Some odd note about Tyson Chandler I read in the Trib
But the Bull to watch in the coming weeks is Tyson Chandler, who has experienced shortness of breath and was diagnosed last week with a hiatal hernia, also known as diaphragmatic hernia.
"I knew something wasn't right," Chandler said. "I was feeling like I couldn't get my wind."
Chandler said he is taking medication twice a day, except on game nights when he skips an evening dosage to avoid potential side effects.
It's hard to say if Bulls coach Scott Skiles is concerned. Asked about it before the game, he said he didn't know anything about it.
The episodes certainly made Chandler nervous. He coordinated a visit to a specialist with team athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi.
Chandler has struggled with acid reflux in the past and also had lesions in his esophagus from acid buildup. The reflux is under control and the lesions have healed, Tedeschi said.
Information on the Mayo Clinic Web site says a hiatal hernia can form at the opening of the diaphragm where the esophagus joins the stomach. It causes chest pain similar to heartburn, Chandler said.
"It makes you nervous because you can feel it in your heart, it seems," he said.
The extent of its effect on his play is unclear.
Chandler's been great over the past 3 games, so Hopefully that's a sign that the revelation of this condition doesn't mean much.
Besides that, it's a feel-good Monday: The Bulls finished 3-3 on their historically disasterous road trip. Maybe those blown chances in the Pacific Northwest was the wakeup call the team needed to get 2 wins this past weekend in Texas.
A pretty soft week ahead until hosting Detroit on Saturday: Tuesday vs. Orlando, Wednesday at the (hated) Knicks, and then Friday at Boston.