🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Ugh, seems like Self had an earlier heart surgery that he didn’t disclose. Aortic valve replacement. Then later on he had his stent (s) put in.

Apparently the aortic surgery shortens his life span by about a decade (I’m no expert, but read a bit about it after hearing the news).

This is all very scary to hear!

So, who knows what he’s thinking, but I can only guess that he plans on retiring from coaching sooner than he previously did?

Anyway, thought this was worth discussing.

@rockchalkjayhawk I think the opposite. He sees his calling is coaching ball. He got to live minimally the retired life and said that’s not for me. You live in FL, play golf and see the grandkids. From there not much else.

I think he tries to get 1-3 titles in the next 5-7 years and evaluates at the end of every season.

He still feels he can accomplish more and cement himself with the Wooden’s and coach k’s - which means another title or two.

I am in the health care field, so I did a little research on this topic myself. Length of survival after an AVR (aortic valve replacement) procedure for a low-risk younger pt, which I am assuming he is low-risk, had a median lifespan of 16 years after the procedure. This is from an article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology from Nov 2021. I saw another article stating that it would reduce a typical lifespan by about 8 years, but this is much better than the 2 to 3 year survival rate without the valve replacement. And that 2-3 years is not with a very good quality of life.

I think Bill wins one more championship and rides off into the sunset. But we'll see. I think it is so hard for guys at the top of their field to retire in nearly any industry. I feel bad that the guy is having heart issues at his age, but he also is very wealthy. So typical timelines for heart-issues may not necessarily apply to him. Wealth has as much to do with lifespan as anything else, typically. It is why some of these rich guys can eat McDonald's 10x per week and still live into their 90s (I see you Warren Buffet).

I do think Bill will retire before he is 70.

@Kcmatt7 That's why I'm still selling furnaces and A/C's. It's hard to quit while you're on top. :)

Ya they gave my grandpappy a year or 2 at best after a hip replacement too. But he's still kicking. 10 years later and about to turn 88. Stats do lie sometimes

True stats do not lie. Sometimes unethical people will “cook” the data to make it look better than it really is or there is unintentional bias that affects the accuracy of stats. With stats, it is usually that 90% fall under a bell curve and then 10% are outliers, 5% above and 5% below. I would lean toward your grandfather being an outlier.

There’s an awful lot we people don’t know about an awful lot. 🤷‍♂️ The data set is evolving

Stats about life expectancy after medical procedures are distorted by their very nature because there is no final age data for people still living in the sample. Furthermore, it is hard to accurately control for deaths caused by unrelated or even related conditions. And the stats don't account for the difference in good and not-so-good surgeons.

In that vein, I would suspect that the early aorta valve surgeries weigh down the overall expectancies. Almost every cardiac procedure has become vastly more successful as new techniques and materials have been developed.

Most likely, HCBS had the best of the bunch.

he will learn very quickly once the season begins how he feels in the stressful times. I hope it’s way better!

Freaks me out a bit thinking about him on the sidelines to be honest.

I thought his health would negatively affect recruiting, but so far seems the opposite.

We all remember HCBS’ face when things aren’t going well. He gets bright red. I’m sure his BP went up too. Careful, Bill!

@Gorilla72 That isn’t necessarily a bad thing - good to exercise and have the blood pump so during games he’s ready.

His issue is he drinks like a fish, eats horrible and doesn’t exercise (he’s admitted this so don’t jump on me like I’m doggin him).

He’s changing these things though will which make his body but also his mind sharper.

However many years we have it I think it will be his best yet which is crazy to think about!

@kuballin10 i doubt Self drinks like a fish.

@approxinfinity He said on Lucas podcast he was drunk for two straight weeks after the title. He also mentions it elsewhere. His job is stressful I’m sure he knocks back a few to loosen up often and with his health it’s not hard to see.

@kuballin10 Im going to guess that he got drunk socially a couple times after the championship and his guilty conscience considered that to be “two weeks straight”. Nothing about the guy’s personality suggests alcoholic to me. You can see it in Huggy and others. A subdermal anger, a misalignment, a discontent. Self’s mastery of interviews speaks to an ability to navigate this world without a crutch. I’m sure he sees sobriety as an advantage and better existance and sticks close to it.

@approxinfinity said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

“Self’s mastery of interviews speaks to an ability to navigate this world without a crutch. I’m sure he sees sobriety as an advantage and better existence and sticks close to it.”

Man, approx, this is so well said, and incredibly insightful. Makes me wonder if you have a Psych background… As we’ve seen recently with Huggins, even the most seasoned of coaches, with hours upon hours of interview experience, it is not hard to put your foot squarely in your own mouth in a matter of seconds. That split second of time where your brain takes a break, and you inadvertently blurt out something stupid, can do damage to your credibility, and reputation, for much longer. Avoiding these lapses in judgment, suggests someone who is sharp, and always thinking a couple of steps ahead. And although he may enjoy some downtime with an adult beverage, he’s not likely to succumb to overindulge too often. Especially during season, or peak basketball activity time periods (in season, recruiting, etc.).

@approxinfinity said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

@kuballin10 i doubt Self drinks like a fish.

These health issues might suggest otherwise. Not all alcoholics function the same way. As puffy and bloated as Self has looked in recent years, I don't doubt that Self let himself go in regards to his health and drank like a fish.

@P-H-C thanks. I may be wrong. But if I am, I think he is well equipped to kick the habit.

It’s possible @Texas-Hawk-10, but couldnt the puffiness be due to lack of exercise, poor sleep and a poor diet? Doesn’t seem like definitive proof that he drinks regularly.

@approxinfinity said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

@P-H-C thanks. I may be wrong. But if I am, I think he is well equipped to kick the habit.

It’s possible @Texas-Hawk-10, but couldnt the puffiness be due to lack of exercise, poor sleep and a poor diet? Doesn’t seem like definitive proof that he drinks regularly.

Alcoholism is the most common cause of puffiness like Self’s which is usuallyvery noticeable in the cheeks. It becomes very noticeable once an alcoholic sobers up and the puffiness goes away.

Lack bad eating and lack of exercise is usually most noticeable around the gut and as Self has definitely put on a bunch of weight over the last several years. Lack of sleep is usually most noticeable under the eyes when people have dark circles and "bags" under their eyes.

I rarely imbibe myself, but if Bill does regularly drink who cares? It sure doesn’t seem to be affecting his job performance, personal life, or health. His overall lifestyle is stressful and no doubt has an effect on his health. It could be a stiff drink now and again prolongs his life by reducing stress

@approxinfinity I don’t think he’s an alcoholic I should have prefaced that.

Guys who drink literally every night but don’t always get drunk are controlling it. I think Self controls it because he has no dui’s im aware of and isn’t this angry person like huggy

I do think that drinking daily 2-3 or 3-4 drinks will hurt the heart and your liver.

1 glass of red wine doesn’t normally stop there

@Texas-Hawk-10 I know a guy who his doc said your liver is shot you’re gonna die and he was 35. Cut alcohol and changed his lifestyle lost 100 pounds.

Pictures show that bloated face you mentioned and yes, poor diet is gut for sure.

Self drinks that isn’t an argument in my mind the question is how much. Either way none of my business and the point is he’s getting his health in check which is something everyone of us should do.

Highest paid Kansas employee should have a personal grocery shopper, chef and dietician. He can afford it lol

@dylans Drinking isn’t good for the body especially that often and pair that with his poor diet which he’s admitted and you get health issues.

He is disciplined literally in everything he’s done except his health which he said back in March.

He’s gonna get healthy and pair that with the programs prime - buckle up it’s gonna be a heck of a ride I think.

@dylans Self has had two heart surgeries in the past 12 months and missed the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament this year and you don't think his lifestyle has affected job performance or his health? How many people here seriously believe that KU still loses that Arkansas Game if Self had been on the bench instead of Norm?

@kuballin10 Just because Self hasn't had a DUI and isn't a naturally angry person doesn't mean he isn't an alcoholic. There's plenty of alcoholics out there who have never had a DUI and aren't angry people.

Biggest thing Self can do for his health is find something to replace alcohol as his coping mechanism for whatever it was that's caused him to drink as much as he has in recent years. Getting on a treadmill or exercise bike would be ideal replacement behaviors that should be easily accessible whether at home during the off-season, in the weight rooms in tge athletic facilities, or in the team hotel on the road.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I don’t feel comfortable throwing out the alcoholic judgement when I don’t know the extent of it.

He likes to drink - same with millions of people but doesn’t mean all of them are alcoholics

As the title says, an ugly topic.

So now we've decided Bill is a drunk. We just make it up as we go along, don't we?

@Jethro said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

So now we've decided Bill is a drunk. We just make it up as we go along, don't we?

A drunk and an alcoholic are not the same thing. Based on what Self has admitted to in regards to his eating and drinking habits, his health issues, and the change in his physical appearance in recent years, I feel like there's a lot of evidence that supports Self being a functional alcoholic.

It sounds like from his interview that dealing with his dad's death and winning the title last year pushed him to a place he hadn't been before in regards to his drinking habits.

Swelling of the face and weight gain are also symptoms of congestive heart failure. :man_shrugging_light_skin_tone:

@Texas-Hawk-10 you’ve listened to a lot more of interviews of his than me i think. I dont recall mentions of troubling instances of drinking but i wasnt looking for it as a tell.

I'd avoid making assumptions about people's lifestyles based on the way they "look." Possibly more going on than you know, and most likely they've already explored all the amateur diagnoses with actual healthcare pros.

@DanR Yeah, but I knew a guy who talked to someone who saw someone who looked like that and someone nearby commented that they read something on an internet forum about some medical condition!

@mayjay You seem abnormally sweaty. My internet search supports my combination of a random second-hand family diagnosis (Uncle Rick was sweaty and he got hit by a train and died young), and he had a red face sometimes and I saw him drinking a beer. Clearly you're an alcoholic diabetes heart attack applicant or you're a normal man living in the southeast US.

@approxinfinity said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

@Texas-Hawk-10 you’ve listened to a lot more of interviews of his than me i think. I dont recall mentions of troubling instances of drinking but i wasnt looking for it as a tell.

It's not that Self has outright said as much, but more so piecing together stuff based on what he said in this recent interview about his health and what's happened to him in the past 18 months. The closest Self has come to mentioning anything was after the 2014 loss to Kentucky (72-40) that he wished his water bottle was vodka. That's a tell-tale sign going back almost a decade now about Self's drinking habits.

The NCAA investigation, his dad's death, and the title run are all very high stress situations individually, but all 3 happening at the same time in the public eye is more stress than most of us have ever been through. This is also an industry where alcoholism is very common and that combined with a poor diet and lack of regular exercise going back well before early 2022 and it's not that surprising that Self is having health issues.

Hopefully he's listening to his doctors and sticks to a healthier diet and getting more exercise ands cuts out the alcohol.

This thread makes Jaybate look like Walter Cronkite.

@Jethro said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

So now we've decided Bill is a drunk. We just make it up as we go along, don't we?

Come on now buddy keep up lmao - -surely you've heard of the he said - - she said - -they said. - you know right ? - kindda like the game we played as kids- -whisper something in someone's ear and they do the same on down the line, and by the time it reaches the end - -were at Defcon 5 lmao- -come on buddy get with the program lol - you know I'm just teasin ya buddy

@kuballin10 said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

@Texas-Hawk-10 I don’t feel comfortable throwing out the alcoholic judgement when I don’t know the extent of it.

He likes to drink - same with millions of people but doesn’t mean all of them are alcoholics

well ya well i mean look at Gregg Marshalls wife - -ol Marsha-- we know ol Marsha likes to drink -- Oh wait - -she IS an alcoholic

It seems like this post went from Bill Self having heart issues to him being a staggering drunk. Unless he publicly says "Hey - I'm a staggering drunk", everyone should probably quit talking about it. So he gains a few extra pounds. At 60 years old. I know a lot of heavy 60 year olds. And 20/30/40/50....you get the idea. He can afford good food now. He doesn't have to eat beanie-weenies and kraft mac & cheese any more. He probably doesn't like diet soda.

It would be like seeing your buddy's wife wearing a short skirt and saying " I knew it. She's a prostitute. For real. One of the main symptoms of being a prostitute is wearing a short skirt."

Grow up people. As far as I know, this is still a country where people are innocent until proven guilty. I'll drink to that.

Ha, yea this post took a different direction than I thought.

When I started it I thought it could take a few directions or so: how this could affect Bill’s thinking in regard to earlier retirement, and how it could affect his recruiting strategy. Go go go! And maybe people would be steamed that he kept his first surgery secret.

Also, was wondering if others thought his health would be a red flag for potential recruits. I thought it would be.

@rockchalkjayhawk Health issues never seemed to hurt K in his recruiting. Now that Self is pretty much the undisputed best active coach, I imagine it will be the same for a while.

/s/Just until the fat drunk keels over on the sideline. Smh

-edit- to be clear this is sarcasm; I think anyone who believes Self has a drinking problem due to a red face is a moron.

Maybe we should talk about something else. Whether we're labeling Self, or labeling the comments about him or the people who made them or whatever, I think maybe this topic has gotten a little stale? It was a good discussion, but we may have exhausted it, for now anyway.

Let's hope for the best?

I think the topic about Ernest being not that good as a replacement Braun is an interesting one we can all fight about :)

@BShark !hats off to ya ↗

Let me just throw this out before we put this nonsense to rest. - -There is quite possibly other reasons for Bills face being so red for GOD'S sakes.

I know for a fact because I have this myself, sometimes worse then others and that's called Rosacea. It is a skin condition that can include your blood vessels .Rosacea can be cause from yes some drinking, but ALSO from STRRESS ( umm Hello ) -- the Sun can cause it to flare up - - Tension can cause it to flare up - - many reasons for it to flare up - -but just because his face gets red doesn't for sure mean he is an alcoholic , by any means - time to say Good Night on this, surely we can find better things to talk about

@jayballer67 said in An ugly topic: Bill Self’s health:

Let me just throw this out before we put this nonsense to rest. - -There is quite possibly other reasons for Bills face being so red for GOD'S sakes.

I know for a fact because I have this myself, sometimes worse then others and that's called Rosacea. It is a skin condition that can include your blood vessels .Rosacea can be cause from yes some drinking, but ALSO from STRRESS ( umm Hello ) -- the Sun can cause it to flare up - - Tension can cause it to flare up - - many reasons for it to flare up - -but just because his face gets red doesn't for sure mean he is an alcoholic , by any means - time to say Good Night on this, surely we can find better things to talk about

Shhhh.... we're only accepting wild b.s. smears on this thread. Reality is not permitted!

Alright. Lockerino! Lol