MBaldi
Well-known member
Will try to keep this post as short as possible. Not meant at all to preach, but rather as an anecdote that so far has an encouraging ending for a 42+ year fan who is turning 54 this fall....
Last Friday, I started to experience some weird neck pain. On Sunday, the pain had increased in severity, frequency and duration. I'm a New Yorker, but have lived in DC for 10 years and was heading to the Kennedy Center to see a show w/ my girlfriend. She looked over at me while I was driving and said, I can see the pain in your face, you had a stroke in your 40s, let's be safe and stop at the hospital to get you checked out. Surprisingly, I maturely agreed.
Following an MRI, it was reported that I have an inflammation of my meninges. The most likely causes are: (1) meningitis (bacterial or viral); (2) cancer (which has a prognosis of around a 6-week life-span following diagnosis); or (3) an auto-immune disease. On Monday, I was given a spinal tap to retrieve CNF fluid. Yesterday, I received the results: negative on meningitis and the presence of cancer cells in the CNF. There is a small chance that there is a cancer somewhere in the body causing an auto-immune condition, but that would still be a significantly better diagnosis than cancer cells being present directly in the CNF.
Even though I'm not 100% out of the woods, this has been, and will be, a life-changing experience with everything that I hold dear in-life, especially with my 12 year old twin girls, as well as not taking for granted my other passions. While I live in DC, I had SJU MSG season tkts last year and renewed them for this year. I will be at every MSG game, this year, rooting hard during this "golden era" for every rebound, assist and basket. At the same time, I will work hard to let the smaller things roll off my back, whether they involve the Johnnies (e.g., placement of my seats at MSG) or other smaller aspects of life.
Bottom line: I will do my best to enjoy and seize every moment of happiness that I am blessed to have during the time I am gifted to be on this planet. Yes, I am speaking from an emotional point of view, but it's also the truth: I will strive to never take for granted all of the wonderful things that I have, including this very special time in the history of SJU basketball!!! I've previously posted the photo below of me and my twin daughters at halftime against Harvard last year, which was their first SJU game and the night before we learned of Louie's passing. But, I am posting it again, as well as a picture of each girl with Zuby!!! God bless, wishing everyone a safe and happy July 4th holiday!!!!
Go Johnnies!!!!!!
-- Bruce
Last Friday, I started to experience some weird neck pain. On Sunday, the pain had increased in severity, frequency and duration. I'm a New Yorker, but have lived in DC for 10 years and was heading to the Kennedy Center to see a show w/ my girlfriend. She looked over at me while I was driving and said, I can see the pain in your face, you had a stroke in your 40s, let's be safe and stop at the hospital to get you checked out. Surprisingly, I maturely agreed.
Following an MRI, it was reported that I have an inflammation of my meninges. The most likely causes are: (1) meningitis (bacterial or viral); (2) cancer (which has a prognosis of around a 6-week life-span following diagnosis); or (3) an auto-immune disease. On Monday, I was given a spinal tap to retrieve CNF fluid. Yesterday, I received the results: negative on meningitis and the presence of cancer cells in the CNF. There is a small chance that there is a cancer somewhere in the body causing an auto-immune condition, but that would still be a significantly better diagnosis than cancer cells being present directly in the CNF.
Even though I'm not 100% out of the woods, this has been, and will be, a life-changing experience with everything that I hold dear in-life, especially with my 12 year old twin girls, as well as not taking for granted my other passions. While I live in DC, I had SJU MSG season tkts last year and renewed them for this year. I will be at every MSG game, this year, rooting hard during this "golden era" for every rebound, assist and basket. At the same time, I will work hard to let the smaller things roll off my back, whether they involve the Johnnies (e.g., placement of my seats at MSG) or other smaller aspects of life.
Bottom line: I will do my best to enjoy and seize every moment of happiness that I am blessed to have during the time I am gifted to be on this planet. Yes, I am speaking from an emotional point of view, but it's also the truth: I will strive to never take for granted all of the wonderful things that I have, including this very special time in the history of SJU basketball!!! I've previously posted the photo below of me and my twin daughters at halftime against Harvard last year, which was their first SJU game and the night before we learned of Louie's passing. But, I am posting it again, as well as a picture of each girl with Zuby!!! God bless, wishing everyone a safe and happy July 4th holiday!!!!
Go Johnnies!!!!!!
-- Bruce
