OT: Fitz51 surgery

[villox]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

 

[lou v]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Fitz51! I'm confident he'll be back to his sarcastic self ASAP.

 

[TheC]

Thanks for sharing this with us. I certainly send all my best wishes to Fitz51 and his surgery team! I'm a big fan of Fitz51's snark and hope to see it back on here soon!

 

[CappyNU]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

Thanks for posting, @villox. Best wishes to @Fitz51 for a speedy and successful recovery.

 

[NUCat320]

He’s a champ. Thank you for posting.

Please give him a big hug from me when he can accept it.

 

[Williesfan]

Wishing Fitz51 a speedy recovery

 

[Baz=Heisman]

Wish you well! NU fans are a family first and foremost which I love so much about our program. Speedy recovery 🤞🙏

 

[GOUNUII]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

Thanks for sharing Villox aka Larry.

Best wishes to Fitz51. Hoping to see both of you around here more often.

GOUNUII

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Best wishes to Fitz51. Always enjoyed his posts, views, and humor. Please keep us all updated as you can.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery to our man Fitz51!

 

[nu greek]

Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery to our man Fitz51!

Positive vibes for Fitz51

 

[FeralFelidae]

Hoping for a successful surgery and full recovery!

 

[RhabdoWildcat]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

Keeping him in our thoughts!

 

[1060Ivy]

Recover quickly Fitz51

 

[ubercat]

I always enjoyed your posts, Fitz51. Wishing you a full and rapid recovery.

 

[villox]

Update: today’s procedure went well and took about 12-13 hours. He’ll spend the night in the ICU and they’ll start again tomorrow morning.

He’s expected to spend 2 weeks in the hospital before he can go home. Thanks for all the kind wishes!

I’m happy he’ll be able to wake up to a ‘Cats victory!

 

[CatManTrue]

Get well soon @Fitz51 !

I hope you’re feeling better in time to watch our March Madness games.

 

[DaCat]

Best wishes to @Fitz51 - hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

[TheC]

Update: today’s procedure went well and took about 12-13 hours. He’ll spend the night in the ICU and they’ll start again tomorrow morning.

He’s expected to spend 2 weeks in the hospital before he can go home. Thanks for all the kind wishes!

I’m happy he’ll be able to wake up to a ‘Cats victory!

Great news so far. Thank you very much for the update. Be sure to take care of yourself too, villox. Watching a close friend go through this can be very tough. Hang in there!

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

Best wishes to @Fitz51 and to his recovery. I regularly attend talks involving research at our UC San Diego medical center and research arms on campus and have heard testimonials from cancer survivors and their experiences fighting this deadly disease. There is hope and progress is being made every day. There are many brave souls participating in clinical trials actively participating in finding cures. Just amazing.
Go @Fitz51! Go Cats!

 

[stpaulcat]

Get through it man! Get well and be back here posting--love your sense of humor.

 

[villox]

Great news so far. Thank you very much for the update. Be sure to take care of yourself too, villox. Watching a close friend go through this can be very tough. Hang in there!

Thank you. I organised a surprise dinner party in Chicago for him 2 weeks back with 20 of his closest friends including several NU alum from out of town…I had lied to him and told him I needed to be in town from London for work so he’d agree to have dinner with me. It went perfectly and a good time was had by all.

On a related note considering the complexity and duration of the surgery, neurosurgeons deserve every penny they’re paid. Just remarkable humans.

 

[villox]

Get through it man! Get well and be back here posting--love your sense of humor.

I recently realized that the GDPR restrictions have been lifted and Rivals is now available without VPN in the UK so I just might!

 

[villox]

Day 2 update: Surgery was a success and he’s now awake. Doctors are confident they successfully removed the tumor. He’s apparently quoting this scene from Star Trek which led his family to being confused but as his friend made me immensely happy.



One of his first requests coming out of anaesthesia was not to be told who won the Maryland game so he can watch it on tape delay,

 

[nickcat4]

Day 2 update: Surgery was a success and he’s now awake. Doctors are confident they successfully removed the tumor. He’s apparently quoting this scene from Star Trek which led his family to being confused but as his friend made me immensely happy.

View embedded media

One of his first requests coming out of anaesthesia was not to be told who won the Maryland game so he can watch it on tape delay,

Should make him feel better

 

[Figrating]

Congratulations Fitz51 for doing what you must do. Your care sounds like the best. Be patient with your body.

 

[stpaulcat]

Thank you. I organised a surprise dinner party in Chicago for him 2 weeks back with 20 of his closest friends including several NU alum from out of town…I had lied to him and told him I needed to be in town from London for work so he’d agree to have dinner with me. It went perfectly and a good time was had by all.

On a related note considering the complexity and duration of the surgery, neurosurgeons deserve every penny they’re paid. Just remarkable humans.

Yes, a great neurosurgeon saved my life after a hangman's fracture.

 

[NU Houston]

I recently realized that the GDPR restrictions have been lifted and Rivals is now available without VPN in the UK so I just might!

I don't know what GDPR restrictions are, but as I'm headed to the UK tomorrow, I'm excited that I'll still be able to access Rivals. Do they get the Big Ten Network over there?

Thanks for the update on @Fitz51. I always (well, most of the time) enjoyed his posts on The Board That Must Not Be Named. He set out to push boundaries and buttons, and he succeeded. Still, you could tell that under all that, he's a good guy.

 

[villox]

I don't know what GDPR restrictions are, but as I'm headed to the UK tomorrow, I'm excited that I'll still be able to access Rivals. Do they get the Big Ten Network over there?

Thanks for the update on @Fitz51. I always (well, most of the time) enjoyed his posts on The Board That Must Not Be Named. He set out to push boundaries and buttons, and he succeeded. Still, you could tell that under all that, he's a good guy.

Not without a vpn.

 

[Eurocat]

We don't recognize surgeons enough in our society.

One lives across the street from me and every day he is on call it is a constant litany of having to leave at 3am to save some drunk drivers life who crashed on the Long Island Expressway. Or some guy with a heart attack.

(Note - He is not "on call" every week, maybe one out of four but on the weeks he is....yowzah, it is non-stop).

Good luck to Fitz51, great poster!

 

[TheC]

Day 2 update: Surgery was a success and he’s now awake. Doctors are confident they successfully removed the tumor. He’s apparently quoting this scene from Star Trek which led his family to being confused but as his friend made me immensely happy.

View embedded media

One of his first requests coming out of anaesthesia was not to be told who won the Maryland game so he can watch it on tape delay,

That's awesome news!! Thanks for sharing that.

 

[No Chores]

Day 2 update: Surgery was a success and he’s now awake. Doctors are confident they successfully removed the tumor. He’s apparently quoting this scene from Star Trek which led his family to being confused but as his friend made me immensely happy.

View embedded media

One of his first requests coming out of anaesthesia was not to be told who won the Maryland game so he can watch it on tape delay,

Very glad to hear this villox, and would hope that both of you are back in action very soon on the Board.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Great news. Best wishes to 51.

 

[The Purple Knight]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

God Bless. 🙏

 

[Rebel II]

Hi all,

Larry (villox) here. We don’t post as much anymore, but I thought I’d let you long-timers know that one of our snarkiest posters, @Fitz51, is undergoing surgery today to have a very rare cancer called a Chordoma removed from his spine. It’s a major surgery done over two days, but he’s having it done at Northwestern by one of the three best surgeons in the world capable of treating it. (You may have seen that the actor Gary Sinise just lost his son to the very same extremely rare disease).

I was the best man in his wedding, and he was the best man at mine. We met freshman year at NU by coincidentally living across the hall from each other and have remained friends ever since, in no small part through our love of Northwestern sports.

Anyway you ex-Rant borders know that we don’t believe much in religion or other forms of cosmic wishes, but I wanted to let you know in case you’d like to wish him well nonetheless. It’s a long recovery ahead so I’m sure he’d appreciate the sentiment.

Go ‘Cats!

Larry

God bless old 'Cats!

 

[villox]

Happy to report that 5 days later he’s up and walking the hallways at the hospital (with assistance). My mind is blown frankly, considering the nature of the surgery.

I told him about the thread and all the well wishes and suggested he swing by to post but I also told him there is a big debate about whether they’re going to build a temporary football stadium on the lake and he decided he’d better wait a few days. The pain meds just aren’t strong enough for that.

 

[NUCat320]

Happy to report that 5 days later he’s up and walking the hallways at the hospital (with assistance). My mind is blown frankly, considering the nature of the surgery.

I told him about the thread and all the well wishes and suggested he swing by to post but I also told him there is a big debate about whether they’re going to build a temporary football stadium on the lake and he decided he’d better wait a few days. The pain meds just aren’t strong enough for that.

@villox, would it be in poor taste to suggest that Nicholson’s injury and Fitz51’s imminent recovery are somehow related?

I obviously won’t tag him, because I wouldn’t want him to feel any Wildcat guilt. But I imagine it’s there.



I kid, I kid!


Go Cats Go. May we get him a victory Saturday night.



(My daughter was born — almost two months early — the week the 2013 NU-OSU primetime game. It took a Pinstripe Bowl victory for me to start liking her.)

 

[CatManTrue]

Happy to report that 5 days later he’s up and walking the hallways at the hospital (with assistance). My mind is blown frankly, considering the nature of the surgery.

I told him about the thread and all the well wishes and suggested he swing by to post but I also told him there is a big debate about whether they’re going to build a temporary football stadium on the lake and he decided he’d better wait a few days. The pain meds just aren’t strong enough for that.

He could swing by to partake in our guaranteed March Madness bid and avoid all the stadium nonsense.

 

[Fitz51]

I am just now seeing this. Doing well - thank you to all of you for the kind words. Looking forward to Selection Sunday!

 

[CatManTrue]

I am just now seeing this. Doing well - thank you to all of you for the kind words. Looking forward to Selection Sunday!

Welcome back! I hope your recovery is going well.