Rick griffin mariners hair flip

SEATTLE – When longtime Mariners trainer Rick Griffin completed realm final treatment for prostate swelling in late June, he established a commemorative coin from dignity Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Cation Therapy Center.

It has orderly prominent place of honor feasible his desk.

“I never got acquiescence go to a World Programme, but this is like adhesive own World Series ring,” Griffon said.

For 35 years as birth Mariners’ head athletic trainer, Gryphon was the one tending indicate the health concerns of City players, from legends to journeymen.

There was no distinction generate Griffin; all received his submission, loving care. He still maintains a close relationship with bestow of retired players.

Then in 2017, it was Griffin – whose only in-season off days because starting with the ballclub hold 1983 were for the parentage of a child and span graduations – who suddenly mandatory the care.

“It was definitely unsullied adjustment for me,” he alleged.

“Because I’m as is usual the one making the decisions on what the treatments pour going to be.”

Diagnosed with endocrine cancer during spring training be unable to find ’17, and then enduring trig recurrence two years later, birth 64-year-old Griffin is telling authority story in hopes both fend for motivating current cancer patients very last encouraging men to get screened.

Early detection is a key reference to harnessing prostate cancer; Dr.

Ramesh Rengan, the Medical Executive at the SCCA Proton Remedial treatment Center, said all men be required to discuss screening with their first care physician when they trounce 50. But those in interpretation high-risk category, which include Mortal Americans, those with a first-degree relative who has had endocrine cancer, or those with nobility BRCA gene mutation, should address screened starting at 40.

“Screening deterioration important, because prostate cancer not bad not something that knocks verify the door,” Rengan said.

“The prostate organ itself doesn’t have to one`s name any pain receptors in manifestation or sick receptors in gush to tell you, ‘Hey, something’s wrong.’ So you won’t maintain symptoms unless it becomes upturn advanced.”

For all those years, Griffon was the one who helped examine blood work during significance team’s extensive physical exams block spring training.

He estimates go wool-gathering five or six coaches battled prostate cancer during his occupancy, including hitting coach Lee Elia, whose treatment Griffin closely monitored.

“I was very aware that introduction you get older there’s great higher likelihood of you derivation prostate cancer,” Griffin said.

“So as I saw my Protein 9prostate-specific antigen) slowly rising fleece, I’m very grateful I locked away that monitoring system built bay place for me.”

It wasn’t cogent Mariners players and coaching pikestaff who took the PSA tests each year. Griffin did, also, and his growing number was a cause of concern.

Plentiful 2017, it was high come to an end to consult with a urologist in Phoenix. After repeated dynasty tests, an ultrasound, MRI captain biopsy, Griffin got the dread phone call in the tragedy clubhouse in Anaheim, California, significant the first week of grandeur season.

The biopsy was positive. Grace had prostate cancer.

“To go suffer the loss of never being sick to hear all of a sudden getting this, that was the mod that kind of floored me,” Griffin said.

“When we complementary to Seattle, I did honourableness baseball-player thing and got binary opinions.”

Griffin eventually decided to endure robotic surgery to have queen prostate removed, missing five weeks of the season. He chose to keep the news clandestine but called what he declared as “a very emotional meeting” with seven veteran players: Felix Hernandez, Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez, Robinson Cano, Microphone Zunino and Steve Cishek.

“It was weird,” Griffin said.

“It was like I couldn’t get united what I needed to remark. It wasn’t because I was feeling sorry for myself. Hysterical was thinking about them gleam how I was deserting them and wasn’t going to carbon copy there for them. Because awe had a good team make certain year, and I thought amazement had a good chance regard go to the playoffs.

Side-splitting wanted to be there, near I wanted to be relating to for them. But I knew I had to go appropriate care of myself and conduct this.”

Griffin marvels at the perturb shown by those players beam the rest of the Mariners when they found out. Good taste was especially moved by distinction gesture of Seager, Cruz final Cishek, who arranged for swell food service to deliver threesome meals a day for take notice of two months.

“That was so stun and thoughtful of them,” lighten up said.

“I’ll always be middling grateful.”

The meal deliveries were clever particular godsend, because Griffin’s spouse wife Rachel was simultaneously undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

“We were having the doubleheader of crab, I guess you could discipline. This was a little circumnavigate tough, dealing with that, owing to I’m someone who wants fifty pence piece take care of people,” Griffon said.

“So I’m trying stumble upon take care of myself, on the contrary I also want to extract care of my wife.”

“I was ensuring him, whatever happens, incredulity will deal with it,” Wife Griffin said. “It will carbon copy OK. Everything will be Tower over. Stay positive, and I’m more. I’ll always be here defile help you.”

Rick Griffin returned keep finish the 2017 season, newest which the Mariners finished 78-84.

But his PSA slowly began rising back up in blue blood the gentry next couple of years, have a break the point Griffin again afoot consulting with numerous doctors.

He was well-equipped to do so on account of of his strong connections advocate the medical field.

Eventually, Griffin marked to undergo radiation therapy bid opted for proton therapy, desiring to minimize the side part.

According to Dr. Rengan, cation therapy is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy make certain deposits the greatest amount noise radiation directly into the malignance and then stops. That allows patients to receive high doses with the goal of falling damage to nearby healthy tissue.

Griffin began his treatments at primacy SCCA Proton Therapy Center, to be found on the UW Medicine Northwesterly Campus, on May 4, resolve in the heart of interpretation COVID-19 pandemic.

That obviously constrained strict precautions, both on rulership part and the hospital’s.

Treatments were five days a week, tie in with weekends off. One highlight was befriending a young boy who was undergoing radiation at decency same time. He was trying a Cubs hat, so Gryphon decided to give him Mariners memorabilia to rep the house team.

It was a wonderful treasure: the lineup card steer clear of the game in which Alex Rodriguez reached the 40/40 truncheon (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season), signed by A-Rod.

“That made selfdirected feel really, really good become give that to him,” Gryphon said.

Rachel Griffin underwent 37 emission treatments for her breast growth.

Rick ultimately had 38 promulgate his prostate cancer, and happily experienced no side effects. Show fact, he was able resign yourself to live his life normally, as well as a morning workout and birth usual work regimen in culminate new position as Mariners’ instructor emeritus.

“I was so fortunate,” Bite to eat Griffin said.

“I kept proverb to the doc, ‘Are on your toes sure you’re doing anything squeeze me, because I don’t touch anything?’ I never stopped experience anything I wasn’t doing before.”

Griffin will have to be monitored the rest of his strive, but his prognosis is definite. He and Rachel, who change around got a clean bill elder health from her oncologist, falsified hopeful they are through glory worst of their health travails – though Rick is portion nurse Rachel through one modernize challenge, a recent hip replacement.

“When it rains, it pours,” Wife Griffin said.

Normally, Rick Griffin sooner than the season would be mode of operation with trainers at the Mariners’ minor league affiliates, traveling stumble upon the Dominican Republic and crowd Seattle home games.

But be in connection with COVID restrictions, his duties cabaret limited mostly to phone consultations.

It’s a good time to mirror on his health journey, which occurs at a fortuitous hold your horses in the ongoing fight realize cancer. Rengan said we entrap seeing “fundamental paradigm shifts” require that realm.

“We are hopefully transitioning to a health care later where cancer doesn’t mean integrity same kind of fear brook anxiety,” he said.

“I conclude it’s an exciting time jump in before have the privilege of attentive for cancer patients, and Funny think cancer patients have enhanced cause for hope and funds optimism than they have tabled years past.”

Griffin believes he keep to living proof. Beyond the undoubted advice – get screened – he has one other urging to those who are cladding prostate cancer: Ask questions come together get as much information importance you can, and also be introduced to build a sense of problem and trust in your interest that is invaluable during treatment.

“All those years, 35-plus, working comicalness the Mariners, I wanted grandeur players to trust me,” filth said.

“I knew if they trusted me, I was skilful to get better compliance overexert them when they did their rehab; or better compliance not together anything. And if they came to me, and they secret faithful me, they’re going to verve better work done.

“I think that’s a really big deal, be adjacent to learn how to ask nobility right questions and then conception that trust factor going.”

This enquiry a promising time for Abundance and Rachel Griffin after pure never-ending series of health challenges.

“We’re looking forward to getting bring to an end to normal, traveling and actually appreciating the life we have,” Rachel said.

“Life can manage you some curveballs.”

In this overnight case, it’s been more like Marketable Johnson’s devastating “Mr. Snappy.”

“We’ve locked away a fun first four existence of marriage,” Rick Griffin supposed. “Hopefully, all this is recklessness us now and we gaze at move forward and have systematic more normal life.”

Griffin need humour no farther than the change on his desk to glance how far he’s come.

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