It's been a rough road for former Boise State basketball player Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl. The younger Karl, 23, had his thyroid removed 13 months ago due to papillary carcinoma, a treatable form of cancer. And he returned to the operating room just last week for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes.Karl's recent surgery, intended to take two to three hours, lasted for seven hours. This worried Dad.
''When it goes longer and longer, you always think the worst, and start worrying about things like being under anesthesia that long and all the nightmares you have about surgeries,'' George Karl said.
But it turns out Coby was just fine -- doctors just wanted to be thorough -- and the ambitious young man plans to play ball as soon as possible.Coby is expected to remain inactive for 10 days to two weeks. But after that, he is free to do whatever he wants. And what the 6-foot-4 guard wants to do is start working out in hopes of getting drafted by an NBA team.
''He is anxious to get into the NBA thing and celebrate basketball by trying to make it in this league,'' his dad says.
1. I'm a huge basketball fan, (and Nuggets fan, amongst other teams) and I'm sitting here watching the playoffs as I write this. I just saw the story about George and Coby Karl and this inspired my to look up more information, which is how I've come across this blog. I just wanted to say how much I admire Coby's attitude, strength, and motivation in dealing with a situation that can be so difficult, especially for someone so young. I know, I've been there. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was 20. I have been in remission for many years now. The experience changed my life and gave me astounding strength I had no idea I possessed. I just want to say how good it is to see Coby and his father George handling this with so much strength and positivity. Every person who is known and respected publicly willing to talk openly about their experiences with cancer make it just a bit easier for the rest of us to understand and deal with our own experiences. I admire Coby's determination and positive outlook, and I admire his father's (and I'm sure, the rest of his family's) support and strength. Support is one of the most important aspects of recovery. Go Nuggets!
Posted at 5:27PM on Apr 28th 2007 by babydoll