Dick Vitale's Agonizing Fate During Cancer Treatments Left Him Depressed [DETAILS]
Dick Vitale, after serving ESPN for more than 40 years, reached the darkest days of his life because of cancer.
He had to stop working for three months since he underwent cancer and tumor treatments. Unfortunately, those debilitating months left him depressed.
In his interview with Graham Bensinger on his "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" show, Vitale opened up about feeling depressed and upset after learning about the damage to his vocal cords.
The announcer was also advised not to talk for three months to save his vocal cords and prevent the cancer from getting bigger. For Vitale, those three months became some of the toughest parts of his life.
"[Talking has] been my livelihood ... Here's what I'm known for, being a talkative kind of guy, going out, having fun. Not only just the games, but all my life ... And I missed that. I missed being me. I felt trapped. I felt trapped. I couldn't express myself. I just felt trapped," he said.
His daughter, Terri, recalled how devastating the event was. She noted that it was an emotional blow to see her father not being able to talk. Although she is not a medical professional, she said she also noticed her father being emotionally defeated.
Fortunately, his family and fans' support boosted his feelings and helped him get through cancer treatments.
Terri revealed that her father read every single message he received. Although the broadcaster was unable to respond to all of those, Vitale turned their messages into his strength.
Dick Vitale's Cancer Battle
His recent cancer bout came months after he was diagnosed with lymphoma following his recovery from melanoma.
Vitale's doctors also thought he might have bile duct cancer, and they later determined that he had a precancerous dysplasia in his throat. The growth on his vocal cords could be cancerous if he left it untreated.
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"For the second time in just a few months, I've been diagnosed with a form of cancer. As a result of some symptoms I've had in recent weeks, I've been undergoing tests and doctors have now confirmed it's lymphoma," he said. "What's evident is that the treatment plan for this lymphoma is going to be a lot tougher, and in both cases, early detection played an important role in helping to manage the cancers."
His doctors noted that his lymphoma diagnosis was unrelated to the removal of his melanoma.
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