duncan228
12-16-2009, 04:54 PM
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: ‘Leukemia is Not a Death Sentence’ (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-kareemabduljabbarleu&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
Last year, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62, received some jarring news - he had a rare disease, chronic myeloid leukemia. After overcoming the initial shock, Abdul-Jabbar began treatment for CML, and his prognosis is encouraging. After initially keeping his CML private, he is now speaking publicly about it in order to promote awareness Sporting News’ Sean Deveney spoke with Abdul-Jabbar about CML, his work with Lakers center Andrew Bynum and his new movie.
SN: You have gone public with your leukemia, and for starters, how are you doing with it at this point?
KAJ: It’s going well. I am doing what the doctors tell me to do and I am managing it. That’s the best I can hope for. I am responding well to my treatment.
SN: What does managing it entail? How much is that for you?
KAJ: I have to go and visit my doctor regularly. I have to take my medication every day. I have to get my blood checked on a regular basis so that we can keep an eye on what’s happening with my response. But I have been doing all of that, I am eager to do all of that. It’s going very well.
SN: It’s a rare sort of leukemia, as I understand it. What symptoms were there that let you know something was wrong?
KAJ: I was getting hot flashes and sweats. At first, I just dismissed it, I said, ‘These things just happen now and then.’ But when it persisted, I thought there might be something up. I told my doctor about it and he said he wanted to get me in immediately to get some blood work done. They drew my blood and the next day they said, ‘Your white blood-cell count is very high. You need to see a specialist.’
SN: This was a year ago?
KAJ: Yes, December 2008.
SN: The fact that you overlooked it, the fact that you didn’t think the symptoms were a big deal, is that part of the reason you wanted to go public with this? To let people know not to wait?
KAJ: Yes, it is really necessary for everyone to get checked regularly. Even small symptoms, it is worth it to be careful. I figured this was an opportunity to help educate people on that, on the value of early detection.
SN: You’ve been able to lead a pretty normal life for the past year, right?
KAJ: Yes, because we caught it at an early stage. Other than going to the doctor and getting my blood checked and the medication, I can more or less lead a normal and fulfilling life. I can coach, I can work, I can do the things I normally do. But that’s because we caught it. I just want people to know, leukemia is not a death sentence.
SN: I think, certainly, in the minds of a lot of people, they hear cancer or leukemia, and the reaction is immediately to think of it as a death sentence. It’s scary, isn’t it?
KAJ: Well sure, and with good reason. Leukemia is a serious situation. But the more you find out about it, the more you can fight it.
SN: You are still coaching with the Lakers, has it been difficult to stay around basketball?
KAJ: No, it has not been a problem. I am coaching with the Lakers, working with Andrew Bynum. He is doing very well, I am happy about that.
SN: He has really improved it seems.
KAJ: I think he is one of the best young big men in the game, he has worked hard to get to that level. But his rebounding, his defense, the way he approached his offense, he has improved on many different levels.
SN: Has he been good to work with?
KAJ: He has become a professional. He understands now the value of putting in the work.
SN: What do you see as some of the big differences in the league now as opposed to when you played?
KAJ: The most obvious is that the players are just so big and strong now. I don’t know that they have the same skill sets, the same fundamentals, but physically, they are much bigger, very athletic.
SN: You always have a lot of other things going, too, outside of basketball. What else are you working on?
KAJ: I am writing, I am working on a documentary film.
SN: I saw a bit about the film, can you tell me about it?
KAJ: It’s based on my last book, ‘On the Shoulders of Giants.’ It’s about the early days of professional basketball, the great team that Harlem produced called the Rens, the very first professional champions of basketball and a group that probably does not get enough credit.
SN: When will that be out?
KAJ: In February, I am looking forward to it.
SN: And if people want to find out more about CML?
KAJ: They can go to CML Alliance on the Internet to find out. They can interact with people about it there.
SportingNews
Last year, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62, received some jarring news - he had a rare disease, chronic myeloid leukemia. After overcoming the initial shock, Abdul-Jabbar began treatment for CML, and his prognosis is encouraging. After initially keeping his CML private, he is now speaking publicly about it in order to promote awareness Sporting News’ Sean Deveney spoke with Abdul-Jabbar about CML, his work with Lakers center Andrew Bynum and his new movie.
SN: You have gone public with your leukemia, and for starters, how are you doing with it at this point?
KAJ: It’s going well. I am doing what the doctors tell me to do and I am managing it. That’s the best I can hope for. I am responding well to my treatment.
SN: What does managing it entail? How much is that for you?
KAJ: I have to go and visit my doctor regularly. I have to take my medication every day. I have to get my blood checked on a regular basis so that we can keep an eye on what’s happening with my response. But I have been doing all of that, I am eager to do all of that. It’s going very well.
SN: It’s a rare sort of leukemia, as I understand it. What symptoms were there that let you know something was wrong?
KAJ: I was getting hot flashes and sweats. At first, I just dismissed it, I said, ‘These things just happen now and then.’ But when it persisted, I thought there might be something up. I told my doctor about it and he said he wanted to get me in immediately to get some blood work done. They drew my blood and the next day they said, ‘Your white blood-cell count is very high. You need to see a specialist.’
SN: This was a year ago?
KAJ: Yes, December 2008.
SN: The fact that you overlooked it, the fact that you didn’t think the symptoms were a big deal, is that part of the reason you wanted to go public with this? To let people know not to wait?
KAJ: Yes, it is really necessary for everyone to get checked regularly. Even small symptoms, it is worth it to be careful. I figured this was an opportunity to help educate people on that, on the value of early detection.
SN: You’ve been able to lead a pretty normal life for the past year, right?
KAJ: Yes, because we caught it at an early stage. Other than going to the doctor and getting my blood checked and the medication, I can more or less lead a normal and fulfilling life. I can coach, I can work, I can do the things I normally do. But that’s because we caught it. I just want people to know, leukemia is not a death sentence.
SN: I think, certainly, in the minds of a lot of people, they hear cancer or leukemia, and the reaction is immediately to think of it as a death sentence. It’s scary, isn’t it?
KAJ: Well sure, and with good reason. Leukemia is a serious situation. But the more you find out about it, the more you can fight it.
SN: You are still coaching with the Lakers, has it been difficult to stay around basketball?
KAJ: No, it has not been a problem. I am coaching with the Lakers, working with Andrew Bynum. He is doing very well, I am happy about that.
SN: He has really improved it seems.
KAJ: I think he is one of the best young big men in the game, he has worked hard to get to that level. But his rebounding, his defense, the way he approached his offense, he has improved on many different levels.
SN: Has he been good to work with?
KAJ: He has become a professional. He understands now the value of putting in the work.
SN: What do you see as some of the big differences in the league now as opposed to when you played?
KAJ: The most obvious is that the players are just so big and strong now. I don’t know that they have the same skill sets, the same fundamentals, but physically, they are much bigger, very athletic.
SN: You always have a lot of other things going, too, outside of basketball. What else are you working on?
KAJ: I am writing, I am working on a documentary film.
SN: I saw a bit about the film, can you tell me about it?
KAJ: It’s based on my last book, ‘On the Shoulders of Giants.’ It’s about the early days of professional basketball, the great team that Harlem produced called the Rens, the very first professional champions of basketball and a group that probably does not get enough credit.
SN: When will that be out?
KAJ: In February, I am looking forward to it.
SN: And if people want to find out more about CML?
KAJ: They can go to CML Alliance on the Internet to find out. They can interact with people about it there.