God bless everyone and have a great evening.

It's been a month now and I am ready to, sadly, make an announcement.

Below you will find a diagnosis from KDMC Neurology's Dr Megan Rudinsky dated September 13, 2016 of Dementia Due to Parkinson's Disease.  I had wanted to kind of keep this private for a while so that my family had time to learn more about the disease and answer questions.  I am now ready to make this public and announce my retirement from Sports Broadcasting. 

I love sports and I already miss it greatly.  I began in 1999 with GoRadio and then in 2015 moved on to Kool Hits 105.7.  I am very grateful for people like Francis Nash and Jim Forrest who allowed me to do my job the way I wanted to do it.  I will miss my guys at Kool Hits very much.  We were able to assemble what I feel to be the best broadcast crew around, bar none.

Parkinson's induced Dementia was explained to me as  brain changes caused by Parkinson's disease begin in a region that plays a key role in movement. As Parkinson's brain changes gradually spread, they often begin to affect mental functions, including memory and the ability to pay attention, make sound judgments and plan the steps needed to complete a task.  Obviously with this progression, broadcasting is out of the question.  I have started a medication called Namenda which is primarily for Alzheimer's patients, but has shown to be effective in my condition as well.

For now, I have great memories of my time in the booth.  East Carter's first playoff home game in football.  Regional titles for East and West girls and East boys in basketball.  Greenup Co's Regional Championship in baseball.  I was able to work with my son, Tucker, and call one of the most dramatic state basketball championship games in history when Christian Co beat Rowan Co 65-63 in double OT.  I was honored to be the "Voice" of KCU football for the first 8 seasons they were in existence.

I do want to thank Kool Hits and Jim Forrest for taking me in over the past year knowing I had Parkinson's and allowing me to work a schedule of my choosing.  The broadcast family is just that, a family and I will miss them all greatly.  So many coaches I have come to admire over the years, to name them is an impossible task.  

I make this decision reluctantly, but also knowing if I can't do my best in the booth, I am cheating the listener and student athletes.  I never want to do that.  Parkinson's has ridden me like a Walmart pony and dropped me like 3rd period French from what I love to do.  But I will still be listening every Friday night and all basketball season long and I will keep fighting as long as God gives me the strength to do so.