Wayman Tisdale (1964-2009): a great athlete and musician

From Wikipedia:

"Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and a smooth jazz bass guitarist.

Tisdale called music his "first love". He was a self-taught musician; he never took any lessons, never knew what key any of the pieces he played is written in, or even the names of the notes.

In March 2007, Tisdale underwent treatment for cancer in his knee (osteosarcoma), which was discovered after he fell down a flight of stairs in his home on February 8, and broke his leg. In May, Tisdale announced on his website that he was recovering from a procedure to remove the cyst, and expected to recover 100%. However, the first round of chemotherapy was unsuccessful, leading to a second round. As Tisdale recalled later, "The doctor had never given anyone chemo that was my size. They just calculated how much chemo to give me and said, 'We hope it doesn't mess up your kidneys. If it does, sorry."

In August 2008, Tisdale had part of his right leg amputated because of the bone cancer. On his web site, Tisdale said removing a portion of the leg would be the best way to ensure that the cancer would not return.



Shortly after the operation, he was fitted for a prosthesis. Scott Sabolich, the clinical director, said that in his 21-year career, he had never created a prosthesis as large as the one he had to design for Tisdale. At the same time, Sabolich noted that it typically takes a new amputee from three to six months to acclimate to a prosthesis, while it took Tisdale a month.

In April 2009, Tisdale accepted an award from the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa, and then set off on a 21-date national concert tour.

Tisdale died on the morning of May 15, 2009, at age 44, at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was admitted to the ER for breathing troubles, but it is unknown if his death was related to his battle with cancer."

References:
Wayman Tisdale, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Wayman Tisdale, basketball star and musician, dies. CNN.