Abdul-Jabbar Goes Public With Leukemia Fight

[BeyondGeography]

The New York Times

In addition to his signature sky hook and a legacy of winning at every level, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known for his stamina and fitness. During a 20-year N.B.A. career that included six championships and six Most Valuable Player awards, Abdul-Jabbar had one serious injury, a broken wrist. Other than that he had enjoyed a healthy career.

So the news Monday that the 62-year-old star athlete turned writer and coach was battling leukemia came as a stunning revelation.

...Abdul-Jabbar learned last December that he has chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which the body produces cancerous white blood cells. Chronic describes a relatively slow-growing cancer that may take years to progress. Myeloid refers to the type of white blood cell being overproduced.

“It’s been almost a year now since I’ve been diagnosed,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “My first reaction was to deal with it, make that fight for my life.”

Like many patients found to have this particular strain of leukemia, Abdul-Jabbar learned he had the disease while it was in its early phase.

“In order to really deal with this situation, you have to find a specialist and follow their instructions,” he said. “You have to take your medication; you have to get your blood checked regularly so that you can be monitored.”

More at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/sports/basketball/10rhoden.html?hp

Stay well, sir.

:patriot:

[villager]

1. I wish him the best; it also brings up what this diagnosis might mean for someone with fewer

...financial resources than Mr. Abdul-Jabbar. Would they be able to "see their specialist" regularly, over a period of years?

[BeyondGeography]

4. From the third comment

His drug treatment is one of the reasons we need health care reform. The drugs that work for this disease were developed mainly with government funding and taken private. Despite a rapid approval by the FDA and few development costs the manufacturer charges between $50,000 and $100,000/year for the drug alone--more than the median income in the U.S., more than your car (mine at least) and over a lifetime more than your home.

[villager]

5. so there you go; sub-NBA star income, and the prospect of controlling the disease for many years

...suddenly doesn't look so promising, bright... or affordable...

[Warpy]

2. He can still watch his grandchildren grow up

but yes, he's going to have to be very careful and hope the drugs keep working.

I wish him the best.

[HamdenRice]

3. Oh man! He was my hero as a kid because he lived across the street from me!

When he was at UCLA and was still named Lew Alcindor, his family moved in across the street. He was reclusive, but his father and my father both worked nights and rode the train home together after midnight, for safety in late 60s New York subways.

Eventually I got his autograph in my Cub Scout manual.

Of course I followed his career and his political and cultural positions.

I hope he beats it. He's maybe the greatest "scholar athlete" we've had beside Bill Bradley.