George Karl an Inspiration to Cancer Victims

[NJNJ]

http://www.blogcdn.com/nba.fanhouse.com/media/2010/07/fh1georgekarl.jpg

 

For the past half-decade, Denver coach George Karl has been telling anybody who would listen the U.S. government needs a national program to cure cancer.

 

Karl beat prostate cancer after he was diagnosed in 2005. Then his son, Coby Karl, now a Nuggets guard, successfully fought thyroid cancer in 2006 and 2007. And Karl missed the final 1½ months of last season due to a form of throat cancer, a battle he looks to be winning.

 

When Karl was told a few months ago he was to be honored at Wednesday's ESPYs with the Jimmy V Award for perseverance, named after former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993, Karl initially was reluctant. But he eventually realized he couldn't turn down a chance to preach his message before millions.

 

"When I was first told about the award, I didn't think I was worthy of accepting it,'' Karl said in an interview Friday with FanHouse. "But, as time goes on, I realized that it would be a chance to speak and help the cancer program. There's no cancer program like the Jimmy V (Foundation). ... I was humbled by the honor.''

 

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[moeroadkill]

dam his lost a lot of weight.

so has he fully recovered from the cancer?

[Jammin]

Not trying to be a downer, but two things need to be considered...

 

1) He caught both cancers REALLY early.

2) He's a millionaire.

 

People with money get 1st class treatment, stuff that would cost someone $500,000+.

 

I'm happy people are inspired tho, a little hope goes a long way.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^He's a multi-millionaire, probably the richest person in the organization, even topping Melo.

 

He has coached for 20+ years, he's got whatever minority share in the Bucks organization that was surely worth tens of millions when he coached the team... I remember Karl saying, "Sen. Kohl (Bucks owner) made me a very wealthy man." Not to count on investment/ business ventures he's involved in...

 

 

I read somewhere there's a 50-50 chance the cancer could come back... like at the same point of the season where he got it last season in March... which means if he gets it again, he will miss yet the last two months of the season. Not sure if the chance is still 50-50...

 

But if it's still 50-50 I certainly hope he resigns... for the good of both the team and himself. We can't afford to lose the coach figure when we need him in March, April. There's a reason why we went from being no 2 in the West to playing .500 ball when he didn't coach... I'd like to think it's not a coincidence. So if there's a good chance the cancer can come back, leave our team pls.

[Flight]

I watched the full cycle of cancer over a span of about 9 months, and that was one of the worst things I've ever seen. 40 pounds is a lot, but my Dad lost over 100 pounds in that time, and more than 50 in the last 3 months. Hope is a huge thing, but when it comes down to it, even lots of money can't cure all types. For those of you that are at all interested and want to be educated, research Pancreatic Cancer a little. Try to tell me money can cure that.

 

With chemotherapy costing over $5,000 a session, and needing at the very least 8 sessions to show results, it is a very expensive process, but hope really does outweight money when it comes down to it.

[Jammin]

I watched the full cycle of cancer over a span of about 9 months, and that was one of the worst things I've ever seen. 40 pounds is a lot, but my Dad lost over 100 pounds in that time, and more than 50 in the last 3 months. Hope is a huge thing, but when it comes down to it, even lots of money can't cure all types. For those of you that are at all interested and want to be educated, research Pancreatic Cancer a little. Try to tell me money can cure that.

 

With chemotherapy costing over $5,000 a session, and needing at the very least 8 sessions to show results, it is a very expensive process, but hope really does outweight money when it comes down to it.

My aunts [twins] both got tested at the same time for cancer, and both found out they had esophageal cancer and stomach cancer. One aunt was about 5-6 months further along than the other one. The one that was further along has about 1-2 weeks to live, as of today, and her sister is going to be fine. Sad stuff, my mom's heartbroken.

 

It really depends on when you catch it though, considering if you catch it a month after it appears, it's easier to get rid of than a year after it appears.

 

Also, chemo here is free.

[*Swish*]

It's always good when we see someone surviving from Cancer. I'm really happy for him, for his family and the Nuggets family. I hope he will have a great season with the Nuggets and that teaches to Cancer victims to never give up

[Flight]

My aunts [twins] both got tested at the same time for cancer, and both found out they had esophageal cancer and stomach cancer. One aunt was about 5-6 months further along than the other one. The one that was further along has about 1-2 weeks to live, as of today, and her sister is going to be fine. Sad stuff, my mom's heartbroken.

 

It really depends on when you catch it though, considering if you catch it a month after it appears, it's easier to get rid of than a year after it appears.

 

Also, chemo here is free.

That's awesome that chemo is free there.

 

With some types, it can be cured most of the time obviously, I mean skin cancer isn't very dangerous anymore, and stuff like that is a tossup but depends on the time and aggressiveness of the cancer.

 

With pancreatic cancer, if they find it, regardless of when, you have about a 5% chance you'll live more than 5 years from that date. I wrote my senior paper on this, I have a huge background of it now, I'm writing a book about cancer and the funding problems that arrise from the many varieties... but long story short, 34,000 people a year in the US get diagnosed with PanCan, and about 33,500 die from it. That's in the #1 country on earth when it comes to cancer treatment.

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread since this doesn't relate to Karl directly, but simply put, at some point many cancer victims have to begin to take faith and realize that the odds are against them, and to make the best of it.