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THE DICK VITALE CENTER COURT CLUB
TO ALL MY FANS WOW!!! I am absolutely overwhelmed by all the support that I have received from all my fans, friends, coaches, ESPN family, and most of all, from my beautiful loving family which has been so caring. I have received Holy Water, Rosary Beads blessed by Pope Benedict XVI and prayer cards from so many of you. This has meant so much to me and I honestly could never find the words to thank you enough. Let me take you on my little journey to Boston for surgery. Several months ago I went to numerous specialists due to the discomfort in my throat. Raspy has always been part of my voice but I was now constantly getting hoarse and straining to speak. I went under the care of Dr. Daniel Deems in Sarasota, a superb ENT specialist. He did a scope of my throat and discovered something that no one else had seen. He immediately made arrangements for me to go to Moffitt Cancer Hospital in Tampa to see Dr. Thomas McCaffrey, a well respected throat specialist. He examined the scope of my throat and verified the feeling that Dr. Deems had and concluded that I did not have cancer of the throat. Naturally I was ecstatic. Both Dr. Deems and Dr. McCaffrey also felt I had reflux which causes acid to affect your throat, which can be treated thru diet and medication. The conclusion was that I had over utilized my vocal cords for many years, causing me the discomfort. I had to develop a better way of using my diaphragm when speaking, so they hired me a voice coach. However, Dr. Deems wanted to arrange an appointment with nationally acclaimed voice specialist, Dr. Steven Zietels in Boston. He is recognized as a giant in his profession. Dr. Deems arranged for my wife and me to visit with Dr. Zietels on Dec. 5th (day after the Jimmy V Classic in NYC). I was certainly excited to see if he could provide any tips that could assist me. Dr. Zietels has treated many rock stars, coaches etc., including Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Julie Andrews and a host of others. He has equipment that is cutting edge and state of the art for his field. After putting me through an extensive exam, Dr. Zietels wasted no time in saying that I had lesions on my left vocal cord that had to be removed immediately. He also stated that he would have to do a biopsy during surgery to determine whether or not the lesions were malignant. To be honest, for the two weeks leading up to the surgery, I was an emotional wreck worrying like crazy. The fear of the unknown was UNREAL. My heart goes out to all of those who have been in this position. As you know, I had the surgery on Dec. 18th at Massachusetts General Hospital and I was so happy that Dr. Daniel Deems flew to Boston with me and my wife. He joined Dr. Zietels in surgery so that he could best be able to help me in my recovery and rehabilitation. John Saunders, a colleague at ESPN and a special friend, flew from New York to be at my side during this difficult time, as did Sandy Montag, IMG’s Head of Broadcasting. John and I worked out a signal prior to surgery that he would flash a thumbs up sign to me if the biopsy was benign. I can’t tell you what a great feeling it was when I opened my eyes and saw John smiling with the thumbs up sign. Now I face a tough task – can you believe it, I can’t talk for three weeks? As Dr. Zietels said I have no choice!!! DUCT TAPE BABY! I guess that will make lots of fans happy. In all seriousness, I was lucky and I know so many others are not as fortunate when nervously awaiting the results of a biopsy. That is the reason I am obsessed with raising millions of dollars for the V Foundation in the fight against cancer. I am raising money for a special research grant thru the V Foundation in memory of a 4 year old girl, Payton Wright, who last year lost her battle with cancer. We must keep Jimmy V’s dream alive, please call 1-800-4-JIMMYV to help me in this cause. Once again, thank you for your sincere support. Best wishes for a happy holiday. I received the best Christmas present on Dec. 18th and can’t wait to get back courtside in February. Happy Hoops !
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