Saturday, October 7 Mourning's illness a mystery to Heat SportsTicker BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Alonzo Mourning has some mysterious illness that has Miami Heat officials and players concerned, according to a report in Saturday's Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Mourning, who played for the United States in the Sydney Olympics, has been absent since the team arrived Wednesday at Florida Atlantic University to begin preseason practice. The Heat center was initially listed as being out with an ankle injury. "He has a condition," Heat coach Pat Riley told the Sun-Sentinel. "Some things popped up yesterday on his physical and blood tests that were not normal. It could be a number of things, from a viral infection to just fatigue from a possible thyroid condition. We're a little bit concerned about it." Riley indicated the club might have something more definitive Saturday. Riley pushed back training camp one day so Mourning and Tim Hardaway could be present at the start, after regrouping for a couple of days following the Olympics. Mourning was present for media day on Tuesday, but has not been with the team during its first three days of practice. Hardaway joined the team on Thursday. "We really don't know what's going on," forward Brian Grant said. "We haven't been told very much, except for something's going on and they're trying to figure it out. We're all concerned because he's our All-Star, he's the head of our team. We hope everything's all right, and we hope to see him in camp soon." The 30-year-old Mourning had a taxing offseason. He acted as an ambassador for the U.S. Olympic team, making several national appearances before heading to Hawaii, Japan and finally to Sydney, Australia, where he helped the U.S. earn a gold medal. He left Sydney during the Games to be present in Miami for the birth of his second child, Myka, then put in 20 hours more flying time to get back to Australia. Mourning is one of the best rebounders and defensive centers in the NBA. With a healthy roster, the Heat are expected to contend for the Eastern Conference championship. Without Mourning, there would be a drastic change in the outlook. ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
This doesn't sound right. Forget the player for a second; this man may be ill. I don't like the sounds of "blood tests were not normal". Look how fast Walter Payton passed after his blood tests. Let's hope for the best. Alonzo is a great competitor and fun to watch perform. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited October 07, 2000).]
Seems like he might have a kidney disorder. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2000/1007/805296.html ------------------ Nederland 2002 Qualifying Campaign (Damn those penalties!!!) Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
Damn, I hope nothing is seriously wrong with him. He is supposed to be one of the nicer guys off court. ------------------ Fun Police Says: 1. Stupid threads & Stupid BBS names are not FUN! 2. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are not FUN! 3. Conduct yourself in a FUN way! The Fun Police are Watching. Vote for the Rockets & Have FUN! REDSKINS SUCK!!!!!!!!
This totally sux for him and his family, I hope for the best . On a much and I mean much lighter note I had him as my center in my fantasy league.. what should I do?? ------------------ Life moves pretty fast, If you don't stop and look once in a while you might miss it!! ... Ferris Bueler
I too will pray for him. ------------------ Hack a Shaq you'll be winning Hack-him you'll be dreaming.
This is terrible for Zo, his family, friends, and fans. I truly hope it is fatigue related and nothing more. ------------------ GATER
Is this the same thing Sean Elliot had? ------------------ Too often, we lose sight of life's simple pleasures. Remember, when someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles in your face to frown, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and pimp-slap the mother****** upside the head!
Zo's "Disorder" I have no new information on Alonzo Mourning's ailment. (I did call some well-placed people in Florida and they had nothing more illuminating than concerned speculation.) But, I feel people operate their opinion better when they have at least some information, so I will offer this. The Kidney as a Body Part The kidney is a wonder organ that has some peculiar aspects. It filters wastes, balances a number of the body's minerals, salts and essential ingredients. It controls a lot of body functions either directly or in directly, like blood pressure. It can function perfectly normal (and present no abnormal symptoms) while functioning on as little as 1/6 of one single kidney. That being said, the dangers are that by the time a symptom occurs, (and some symptoms are so general in presentation that they would not immediately point to a nephrological (kidney) problem), that they go largely ignored while the disease progresses. Therefore, frequently the disease is discovered serendipitously. That is, totally by accident, which is the case with our man Zo. The Kidney "Disorder" Most kidney disorders in fact, are diagnosed while the patient is suffering an acute attack ( poor urination, high fever, extreme flank pain, intractable nausea, headache, etc... ) and the resultant blood tests (chemistry profiles particularly), urine tests (Micro/Macro urinanalaysis, ) points to the subsequent diagnosis. Some kidney disorders are invasive such as: lithiasis (small stones which block the filtering function in tiny tubes), fibrosis (a hardening of specific tissues, Sean's malady that eventually left his kidneys virtually nonfunctional) and neoplasms (fancy word meaning defined tumors, either malignant (cancer) or benign (noncancerous) that grow in mass until they need to be removed. Some disorders specifically disrupt the filtering function of the kidney. Unbalancing several integrally composed ingredients including sodium and potassium, which required by virtually every structure of the body to survive. "Kidney Disorder" May Mean More Than Just The Kidney To compound this organ's effect on the rest of the body, other organs (such as the adrenal gland which are strategically situated adjacent to the kidney) frequently affect the kidney and directly affect the regulatory operation of the kidney. Any fooling with the adrenal glands, for instance, can cause immediate life-threatening problems with blood pressure regulation and acute shock and distress can result. The Ripple Effect There are other glands and organs that function as a part of, or in concert with the kidney. They secrete hormones and pseudo-hormones to other organs throughout the body. This is the area that jumps out as Zo's most likely problem area, given the limited info we have. Zo's Condition So Far …" It was mentioned that it was an asymptomatic malady. That the adverse lab test results was initially attributed to other organs including the thyroid. That it was initially thought it related to Zo's extremely long and exhaustive summer schedule. (The body has a way of simply stopping to work properly (especially glandular organs) if you push it.) These sketchy symptoms (thyroid, mild fatigue, no pain, no Cat Scan ordered initally, irregular routine blood tests) points to a more glandular focus than anything else. I hope that is right, as that area is more simply modified than all of the other alternatives. With some definitive tests, some clear prognosis, and available treatments, Zo could still bang with the best in a month. Anyway, hope I didn't bore ya'll. [This message has been edited by oeilpere (edited October 09, 2000).]
oeilpere is smart. I hope its just a glandular condition. Could this problem be similar to the one that Elliot had? I know he failed a physical for the Rockets back in 1994, and kept playing for years afterwards (though he was a shell of his former self last season after undergoing the transplant). ------------------
ET Just to clarify ..... No, Sean Elliott had a fibrotic condition that renedered his kidney tissue hardened, cystic and almost non-functional prior to the surgery. He recovered with the new kidney in place, well enough to compete at the end of the year. An astounding feat if you think about it. Interestingly, I believe they used the "Piggy-Back" surgical approach.(Not sure, I think this was the method they used.) They left his kidney in place, that is, did not remove it. But added the extra kidney alongside the most damaged one and easily converted the necessary vessels. The old one will eventually atrophy and shrink some. Anyway, Alonzo's condition sounds more like a glandular-type" of aberration. It should not be considered "just a glandular (problem)". It still is a very serious condition that disrupts the secretion of hormones or pseudo-hormones, or misinterprets the circulation of certain components in the blood/urine. It is the lesser of the evils, simply because it can be more easily controlled or regulated by known agents. Cheers.
Since Oelipere has quit talking in English , I will just go with what 610 said a little while ago. They said "that according to sources, Mournings illness is neither life threatining or career threatining. ------------------ Fun Police Says: 1. Stupid threads & Stupid BBS names are not FUN! 2. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are not FUN! 3. Conduct yourself in a FUN way! The Fun Police are Watching. Vote for the Rockets & Have FUN! REDSKINS SUCK!!!!!!!!
Oeilpere Heard suggestion his kidneys problems may relate to his use of anti-inflammatories for injuries, any ideas??? Smeg ------------------ www.NOPostCount.com
In an eerie coincidence, I was just at the doctor yesterday having my kidney checked out (I only have one, but do just fine). One thing the doc asked was if I took Ibuprofen. According to him, it can screw up the kidney function; however, it would take A LOT to do so. On a side note, thanks, oelipere for the info. I agree with you in that if a kidney were failing, as the doc told me yesterday, one would have symptoms that would not go unnoticed (ie strong back pain, decreased function, etc.) I've been forced to do some independent study of the subject, and you've taught me even more today. Let's hope you're right and Zo will be back soon. ------------------
I am not trying to belabor this subject, but in an aim to furether some understanding of what Zo is facing, let me add a few more things: A. The use of NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Inflammatories) such as Ibuprofen over a long period and at high concentrations can do a number of things. None of them good. 1. Specifically the kidneys may develop papillary necrosis. That's a fancy term for the pathalogical exchange areas (papillary) which becomes so infused with ibuprofem properties that they start to die (necrosis) and therefore fail in exchanging (clearing via the kidney) the components that the kidney is primarily assigned in function to do. These components start to back up and cause a chain reaction leading to poisoning of the body and failure and death of some organs. 2. NSAIDS reduce the production of prostaglandins. This is a natural occurring fatty acid in the body which has a number of estoreic functions depending on which organ is involved.(Including effecting the action of specific hormones.) Regulation of pain reception, blood pressure, body temperature, regulation of blood components including the clotting factors, vascular permeability including the profusion in the vessels of the kidney. Again we have a failure of the kidney to function properly. B.Other problems: The kidneys are the prime elimination site for most drugs, including in this case - anti-inflammatories. So renal (kidney) toxicity involving a medication that is counter productive and in fact dangerous, leads an athlete to look for other pharmocological methods to control the rigors of competitive sports for the future. Basically, Alonzo would not be able to take the regular course of most NSAIDS ever again(or certainly at a markedly reduced dosage), and likely would be discouraged from other similiar agents as well. To an athelete this may not lead directly to a career-ending decision, but it does make his choices for a more healthy ( maintaining a homeostatic balance despite injuries) and comfortable ( maintaining a pain-free environment) life much more limited. Some athletes have quit with much less of a burden facing them. C. Conclusion. 1. As mentioned previous, the ability not to notice or "feel" damage occuring to some organs specifically the kidneys, and especially over a long period of time, comes from a common misconception. I have heard many patients say: "But I never felt a thing until now." (Please don't get paranoid on me, common sense and an awareness of "moderation in all things" will prevent almost all illness.) But Athletes stretch the envelope when it comes to boundaries of behavior and they expect more out of their bodies than sometimes is legitimately possible. Weighing the factors; Athletes are more physically fit and are most decidely NOT the average person. However, they also tend to stray away from common sense. If you ingest four to five times the recommended dosage of anti-inflammatories (or other medications) every day to cover the injuries sustained in sports over a period of several years ... you should expect to damage something. And severally in some cases. 2. It is very likely that at this stage of Alonzo's "disorder" he is at the first platform. The inability of the kidneys to function (clearance of components) properly has been discovered. The culprit is most likely the use of large amounts of anti inflammatory agents and their effect, over a long period of time. Or, someother typical sequence of overuse. The treatment will be to drastically reduce or eliminate their use. To wait and retest to determine the amount of damage. The measure the ability of the kidneys to recover or repair the damage done. Then to decide the longterm effect this will have on his body. My guess remains at: He'll be back banging in a month or less. Cheers.
10/10/2000 1140AM CMT - I had a return call from a Florida source who stated that the Heat staff were told that Mourning may have more of a problem than initially thought. The detailed examinations by a team of specialists, have resulted in an initial assessment that the damage includes unrecoverable tissue loss( necrosis???) and possibly due to "more than the expected use" of anti-inflammatories but "probably included" the "extended use" of other agents (tissue enhancers, protein builders, and performance medications). This is not official by any stretch of the imagination, but the cloud of career uncertainty keeps getting thicker over Zo's head. Will keep you posted.
You know sometimes when a guy grows 6'9" its a kindey condition which causes it , I have a relitive who is 45 years old and 4'2" . ------------------ This signature space for rent call 555 ...
Tuesday, October 10 Mourning to mom: Condition 'is bad' Associated Press BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning has a rare kidney disorder that could possibly result in a kidney transplant, his foster mother told The Palm Beach Post. "He did say to me that it was a rare case," Fannie Threet, who raised Mourning since he was 12, told the newspaper in a telephone conversation from her home in Chesapeake, Va. "I asked him was it to the extent that he would need a kidney," Threet said. "He said he didn't know. They are testing now to see what the difference would be." Heat officials on Tuesday declined comment on the report. Mourning last appeared in public a week ago at Miami Heat media day, when he discussed an offseason that included the birth of his second child and his role in the U.S. Olympic team's gold-medal effort. "I couldn't have written out my summer any better," he said. That was before doctors discovered an apparent kidney disorder in a routine physical examination. The Heat broke training camp Monday without Mourning, and they don't know when he'll return. Threet said she has spoken twice with Mourning since he was first diagnosed with the disorder, The Palm Beach Post reported Tuesday. She said Mourning told her that doctors are "hopeful they could find a kidney if it was necessary," but he didn't go into further details. Mourning wasn't specific about the nature of the disorder, Threet said. "I didn't get into any particular name," she said. "He just said, 'Oh, it is bad, Mom. It is bad.' " Attempts to reach Mourning on Monday night were unsuccessful, according to the report. Mourning told Seattle center Patrick Ewing that he'll play this season, but the Heat have declined to discuss their All-Star center's condition or prognosis. Mourning has been in Miami undergoing further tests so doctors can determine the best course of treatment. "We're more concerned about Alonzo as a person than as a player," forward Brian Grant said. "We're not even thinking about when he's going to come back, but just is he going to be all right. We should know that pretty soon." The Heat play their first preseason game Wednesday at New Jersey. The regular season opens Nov. 1. "Zo left me a message Sunday and told us to keep working hard and he'll take care of his end of it," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "He's in great spirits. He just wants to find out what's available out there and what the definitive answer is, and then we'll go from there." Mourning discussed his condition last week with Ewing, his best friend in the NBA, The Miami Herald reported. "Our conversation went fine and he was in good spirits," Ewing said. "In fact, he cursed me out because I sounded depressed on the phone when he told me what he had. ... "He's going to play again this season. He just said he is going to play again at some point. I don't know when that is." With a series of offseason deals, Riley positioned Miami as the Eastern Conference favorite. He brought in Grant, All-Star guard Eddie Jones and rugged forward Anthony Mason. But the moves left the Heat thin on the bench. In the past they had Clarence Weatherspoon or Isaac Austin to fill in for Mourning, but there's no comforting option this season. His backup is seldom-used Duane Causwell. The best alternative may be to play Grant or the 6-foot-7 Mason out of position at center and hope that their aggressiveness compensates for a lack of size. "They had a real scrimmage Sunday night against one another," Riley said. "It was a sight to behold to watch them go after each other. The only trouble is neither one of them would have been in the game at the end. They both would have had about 16 fouls." The Heat stress that their first concern is Mourning's health, and there has been no discussion about bringing in a replacement if he can't play this season, Riley said. Miami would have about $4 million available under the salary cap for a disabled-player exception. "In the backs of our minds we're thinking about it," Riley said, "but we're not moving on anything right now." ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know. [This message has been edited by BobFinn* (edited October 10, 2000).]
One quick clarification, a transplanted kidney, like Sean Elliots', is not placed by either of the old kidneys, but instead placed in the abdomen near the hip bone. ------------------
