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STATEMENT BY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA WOMEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH DEBBIE RYAN
Lance Armstrong says, “It’s not about the bike.”
No, it’s about a life.
Back in the fall of 1999, I experienced some pain in my left side. I jokingly referred to it as appendicitis, but I knew my appendix was on the right side. The pain lasted about five days and disappeared. It happened again during the winter. That time I visited with my PCP Dr. Joe May who prescribed something to help me.
In late May or early June, the pain turned into more stomach distress and Dr. May referred me to Dr. Paul Yeaton at the University of Virginia Digestive Health Center. I underwent a battery of tests throughout July and a small blockage was found in my pancreatic duct. The biopsies that were taken were either benign or inconclusive, so I decided to leave things alone because by August I was feeling great. I left for a short break and went to Hawaii.
I returned from Hawaii on Thursday the ninth of August and Dr. Yeaton wanted me to consult with a surgeon on Friday about getting another biopsy through a laparoscope. Dr. Rayford Scott Jones met with me and told me that we needed to get a true biopsy because the area was so small that he wasn’t sure they had actually biopsied it the first time.
I agreed to have surgery on Monday, August 14th, and they started off laparoscopically with my permission to do more extensive surgery if they could not get to the area. It was a small blockage, but in a difficult part of the pancreas.
To make a long story short, they did have to do more extensive surgery and were able to successfully remove the tumor. The tumor was a form of cancer, but it had not spread to any other part of my body. All my follow up tests have been normal and as you can see I am as healthy and vivacious as ever. I was very fortunate that I had symptoms and the tumor was so small and self-contained.
This entire journey has been both enlightening and positive. I could never have managed without my family. My Mom, sister and brother were with me all the way. Also supporting me was my extended Charlottesville-based family which includes the Corrigans, the Zentgrafs and the Wawners.
I had excellent medical care at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. From the diagnosis of Dr. Paul Yeaton to the skilled surgery of Dr. Rayford Scott Jones and his attending surgeon Dr. Gene Parrino, things could not have gone better. They are all exceptional in their respective fields, but I want you to know they are even better people. I am also indebted to the Orange Team of physicians that saw me through every phase of my recovery in the hospital. Finally I want to thank the incredibly empathetic, caring nurses that helped me feel better every day.
If I had to rank my experience at the University of Virginia Medical Center, it would be a 10 on a 10-point scale. It’s one thing to take care of your own, but every one there on fifth floor west was receiving the same great care I was given every day. As tough as it was, there was always someone to help and encourage you to reach the next plateau.
I also want to recognize my staff and the administration for their unconditional support and caring throughout my illness. They have been unbelievably helpful and inspirational.
I will resume my duties on a limited basis sometime this week, but will not travel during the upcoming recruiting period. I will be receiving therapy during the next six weeks as a preventative measure, but it should not hinder my performance at all. I will be back full time in a few weeks and fully ready to start practice on October 14th. Obviously, I will have to lean on my assistants Audra Smith, Nikki Caldwell and Tim Taylor for the next two months. They are extremely capable and have already taken the ball and run with it these past three weeks.
Let me finish by saying I have always felt I was fortunate to be at Virginia. Now I have proof there are not many places like this in the world. From John Casteen and Leonard Sandridge, to Dr. Joe May, Dr. Paul Yeaton, Dr. Rayford Scott Jones and Dr. Gene Parrino, to Terry Holland, Craig Littlepage and Jane Miller, it’s the people that make this place so special.