Bowling, The Wright Way - May 1, 2003 by Don Wright
Two Tough Bowlers

G.G. Wright knew that something was wrong and for more than a year she sought help from her family physician to no avail. "I was beginning to think he thought I was a hypochondriac, or some woman that needed attention," she said. But, in reality she was very close to death.

G.G. had always been an athlete. A world-class swimmer in her home country of Germany, an avid bowler, aerobics, walking and jogging were all part of her routine. Now she was losing weight, strength and ambition.

On 29 July, I watched as she walked out of our living room and noticed that she had a stagger and she was holding her arm and hand in an awkward position. I feared that she had a stroke and took her to the nearest clinic. After the doctor gave her a few motor skills tests he felt she had a stroke, sent her to the emergency room and ordered an MRI. Several hours later the doctor returned and informed us they had found a mass in the right side of her head and determined it was a tumor attached to the brain. Not the news anyone expects.

That night tests were run and surgery was performed on July 31.

Surgery took nearly six hours and the doctor was not optimistic. He said he got most of the tumor, but couldn't risk taking any more of it. The tumor was sent to pathology at the hospital and then forwarded to Texas A & M and ultimately to the Mayo Clinic and we were finally told that the cancer was a very aggressive, rare cancer that rarely attached to the brain. In fact, they told us that in 45 years there were only 40 cases recorded and very little research had been done. It was now wait and see.

Throughout her ordeal G.G. was joking with her doctor that she had to get well because she had her 25th WIBC Championship Tournament in Reno coming up. Her bowling became the topic of all the ward personnel who asked her about her average, did she really bowl tournaments and was she as avid a bowler as she was making out? Well, they were easily convinced of her bowling when I brought in a get-well e-mail from Dick Weber. I posted the e-mail in her room and needless to say everyone was impressed. One nurse said, "Is that THE Dick Weber?"

Release from the hospital simply meant the road to recover was just beginning. Her oncologist informed her that chemotherapy did nothing for this cancer and scheduled her for six weeks of daily radiation treatments. After six weeks of radiation, loss of her hair and no guarantees came another MRI. It was then she was told there was no evidence of the tumor. After a lot of tears the doctor said, "Now you can go bowling."

In December G.G. entered the Killeen-Fort Hood Women's Bowling Association tournament and captured first place in the team event and tied for first place in division 1 All-Events with a pin count of 2,206, earning the nickname "The Comeback Kid."

In May she will bowl in her 25th WIBC Nationals at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno.

July 16 was Donna Blaszczyk's birthday. It was also the day she learned her husband of 26 years had throat cancer. John Blaszczak retired from the Army at Fort Hood and made his home in Killeen. He was a member of the local association all those years and was considered one of the area's top bowlers with seven career 300 games and a career high series of 820.

Like G.G., John's cancer was very rare with only 52 reported cases in the world. The cause, Agent Orange exposure during his service in Viet Nam. After a twelve and a half hour surgery to remove his larynx and all the lymph nodes in his neck he spent five days in ICU and another two weeks on ward. The surgery has left him with limited motion of his head and neck and no voice.

Next came 33 days of radiation and he was released to go home. Now each month he travels two and a half hours to San Antonio for exams and treatment. None of which has slowed down his bowling.

Exercises and reducing the weight of his bowling balls and the with the help of bowling friends John hit the lanes determined to show he could still compete. His average quickly dropped from 210 to 175. Undaunted, he continued to practice and compete in leagues and has rolled a 279/685, 279/689 and a 685 series in three different centers since his return.

John has been the secretary of the CENTEX Traveling Classic Bowling Association for many years and during his illness his wife and the TCBA President, Tom Christie assumed his secretarial duties. John is back at the helm today.

The illness isn't over for John and he has to be constantly checking for signs that might indicate the cancer has spread. They recently discovered a mass in his sinus area and new treatments are being scheduled.

In the mean time John isn't sitting around feeling sorry for himself, it isn't what an old retired Army First Sergeant would do. Instead, he's bowling. And each Wednesday night he and G.G. meet in the middle of Phantom Warrior Lanes at Fort Hood, they hug each other and feel blessed for their good fortune, good friends and the sport of bowling.

Two cancer survivors I thought you needed to know.

See you on the lanes.