On August 5, 2022, I went to see a new doctor for a yearly check-up. Gregory Prokopowicz had just arrived from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. I was his among his first patients. I was 75 and felt great. I’m a writer and a poker player. I’d just gotten back from Las Vegas where I’d come in second in a big tournament. My sixth novel, Bluff, was going to be made into a movie. Dr. Prokopowicz said I was in excellent health—except for a slight problem with my kidneys that showed up on a blood test.