffered from congestive heart failure and was taken to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, where Ulrich was given a choice: Did he want a new heart, or not?
“When (Ulrich) went into the hospital, I said, ‘Hey, if you need me to come up for a bit, I’m happy to help out,’” cartoonist and Ulrich’s close friend Steve Rubin said. “Then it became apparent that he needed a new heart.”
Rubin and Ulrich have been friends for more than 50 years since they met in the sixth grade, staying close through the years, Rubin said; Ulrich was Rubin’s best man at his wedding in 1985 and when Rubin and his wife renewed their vows in 2021.
Rubin, who lives in Nipomo, is known for his comic strip, “Rubes.”
What started as an offer to help a friend in need became a three-month stay in Oregon for Rubin, who packed his pencils, inks and art supplies and headed north Dec. 8 to help his friend through the heart transplant surgery and recovery process.
‘Science fiction-y’ setup delivers donor heart
When Rubin first saw Ulrich in his hospital bed in Portland’s Providence Heart Clinic, the “Rubes” artist said he was surprised to find his friend in a “really good mood” despite the myriad of tubes, wires and needles snaking around his body.
“That was truly amazing to watch the blood flowing in and out of his body,” Rubin said. “You can see the blood just racing through (the tubes). His heart wasn’t pumping — it was operating on RPM.”
This “science fiction-y” setup wouldn’t last long, Rubin said. Ulrich needed a new heart, and soon.
Thankfully, a donor heart had recently become available, and it was soon headed to Portland in a “heart-in-a-box” container (which Ulrich said sounded like a Valentine’s Day gift), a device that keeps a stopped donor heart pumping until the time of transplant.
Rubin and Ulrich didn’t have much time to catch up when he arrived at the hospital, though, Rubin said, because just a few hours later, Ulrich was headed into surgery, where he would be under the knife from 9 p.m. to 4:45 a.m.
That morning, Rubin got a text from Ulrich’s daughter, Flora, letting him know his friend’s “new heart woke up nicely.”
Ulrich said he doesn’t remember much from before, during or after the procedure, and is still coming out of the “brain fog” induced by the 23 medications he takes to ensure his body doesn’t reject the new heart.
Ulrich said the doctor who performed his surgery told him the procedure and recovery would be “the toughest thing you’ve ever done.” And so far, Ulrich said, that’s been true.
Recovery ‘rewarding’ work for old friends
Rubin said his job as a cartoonist made for a perfect fit for a caretaker.
“I can kind of do this anywhere — I still draw old-fashioned style, like with pencils and pens,” Rubin said. “(A friend) lent me an old scanner that he had, which is great — I haven’t missed any deadlines since I’ve been here.”
Characters and gags in the style of Rubin’s daily syndicated comic strip soon adorned the walls and windows of Ulrich’s hospital room, as the “itinerant cartoonist” kept his friend company.
Ulrich’s surgery even made the cut as a gag in the comic strip in December, in the form of a heart patient dancing to George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm” while wired to machines like a marionette.
Though he’s making progress, Ulrich still relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around, as the new heart largely limits his ability to participate in strenuous activities outside of his physical therapy, Rubin said.
“He’s doing all the cooking, helping me with the appointments and making sure that we’ve got everything down for when we have to go get the tests and the biopsies and all that stuff,” Ulrich said. “He’s essential, helping really well to get me to my appointments and stuff.”
Rubin called the work “rewarding,” and was glad to find a reason to be around one of his closest friends.
“We did pick up our chess tournaments (again), which we did in high school,” Rubin said. “It just proves how lousy we are at chess, and how rusty we are.”
Seventy pounds lighter than he was three months ago, Ulrich said his “fresh heart can’t take a lot” of activity, so he has to “play it cool.”
That’s a big change for Ulrich, who spends his free time gardening, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, fly fishing, dirt biking and motorcycling — to name a few.
“Steve is pretty hard on himself,” Rubin said. “He is incredibly well — I’ve seen him walk without the walker.”
Ulrich said he counts himself “lucky” to have the support of his coworkers and workplace, which kept him on the payroll longer than Ulrich had initially planned so his insurance could pay the entirety of his $1.5 million surgery.
A GoFundMe was also launched to pay for ongoing care and home improvements such as a handicap-accessible restroom in his home.
Now, with rehab completed and recovery in the shared Airbnb winding down in the next couple weeks, Ulrich and Rubin said they’re looking forward to getting back to their Hood River and Nipomo homes, respectively.
“It’s quite the challenge, but I’m up for it.” Ulrich said.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
