Comrades...

[kgooglog]

As a few of you do know, I have been medically ill for several years and have, at times, disappeared from the basketball boards for months, even a year or so at a time, without notifying my dear comrades, which includes each and every one of you. I promised Bill a while back that I would never do that again, and have decided to disclose to you all, a new, extremely serious development in terms of my health. It is not great news.

As only two people know about this (off-line) and have yet to inform my immediate family, including my 18 year old daughter who lives with me, I am hoping that the following news can remain here, on this oasis, where I consider each and every one of you a dear friend and, in all honesty, my "second" family.

Last week, I was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and was deemed a stage 1.5 in terms of severity. I have since started chemotherapy, a process which is as unpleasant as I do believe that Isiah Thomas being hired back as GM would definitely be and despite my rather "flippant" attitude about this subject, I view it with great seriousness in terms of what this could mean to the Knicks if it should ever become a reality. But, I digress.

I am not anywhere near the stage of the beloved late Chuck Daly as well as so many other human beings who have, sadly, discovered that they were a "stage 4" or above with this disease, meaning that the only hope left for them is a couple of months on mega-doses of opiate pain medication before they die.

To my great relief, I have been told that while extremely serious, my own condition has a survival rate of a few years, not months, and I have started to work with a wonderful oncologist as well as a terrific "team" associated with Mt. Sinai, here in the city.

My plan is not to evaporate from this board or from life, but to live each and every moment I still have to its fullest. No one knows whose tomorrow it is, and I have had a very fun albeit a bit of a wild ride on this planet, but my life has been quite fulfilling. There is no need for anyone to feel sorry for me, pity me, or even feel anything for me. My reason for doing this is to simply keep my comrades apprised and aware of a new challenge I am now facing.

If something should happen to me, I have made arrangements for this board to know, for I know what it is to worry about a fellow comrade who disappears without any warning.

All I am asking is that my news be kept here--as I have not informed my immediate family yet of what I just told all of you.

I hope to be here for as long as the good Lord has intended, and, once I am feeling a bit stronger, look forward to exchanging and sharing my ideas, thoughts, and love of the NY Knicks with all of you, as I have done for the past 12 years.

God Bless All Of You.

Ken

[pearl]

Ken:

I am reading your post in disbelief and denial. My dad developed pancreatic cancer very soon after retiring and moving from Long Island to Florida, some 19 years ago.

I wish you the best of everything the Mt. Sinai team offers. My prayers will be with you as well. You are one great comrade and this board is greatly enhanced by your presence, dignity and wonderful class.

Stay positive and as active as you possibly can, attitude is so important in dealing with this condition. Please let us know if there is anything your friends on this board can do for you.

Without a doubt, you are one of the best people I have had the good fortune to know. God bless.

Pearl

[axios]

my prayers are with you Ken and I am sure with you attitude and mental fortitude you'll lick this thing.

[jbaer10314]

I got your back, Ken, and I wish you a speedy recovery.

[daglazer]

Ken, please get well soon. I am so saddened to hear this horrible news. My thoughts are with you. Please keep us up to date. This board needs you and would not be the same without you.

[irish2u2]

Ken

I have a friend here in Gainesville who survived a rare form of cancer with a better than 80% mortality rate.

You and her have a lot in common. She's a fighter. She's an eternal optimist. She armed herself with the best information possible and she sought the best treatment she could get. She won. You WILL fucking win!!!

That's not a request. That's a direct order because besides this online community that adores and reveres you there is your daughter to consider. I too have an 18 year old daughter so your battle plan is simple. You will be there when she graduates college and maybe postgrad. You will walk her down the aisle when she gets married. You will bounce grandbabies on your knee and buy them cute toddler Knick outfits.

One of the ways my friend Theresa was able to cope with her illness and the reason I met her was through her computer.

Today I will set up a section in the GENERAL area called Ken's Corner. This is where you go whether you are up or down. This is where you can say anything you damn well please about anything and your friends will be there to comfort you. To reassure you. To listen to you. To take some of the burden off your shoulders.

As someone already said...we have your back. Totally. Completely.

It's an old cliche but winners never quit and quitters never win. Ken, my brother, you are a winner.

You are in my prayers though the with the frequency I talk to the Almighty I'm not real sure if that's a good thing or bad.

[neilverson]

I think its a great idea a section of the General board is set aside for venting and/or celebrating. I'll be visiting Ken's Corner quite a bit.

Our prayers are most certainly with you Ken, God Bless.
Neil

[ironman95]

My best wishes Ken, that you recover and beat this thing. I know we all have your back. Fight like there's no tomorrow, and do everything the professionals prescribe for you, and then some. I will definitely say some prayers for you today. Bless You!

[greatgates1]

Ken: tears my friend- i actually have tears. The "decision' afforded me Amusement. Isiah coming back only offered me Bemusement. This affords me the opportunity to pray. Thanks for that opportunity; thanks for sharing this; thanks for kicking supreme basketball knowledge. I'm toasting you with a mix of blueberry and orange kool aid. As Robin to your Batman of koolaid drinking i plan for us to have MANY MANY more toasts.

[terror161]

Hey Kenny,
As someone who has bonded with you offline and whose life has taken some of the dark twists and turns as your own, this hits me like a ton of bricks. I always imagined your health to be spotty but there was some comfort in the vagueness of it all. Now you've put a period where only a comma had existed.
Although we never agree on the Knicks, I still take great comfort in knowing there's a shared humanity between us that transcends basketball. Speaking from my heart I can only say that I've read up on your condition and hope that you can beat some pretty tough odds. I will be a frequent visitor to Ken's Corner (sounds a bit like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) and for once will be in complete agreement with the masses who collectively love you and want to help in any way we can. If you want to kick it with me offline feel free. This couldn't have happened at a worse time. We finally have a Knick topic we agree on- Isiah 2- the sequel!

[babylon5]

Terror, Ken,

I am just floored for many reasons.
One of which is that I had to pass through my own personal hell with health issues.

I know that this sounds cliche, but keeping a positive mental attitude was very helpful for me.
This may sound silly, but I learned to meditate....creating a very real and a very firm mental image of my mind healling my body. I know it sounds overly New Age like, but I believed in it, and I believe that it helped me.

My very best, Ken.

Nicholas

[kgooglog]

I am touched beyond belief by what you all have said about me and trust me, I am a fighter.

Bill, I cannot even begin to express to you what you are doing regarding "Ken's Corner" and comrades, I will be posting here as well as in that special place where I may reach out to you.

Jay, you know damned well that I cannot just get up and croak without giving you a piece of my mind. Nicholas (Babylon), I agree with you that a positive mental attitude as well as using other forms of "healing" other than pills and radiation treatment are extremely vital to what can happen with this type of situation.

To Bill, Jeff, Iron, Dave, Neil, Pearl, GG, Ax, please know that I embrace all of what you are giving me in terms of your collective strength, support, and prayers. I will be here as much as I can, and certainly will find my "new" corner a source of great comfort and hope.

It's sort of rionic, but Rene sent me a picture of his new venture and all I thought about was wanting to sit down at that beautiful bar with all of you, share our mutual love of this nutty team, and just shoot the shit with all of you. I wrote to Rene that I will bring my Irish Lass (Yes, we have reunited in the past week) who I think can drink all of us under the table, LOL!

Please know that I am feeling okay as of this time, and remain extremely positive about the team I have at Mt. Sinai who are right on top of this.

But the greatest team I have, and this is from my heart, are all of you. Your words mean more to me than anything, and am blessed to call each and every one of you, my friend.

You all are my family and I will be at my new "corner", guys. You had better show up, for I am not all kool-aid all of the time. Tonight I do feel it, and thank you all. See you very, very soon on the regular board and at my "corner". Bill, you are truly special for doing this...

God Bless all of you and don't think for one second that my dogmatic, semi-delusional, and nutty posts will change all that much!

Always the Best,

Ken

[irish2u2]

Ken

I guess you supplied Jay with a pretty good reason for your nutty and semi-delusional posts, huh? Now what's his excuse.

I believe in two main things.

One is perspective. "I cried because I had no shoes till I met a man with no feet" and so on. I believe in this above all things except family and friends. It's why I'm not encumbered by envy and why the successes of those close to me mean so much. It's why I can deal with some difficulties of my own and "it's no problem". Plenty have it worse. Plenty have nothing. I'm doing fine. Perspective will get you through the toughest times.

The other pet belief of mine is character. The measure of anybody isn't what they think of themselves but what the people who know them think of them. Character is what separates us as individuals. Those who have it are blessed. Those who don't are cursed.

I know you had problems but you never, ever complain. That's perspective and character.

You have time. Time to slow this disease down. Time to treat this disease. Time to beat this disease. We just want you to know it would be an honor to spend some of that time with you and if we can help all you have to do is ask.

There is a lot of character on this board. A lot of good, good people. Call on us whenever you need us. I know I'm not worthy of these people but you are.

[rxmeister]

Ken, I'm shocked and saddened to hear this awful news. I've known you to disappear for periods of time, but I do that too, and didn't realize it was health related. There's no way an eternal optimist like you is going to let this get you down, and if anybody can beat this thing, it's someone like you with your positive attitude. I know we'll be talking about the Knicks together for many years to come. Take care of yourself and I expect to meet you at Rene's when Amare, Melo and Paul lead us to a title. (your treat!)

[jbnewyork162]

Ken you've always been like an Uncle to me and basically when your presence is not around something is missing. I have great faith that you will beat odds greater than what the doctors and statistics say. I have great faith you will be surrounded in life and aamongst this virtual grotto with those who care about you geniunely no matter what happens. I pray you dont lose faith in the fact that you have impacted us all in ways that words can never describe.

One day, health permitting I think we should all meeet to put the faces to the names and kind of get the cyber wall out of the way so our collective brains can pick on each other. Knicks brought us together but the bonds of men with other lives' outside of the internet, outside of what we know to be routine so to speak brought us together about 12 years give or take later.

Its amazing how this site and the old site has given friends a chance to grow with each other over time, but Ken you have been one of the most important parts. Get well and believe you will. I do.

Much respect, karma, blessings and heartfelts prayers your way, Ken. Not too many people deserve it more. We are family.


-Jason