[12/13/22, posted 12/15/22] There are days when the pain, on a scale from 1 to 10, is at bullet-biting.
These days, the routine is, with chin on chest, to practice hard swallowing.
But with each deep breath, sportscaster Bobby Curran is
grateful.
“How can you not feel good when so many people are rooting for you?” said Curran, 67, who underwent a life-saving, double-lung transplant on Nov. 17 in Phoenix.
It has been a week since Curran was released from St. Joseph’s Hospital &Medical Center. He is staying in a rented two-story house a few miles from the hospital’s rehabilitation unit where he undergoes “clinics” — testing and treatment — four times a week. Two friends from New York are serving as 24-hour caregivers, helping infuse the 20 medications a day into his feeding tube, with his wife and elder son set to take turns after that.
Curran has been awash in emotion from the texts, emails and calls from Hawaii and across the country. University of Hawaii basketball coach Eran Ganot has been a regular texter. Last week, UH athletic director David Matlin, between meetings on the mainland, spent two hours talking story at Curran’s rental.
Norman Nakanishi, a pastor who holds volunteer sermons for UH players, has been leading a prayer group for Curran at Pearlside Church.
“I wasn’t initially a very religious person, but some of the things that are happening here, you have to see a heavenly hand in it,” Curran said. “I don’t think this could have happened else-wise.”
Earlier this year, Curran became friends with Bob Kessner, who also had undergone a lung transplant at St. Joseph’s. Kessner explained his experience with the surgery and what to expect in the aftermath. Kessner was scheduled to attend a fund-raising event in Phoenix a day ahead of Curran’s surgery. “The night before the surgery, I hadn’t heard from him,” Curran said.
As Curran regained consciousness a few days after the surgery, he remembered feeling a sense of calmness. Later, Curran had learned, Kessner “had come into ICU when they took me out of surgery and stayed by the bedside and held my hand. He’d been through this whole thing, and he wanted to help me.”
It was in June when Curran, who quit a smoking habit several years ago, was told he needed a double-lung transplant to treat an aggressive stage of emphysema. Doctors recommended Curran as a candidate at St. Joseph’s, which performed 120 lung transplants in 2021. During the application process, which resulted in several rejections, Curran was told that without the transplant, his life expectancy probably would not exceed this Christmas.
The day ahead of when a 30-person committee would review his application, Curran met with a top St. Joseph’s doctor. There were thresholds and data, and only one of three applicants is approved, but the doctor asked Curran: tell me your story. The next day, Curran was approved as the fortunate one-third.
Curran spent weeks of evaluations and testing before a donor was found. Recipients are not told about a donor’s background, but the presumption is it is person younger than 40. “According to all doctors, surgery went really well,” Curran said.
Curran passed two markers: his body accepted the two lungs and they fit his chest cavity.
Medications and “food” are administered through one of the three tubes inserted into his abdomen. He has progressed to being allowed ice chips and four ounces of pureed snacks four times a day. Because of the risk of chewed food going down the “wrong pipe,” which can cause aspiration, Curran is practicing hard-swallowing techniques. If he passes a swallowing test either this Friday or next week, the food tube can be removed and he can expand his menu and take medication orally.
There always is the risk his condition can turn, for no apparent reason, and that he will need some anti-rejection and anti-infection medicines for life. But he remains hopeful in his continued progress. The five-year survival rate is 54%, although updated data could increase the projection to 58%. There are more recipients who have lived 10 post-surgery years and, even, 15.
“If I get 10 extra years, I’ll be dancing on clouds,” Curran said.
The timeline used to be a year in which recipients stayed in the area after surgery. But several have been able to move home after six months. Curran’s goal is to be able to attend his younger son’s high school graduation in May. His older son is a sophomore at UH. His wife Jo has balanced taking care of their sons, serving as first vice president of a commercial real estate company, and assisting Curran.
“It’s been really hard on her,” Curran said. “She’s special. … What I’m really trying to do now is give my wife a few years to take the pack off and rest easy, and to get my boys to the next level in their lives. That’s my goal.”
***
[7/20/23] HONOLULU, HI – aio and ESPN Honolulu are pleased to announce
the return of one of its long-time radio personalities and beloved hosts; Bobby Curran. Following a successful double lung transplant last November, Curran will make his return to ESPN Honolulu broadcasting later this month.
“The Bobby Curran Show” will return to the air starting July 24 from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday.
“We are thrilled to have Bobby back at ESPN Honolulu and with our aio ohana,” said Matt Apana, ESPN Honolulu General Manager. “We know he has been missed dearly by our listeners and fans, many of whom called in, written letters and emails, and posted on our social media channels, sending him their aloha and well wishes.”
“The Bobby Curran Show” has been a staple on ESPN Honolulu since 1994, while Curran’s career broadcasting University of Hawaii sports has spanned more than three decades. His last show aired in July 2022 prior to taking time off to prioritize his health. After his surgery last November, he took several months of intensive rehabilitation and treatment in Arizona.
Once cleared by his medical providers, Curran returned to the island in May 2023 to attend his son’s high school graduation from Mid-Pacific Institute. With his strength returning, Curran is eager and excited to be back on the Hawaii airwaves.
“I would first like to extend my appreciation and aloha to everyone who sent their well wishes and kind words throughout this journey – the support and prayers have been overwhelming and have been instrumental in my return,” said Curran. “There is still a road to recovery, but I’m so happy to be back on air doing what I love. During the more challenging times, I found solace and motivation in getting back to Hawaii and being on air talking about Hawaii sports.”
Listeners can tune in to ESPN on FM 92.7, AM 1420, online at www.espnhonolulu.com, or our app Sideline Hawaii (available for IOS or Android).
[7/23/23 - Dave Reardon: Mornings are
fabulous again with Curran back]
