alexrgct
RIP, Alex
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 10,091
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SO, I guess now would be time to tell a very personal story about me. Bear with me; it does have relevance to UConn WBB.
ON SUnday July 7, 2013 I awoke with a terrible headache, one that had all the symptoms of a migraine. Long story short, the pain never went away, and the morning of July 9, I was admitted into the ER at Yale New Haven Hospital. Immediately, the doctors found brain hemorraghing, and even worse, a tumor. That's right- at age 35, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma.
Over the course of that week, I had two brain surgeries- one to alleviate the hemorraghing by taking out a piece of my skull, and the other to remove the tumor. I don't even remember having the second surgery. I do remember waking up a hot mess, being difficult with nurses, pulling an entire tube out of my mouth and throat without permission, and just generally being not myself.
ANd you know what? I came back one night. Intellectually, I was the person I'd been before this horrifying experience. I was assigned a sweet, garrulous, attractive nurse I was inclined to talk to, and what was one of the things I talked about? UConn WBB! I was so excited after talking to her about it that I even buzzed her back to my hospital bed just to tell her more about why the team would be so good this year, how the Huskies had Stef and Kaleena and Breanna and Bria and and and... I guess primal fear was lessened by anticipation of great things to come.
Well, after a ghastly period of losing my girlfriend and undergoing chemo-radiation, it was just about time for an exhibition game against Gannon. I was happy to have made it to the season, and even happier to take my daughter to the Gannon game. One of the things that was like medicine to me was to pour my love and dedication into that angel and my amazing son. And you know what? UConn has been like medicine to me, too: Getting to see something beautiful and dominant, a team that was everything I anticipated (even from the hospital). I even found a new girlfriend, who as it happens went to UConn from 1992 to 1996 and knew just about everyone from the men's and women's teams during that time. My health has also improved tremendously, at least for the time being. In short, I may not be home free, but my outlook is far less bleak than it was in July of last year.
I'm not saying UConn WBB cured me. I'm just saying I couldn't wait for this season after everything that happened to me. I'm saying this season has been everything I hoped, and I can't wait until next season either.
I'm saying thank you to Geno and to his great team. Thank you for giving me something to focus on. I'm very proud to live in this state. I'm proud of all of you.
And I feel much better. That's saying a lot.
ON SUnday July 7, 2013 I awoke with a terrible headache, one that had all the symptoms of a migraine. Long story short, the pain never went away, and the morning of July 9, I was admitted into the ER at Yale New Haven Hospital. Immediately, the doctors found brain hemorraghing, and even worse, a tumor. That's right- at age 35, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma.
Over the course of that week, I had two brain surgeries- one to alleviate the hemorraghing by taking out a piece of my skull, and the other to remove the tumor. I don't even remember having the second surgery. I do remember waking up a hot mess, being difficult with nurses, pulling an entire tube out of my mouth and throat without permission, and just generally being not myself.
ANd you know what? I came back one night. Intellectually, I was the person I'd been before this horrifying experience. I was assigned a sweet, garrulous, attractive nurse I was inclined to talk to, and what was one of the things I talked about? UConn WBB! I was so excited after talking to her about it that I even buzzed her back to my hospital bed just to tell her more about why the team would be so good this year, how the Huskies had Stef and Kaleena and Breanna and Bria and and and... I guess primal fear was lessened by anticipation of great things to come.
Well, after a ghastly period of losing my girlfriend and undergoing chemo-radiation, it was just about time for an exhibition game against Gannon. I was happy to have made it to the season, and even happier to take my daughter to the Gannon game. One of the things that was like medicine to me was to pour my love and dedication into that angel and my amazing son. And you know what? UConn has been like medicine to me, too: Getting to see something beautiful and dominant, a team that was everything I anticipated (even from the hospital). I even found a new girlfriend, who as it happens went to UConn from 1992 to 1996 and knew just about everyone from the men's and women's teams during that time. My health has also improved tremendously, at least for the time being. In short, I may not be home free, but my outlook is far less bleak than it was in July of last year.
I'm not saying UConn WBB cured me. I'm just saying I couldn't wait for this season after everything that happened to me. I'm saying this season has been everything I hoped, and I can't wait until next season either.
I'm saying thank you to Geno and to his great team. Thank you for giving me something to focus on. I'm very proud to live in this state. I'm proud of all of you.
And I feel much better. That's saying a lot.
