The Journal Times Online - Racine, Wisconsin

BY GERY WOELFEL

In the days leading up to being reactivated to The Journal Times’ sports staff lineup after a lengthy stay on the disabled list following heart surgery, I contemplated some topics to write about in this cyberspace.

I thought about commenting on how the whole Brett Favre fiasco could have been averted if only the Packers had a more experienced and more public relations savvy front office.

I thought about commenting on how Brewers phenom Ryan Braun, now in just his second major league season, is a virtual lock already for the Hall of Fame.

I thought about commenting on how new Bucks general manager John Hammond has pulled all the right strings in just four months on the job and how acquiring standout small forward Richard Jefferson from New Jersey could be an absolute coup.

Those topics will indeed be addressed in future blogs. But today, instead of moving forward, I want to take a moment to look back and thank the many wonderful people who kindly assisted me over the last couple of months.

I want to thank the crack crew at Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints Prompt Care and emergency room, who were infinitely smarter than me when they dismissed my theory that I just had a sprained shoulder muscle.

I want to thank my top-shelf heart surgeons – Dr. Christopher Stone and Dr. Ganesh Kumpati – who not only did their jobs so masterfully to extend my life but managed to clean up a major mess and construct four bypasses in under four hours!

I want to thank the cardiac surgical team that included nurse practitioner Ann Wendorf, whose marvelous sense of humor couldn’t have come at a better time, and registered nurses Matt Leininger and Oriol Ferrer.

I want to thank Dr. Mark Zimmerman, my anesthesiologist who made my procedure about as painless as possible and who, like me, doesn’t mind talking about sports on occasion.

I want to thank my heart doctor, James Tierney, and my primary care doctor, Steve Johnson. Not only are these gentlemen outstanding at their respective crafts but they are as humble and compassionate as any individuals you’ll encounter

I want to thank Kerri Schey and Laura Banse and Michelle Duncan and all of their associates, guardian angels masquerading as nurses.

I want to thank Health and Cardiac Rehabilitation director Betsy Berning and her fabulous staff, including Cheryl Smalkoski, Moses Stevenson (I’m still going to get you a Favre Jets’ jersey!), Megan Anderson, Char Franke, Brigitte Friedl-Colston, Lisa Vassh, Dayle Bugalski, Lorrie Peterson and dietician extraordinaire Grace Ellingham.

I want to thank my Journal Times’ co-workers, including editor Steve Lovejoy, who has traveled down the heart bypass surgery road himself and now has a golf game worthy of the Champions Tour (OK, it’s not quite that good!); JT Human Resources Manager Shari Karasek, my long-time JT colleagues Mike Moore and Mick Burke and my wonderful friends in one of the best sports departments around: Susan Shemanske, Pete Jackel, Robb Luehr, Alan Nunn, Greg Giesen and John McNally.

I want to thank many of my journalism colleagues from around the state and nation who reached out to me, like the inimitable Steve “Sparky’’ Fifer and all my good friends at WSSP and one of their prime-time contributors “Dee from the Eastside!’’; Steve “The Homer’’ True from ESPN Radio in Milwaukee who, shockingly, sent me a DVD of “Hoosiers’’, the always entertaining and informative Joel Franckowiak of WTCM in Traverse City, Mich.; my all-time favorite writer Roland Lazenby; rising star Bob Hoffmaster of KFIZ in Fond du Lac, along with sportscasters Rod Burks and Lance Allan of WTMJ TV in Milwaukee. My thoughts and prayers, by the way, go out to Lance and his family as his father battles through some difficult times.

I want to thank members of the Milwaukee Bucks family for their support, including Herb Kohl, John Hammond, Dave Babcock, Dwayne Wilson, Jason Staudt, Sharon Walls, Bill Peterson, Jeff Weltman, Scott Skiles, Jim Boylan, Kelvin Sampson, Chris Gilmartin and the finest and nicest p.r. staff in America in Dan Smyczek, Matt Wessel and Adam Rose.

Additional thanks to former Bucks general manager Larry Harris and ex-Bucks coaches Terry Stotts, George Karl and Jim Todd for their encouraging and inspiring words.

I want to thank the many thoughtful and considerate people in the area who took time out of their hectic lives to visit me or call me like sports historian David McGregor of Milwaukee (the guy is walking sports encyclopedia), Ed and Kathy McCarthy, Kay Maletis and her three terrific children, Matt, Mark and Mike; Lauren Schultz, Tom and Therese Andersen, Bob Letsch, Rose, Amy and Craig Urban, Craig and Lori Vaughn, Bill Stranberg, Bob Hesse, Don Kuhns, Mike and Heidi Schold, Tom Scheller, my UW-Whitewater advisory partners, my always-reliable walking partner Kevin Burke and the saintly Dominican sisters.

I want to thank the individuals who sent cards, flowers, emails, meals and, yes, fruit. I’m still eating apples from the most humongous fruit basket I’ve ever seen, courtesy of blog/column conspirator Lee Kaboski and his wife Mary.

I want to thank those who don’t know me well except through my work at The Journal Times, including individuals like Steve Lampone and Ed Rapport, who have their own health issues but still drove from the Milwaukee area to bolster my spirits.

My newest best friends from Puerto Rico didn’t venture to our fine city but they did offer up much-appreciated prayers.

I also want to thank my sister, Mary, my brothers Rich and Ron and their families as well as all the

loving members of the Joe and Phyllis Black family.

And I want to thank God for my wife Laura who, besides having her own professional career, has amazingly juggled her roles of wife, mother and nurse with equal aplomb, and for our heaven-sent children Katie, Joe and Sarah and her husband, Brian.

To each and every one of you, along with those who I may have inadvertently failed to acknowledge, a heartfelt thank you.