On to the next adventures…

My time as a Knight-Wallace fellow at the University of Michigan is now at an end. It has been a very interesting year, with unexpected twists and turns, taking me to places where I learned something new each time. I thank everybody at the University of Michigan, KWF program director Charles Eisendrath, the hard-working Birgit Rieck (us Germans know no other way!), and everybody at Wallace house. I also want to send a heartfelt thank you to my classmates in the fellowship (hate the term fellow Fellows – can’t go there) for being such amazing people to learn from. I love you all and look forward to being part of your lives forever.

A gigantic hug of appreciation to Dr. Jeff Kutcher, Courtney, Steve, Bruno, Brandy and everybody at UM NeuroSport and the neuropsych departments. Your generosity of time and spirit let me into a whole new world. You’ve not seen the last of me. 🙂

My professors, Dr. Shirli Kopleman, Landon Little, Sherman Clark, Chris McNamara were all lovely. My friend and great advisor Dr. Andy Markovits is a font of ideas and enthusiasm. You never travel a journey alone, and I thank everybody for their help, kindness, patience and encouragement.

It’s time to move on to the next chapter, and I am excited to see where life will take me.

Namaste.

jcg

The KWF crew on top of Sao Paolo.
The KWF crew on top of Sao Paolo.

Seeing the finish line….

Well, it’s hard to believe, but there is about a month left in my time as a Knight-Wallace fellow at the University of Michigan. Some people are bemoaning time went so quickly. I feel like the time went just right. I did a lot, learned a crazy amount of stuff, and the time went where the time always goes when you are engaged in something you care about.

I get asked a lot about what I have learned by being a fly on the wall of the NeuroSport department. Hopefully, there will be a book coming out of that question. But in short, I’ve learned that neurology is not an exact science, as our brains are this amazingly complex, individual chemical, electrical, intellectual and even a bit spiritual form. Our brains are what makes us unique. We share anatomy, symptoms, injuries, illness, etc., but how our brains respond to treatment, or don’t, how we feel, can be predicted – but not ordained – by neurologists. People that seek a magic pill to cure the ills of a concussion are disappointed when they find the answers are a lot hazier. We just can’t give a blood test and tell you what kind of concussion lurks in your head. The test-driven world of medicine, where we give a blood test or a biopsy to find disease, doesn’t apply to brains. Which is good, because I’m not volunteering for somebody to take a chunk out of my cranium to see what’s wrong with me 🙂

I have been really lucky to have access, and develop lovely friendships, with some of the best in the world working on our brains. Their drive to be clinicians who care is a great thing to get to witness.

so onto the final lap here in Ann Arbor….

jcg

Simply put: don’t bang your head

I’ve been immersed, for as much as a non-neurologist can be, in the world of concussions and athletes. At a conference in Big Sky, Montana, listening and learning from some of the best docs on what we know – and sadly, the long list of things we do not know.

The brain is so complicated. It would be so nice to have a simple way to diagnose and treat this issue. Yes or no answers. No maybes or what ifs. It would be great to have a way to prevent it from ever happening. But the basic truth is this: some people will play in the NFL and be fine. Others will get hurt in high school and can have side effects for a long time. Science and medicine do not know why yet. The fear that is spreading among parents and athletes is approaching detectable levels by these medical professionals.

Fear is not good. Will science and medicine be able to trump the worries with evidence and more knowledge? Time will tell, and I hope to tell that story as it develops.

Egads! it’s a law book!

Yeah, it’s true. I am reading a big, heavy book again with a highlighter in my left hand and my notetaking pen furiously whooshing away with thoughts in my right. Unlike the first run through law school, I am actually enjoying taking this law class. This one, sports law at Michigan, is part of my Knight-Wallace fellowship choosing. Granted, not having to take the final or fight the other law rodents (not my term, one of my prof’s from back in the day), makes a huge difference in my enjoyment level. But still, nice to be back in law school, know what the drill is, but not have to deal with the drama. It’s a win-win.

But sad to see what the law school youngins don’t know these days, namely, people in the book (aka cases, baby!) such as Danny Ainge, Pete Rose or Bart Giamatti. I wanted to answer that Pete Rose had a bad bowl cut but could hit, Danny Ainge was an irritating Celtics player from my youth or the guy that Joe Dumars fleeced to swing the Chucky Atkins/Rasheed Wallace/phantom Lindsey Hunter trade in 2004 to help the Pistons ultimately win the NBA title, and Giamatti has a son who is a cool actor. The kids clearly have to get up to speed.

I’m also taking a class on negotiations at the Ross Business school…very interesting stuff. I hope to learn about myself, and others, so I can help create better deals. Or just do a better job on the next car I will have to buy in the next year or two. Look out car dealerships…I will be a smarter shark this time around.

Until next time, stay warm and…namaste.

jcg

Happy New Year…

Seems crazy that we’re into 2013 already, especially since I just heard “1999” by Prince on the radio today 🙂 Remember how that was the jam, for some year that seemed so far away. Now it’s buried in the fog of 14 years passing. Crazy. Or maybe Let’s go Crazy 🙂

I am wishing everybody the best for this coming year. I know 2012 was a struggle for many, for different reasons. I mourned some losses and heartaches, but choose to celebrate the blessings of a year that took me to Paris (three times to Charles De Gaulle alone!), Madrid, Seville, Lisbon, Miami, Sao Paulo, Zurich, seeing my family in Germany, and many points in-between.

I will be a Knight-Wallace fellow at the University of Michigan for another four months, and I plan to make the most of the time. You may even see me pop up now and again making a speech about women and sports media. Come April, I am released back into the big, bad world. I don’t know what stream I will choose to swim in, but plan to make it good!

Namaste.

jcg

Hey there!

All is well…just been running around the planet. Mackinac, the oil-rich northern woods of Alberta, and the freezing-cold streets of Zurich. Life is about learning, and I’ve been busy reading, listening, and smacking around the occasional tennis ball.

I really do miss writing/working, but have to keep in mind that this year will probably be the last until I retire or have a child that I will truly be off. Time to experience life and breathe is precious, and I am very grateful for it. We all run around way too much.

Namaste.

Deep discovery…

I think I have found the secret to making school fun: eliminate the grades! OK, so I am not saying my plan is feasible in the real world, but I have discovered that I love to go to class when there are no grades. Just learning for learning/curiosity’s sake. I’m one month into my 8-month Knight Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

So far, so good.

I’m taking advanced German and a digital production class. Fun to think about new things every day, without the pressure of figuring out what to regurgitate back to the prof. Then again, I am used to being the prof these days…so now I get to see things again from the student side. Which is good.

Just another perfect night at the ballpark.

Zig-a-Zig-Ah!

OK, I will fully concede the argument that my cat Oreo has more vocal talent than the Spice Girls. But what can I say, they make me happy. Their 90-second auto-tuned, synth-processed rip at the Closing Ceremonies was fun. Was waiting for somebody to break an ankle in those death heels they were wearing. Spice up your life!

For those who have been following the saga of my knee and tennis, there has been a major, crazy good break hrough. It was August 2, 2009, at the SEMTA playoffs, where I blew my knee out in a match. Went from an undefeated season to wondering how my knee was going to work for the rest of my life.

Last weekend, I came full circle. After two surgeries, nearly a year of rehab, losing 50 pounds and getting my head right, I was playing again in the same playoffs, same courts, where my nightmare started. And yeah, I was a tiny bit freaked out, even to see that court, which looked exactly as I had engraved it into my nightmares. (I haven’t had one of those in a year, but I used to wake up screaming, grabbing my knee, literally replaying what happened to me…so bad.) Anyways, things went awesomely. My AMAZING partner Gretchen and I went 4-0 on the weekend (no small feat, considering the teams were good and it was bitchin’ hot out there), and our cool team made it to the SEMTA finals. We narrowly lost, but so proud to say we’re the second-best 3.5 team in Southeastern Michigan.

I never could have dreamed, when I was in so much pain and sadness post-surgery in late-2010, that I would be back in 18 months, stronger, faster and playing tennis. I am so blessed. Again, million thanks to Dr. Kozinski, Dr. Lemos, Dr. Aziz, Brian Felczak and the RIM team, Arnie Kander, my family and friends.

Believe. Always.

And always put away short balls. 🙂

Peace out!

Playing hooky for the summer…

I have the excuses ready: no, the dog did not eat my blog posts (not a dog person), I did not drop off the Earth, and the heat did not melt my Mac. In reality, I’ve been super-busy, but all in a wonderful way. Since I last posted, I’ve been in Paris covering the French Open for espnW, on vacation in Madrid, Seville, Lisbon and Cleveland (yes, Cleveland!), playing tennis (Go Conley’s 3.5 warrior women!), and working on daily items of joy for the NY Times.

So I’m not sacking out on the couch. All is good, all is well, and I hope you can say the same about your summer.

I will be overhauling this site in the fall, so let me know if any exciting gizmos/changes that you’d like to see me add. Your wish is my cyber-command.

Peace out homies!

Some new news! Not breaking…mind you…

It’s been an interesting process, but I can’t question the results: I’ve been selected as a Knight-Wallace fellow by the University of Michigan, for 2012-2013 school year. It’s going to be an interesting ride, as I am taking a step back from the daily grind of writing to look at the issue of concussions and athletes. Michigan is doing some interesting things with athletes and the NeuroSport department. I hope to learn more about all aspects of concussions. Maybe write a book or something in-depth on this.

I have to give much love to espnW, the New York Times, my family, Allison Creekmore, Lynn Zinser, Lydia Craver, Michigan Professor Dr. Andy Markovits, and KWF alums Linda Robertson, Micki Maynard, Tom Stanton and Wayne Drehs for their love, support and everything along the way. And a thank you to director Charles Eisendrath, Birgit Rieck and the KWF interview board for picking me.

It’s going to be an interesting year for sure. And I can’t wait to see Tammy Watt, 313 native, in Sao Paolo!

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