Dear Dr. Fish (Frank);

I know that doctors don’t often get to hear from their patients about the good things they have done for them. If the patient is doing well, you never see them again. If they are not doing well, you see them all the time and in either case you don’t get to hear that you have had a positive impact on their lives. I want to take a moment to write to you and tell you what a difference you have made in my life.

You and I have a unique relationship because we are both musicians. We have a deeper understanding of each other that others don’t have because we both know what it takes to get really good at something. I as a musician and you as not only a great musician but you are a doctor at the top of your field. When I went looking for a pediatric cardiologist that understood adult arrhythmia issues, yours was the only name that came up in Nashville. I did some research and found that you were one of the top three in your field in the entire country. I knew I’d found the right doctor.

I remember at our first meeting I brought you a CD that I had recorded called Catch & Release. The cover had several fish on it. After we met I handed you the CD and you said, “Oh, you heard I’m a musician?” I replied, “No doc, your name is Fish and there’s fish on the cover of the CD” I had no idea you were a musician.” Thus began a relationship that has lasted fifteen years so far and counting.

Now on to the part where you have made a difference in my life.

First you potentially saved my life when you did two ablation procedures on me. My heart had been racing on and on and on and often at the worst times. I would be on a recording session and my heart would start racing. I would be asleep at home and would suddenly wake up and it would be racing. I remember your first time telling a doctor joke. I told you one time that every time I would bend over to adjust my pedal board it would start racing. You said, “Well, don’t do that.”

Then you came to my wedding and you played your bass all day and night with all the musicians. You’re so Nashville if … your cardiologist plays bass at your wedding!

The next time you had an impact was in November of 2010. I had suffered a stroke and Erin called you from the ambulance on our way to the hospital. You made the speech which saved my life. Both as a whole person and as a musician. The neurologists did not want to do surgery on me and you stood up and said, “You guys need to understand that this patient is a world class guitarist. I’m also a bass player and I can tell you just what it will mean to him if he’s unable to play again. You’ve got to give him that chance.” They did the surgery and things went well. I give that thanks to you as well as the surgeons. But without you they’d have never done it.

Then six months later when I suffered from end-stage heart failure, you were there front and center as my medical cheerleader. When you came to me and Erin and said you would be making the life-flight trip with me to Houston where I spent the next four months and got my heart pump, I was really, really sick but I knew down deep that everything would be okay or at least I had the best chance of it being okay because you were there.

And lastly one year to the day from when you and I took that life-flight to Houston you were right there with me as I walked a ½ marathon. 13.1 miles! I could barely walk 13.1 steps before going to Houston and now here we were walking 13.1 miles! It was just you, me, my family and about 30,000 of our newest friends. What a great day that was.

Frank, thanks for being a great doctor and a great friend and thanks for continuing to be there for me. I hope to be able to repay you some day. Pete