jmizzy4ou
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2008
- Messages
- 3,521
- Reaction score
- 235
Just wanted to share a quick story with you guys. As many of you know, I started posting on Sooner-related boards in 2004, a few weeks after my 17 yr old son was murdered. A coworker introduced me to message boards as an outlet, as my world was torn apart after my son's death.
Over the years I joined all of the old boards and moved when we all moved. OUHOOPS is the only steady message board I never left. I haven't posted much in the last 10-12 years, but I check in daily. I have no accounts on any other boards by personal choice. In 2007 I became a single dad and finished raising my amazing daughter alone. She is now 25 yrs. old and graduated college a year ago as a forensic chemist.
Over the years I used my degrees to work for the State as a Child abuse/neglect/sexual abuse investigator. After leaving there I went into adult mental health, which made me miss the kids severely. I went back to school, received my graduate degree in social work, and became a therapist. I currently work and have worked with kids and families in a behavioral health setting.
My father passed away in 1996. At the time of his death, he was working on his personal memoirs. My dad was an elite basketball player but unfortunately played when things in our state were very segregated. He did play at two local colleges while obtaining his degree, and always will be remembered as the first black man to play hoops at NOC JC in Tonkawa, OK.
My sister asked me to take his manuscript and try to finish his book. Unfortunately, that manuscript was lost in a house fire. Around 2001, I started recording memories and thoughts from my life, because I hoped to someday share them with my grandkids.
Writing has always been a passion of mine, so in 2020 I decided to take pages upon pages of my personal manuscript and make a book. In 2021 my book was accepted for publishing.
It hit all of the platforms via ebook first, then in early 2022 I received my first shipment of paperback author copies. It was a day of celebration!! Some of my family was taking me out to dinner after work, and right as I was leaving the house, I received a secure message from my ENT doctor at the OKC VA Hospital. I didn't think much of it, because I had numerous tests done previously to rule out any type of tumors in my ear canal.
In the 80s a grenade simulator was detonated inadvertently near my prone position, during a training exercise at Ft. Sill, OK. Ever since the accident, I have had hearing loss and ringing in one ear. The tests were just routine, as I've fought for compensation for decades, and they needed to rule out other causes of the continued hearing loss.
I quickly opened the secure message and it said No tumors found, ear canal intact, but we found a mass on your brain. Nothing else.
I tried calling my Dr and anyone else I thought could help me, but everyone was gone for the weekend. One of the happiest days of my recent existence turned pretty dark. Over the next 11 months, I tried my best to maintain a normal life while preparing for surgery. I personally believe GOD took extra care of my mental state, and I rarely dealt with fear or worry. It was determined surgery had to happen quickly in order to save my eyesight.
I had the surgery exactly one week ago today. Everything went great, and I was supposed to be in ICU for about 4-6 days. They released me to home in just over 24hrs.
The Neurosurgery Team and ENT Team at OU Medical have been amazing!! They kept asking how the heck I was out of bed so soon, and I told them I needed to get back to work...lol.
My prognosis is very good!! The entire tumor was destroyed, and it appears to be non-cancerous. I'm slowly regaining my strength, and hopefully will be fully cleared in a month or so.
I just wanted to share with you guys, because this will always be my Sooner Hoops Family. I appreciate everything Boulder does to keep it running, and Ada is a personal friend of mine who I love and respect. I had some heated debates, years ago with one poster here in particular, over racial and social issues. I just want him(he knows who it is), and everyone else to know I hold no ill will towards anyone here or any of the other people I met over the years on various boards and in person. It's been a rough season, but as my life has dictated to me, I'm still not ever giving up, until it's over!! I love you guys, and I pray GOD continues to bless everyone here. #BoomerSooner
Over the years I joined all of the old boards and moved when we all moved. OUHOOPS is the only steady message board I never left. I haven't posted much in the last 10-12 years, but I check in daily. I have no accounts on any other boards by personal choice. In 2007 I became a single dad and finished raising my amazing daughter alone. She is now 25 yrs. old and graduated college a year ago as a forensic chemist.
Over the years I used my degrees to work for the State as a Child abuse/neglect/sexual abuse investigator. After leaving there I went into adult mental health, which made me miss the kids severely. I went back to school, received my graduate degree in social work, and became a therapist. I currently work and have worked with kids and families in a behavioral health setting.
My father passed away in 1996. At the time of his death, he was working on his personal memoirs. My dad was an elite basketball player but unfortunately played when things in our state were very segregated. He did play at two local colleges while obtaining his degree, and always will be remembered as the first black man to play hoops at NOC JC in Tonkawa, OK.
My sister asked me to take his manuscript and try to finish his book. Unfortunately, that manuscript was lost in a house fire. Around 2001, I started recording memories and thoughts from my life, because I hoped to someday share them with my grandkids.
Writing has always been a passion of mine, so in 2020 I decided to take pages upon pages of my personal manuscript and make a book. In 2021 my book was accepted for publishing.
It hit all of the platforms via ebook first, then in early 2022 I received my first shipment of paperback author copies. It was a day of celebration!! Some of my family was taking me out to dinner after work, and right as I was leaving the house, I received a secure message from my ENT doctor at the OKC VA Hospital. I didn't think much of it, because I had numerous tests done previously to rule out any type of tumors in my ear canal.
In the 80s a grenade simulator was detonated inadvertently near my prone position, during a training exercise at Ft. Sill, OK. Ever since the accident, I have had hearing loss and ringing in one ear. The tests were just routine, as I've fought for compensation for decades, and they needed to rule out other causes of the continued hearing loss.
I quickly opened the secure message and it said No tumors found, ear canal intact, but we found a mass on your brain. Nothing else.
I tried calling my Dr and anyone else I thought could help me, but everyone was gone for the weekend. One of the happiest days of my recent existence turned pretty dark. Over the next 11 months, I tried my best to maintain a normal life while preparing for surgery. I personally believe GOD took extra care of my mental state, and I rarely dealt with fear or worry. It was determined surgery had to happen quickly in order to save my eyesight.
I had the surgery exactly one week ago today. Everything went great, and I was supposed to be in ICU for about 4-6 days. They released me to home in just over 24hrs.
The Neurosurgery Team and ENT Team at OU Medical have been amazing!! They kept asking how the heck I was out of bed so soon, and I told them I needed to get back to work...lol.My prognosis is very good!! The entire tumor was destroyed, and it appears to be non-cancerous. I'm slowly regaining my strength, and hopefully will be fully cleared in a month or so.
I just wanted to share with you guys, because this will always be my Sooner Hoops Family. I appreciate everything Boulder does to keep it running, and Ada is a personal friend of mine who I love and respect. I had some heated debates, years ago with one poster here in particular, over racial and social issues. I just want him(he knows who it is), and everyone else to know I hold no ill will towards anyone here or any of the other people I met over the years on various boards and in person. It's been a rough season, but as my life has dictated to me, I'm still not ever giving up, until it's over!! I love you guys, and I pray GOD continues to bless everyone here. #BoomerSooner
