Bonamego rings the bell
Coach finished with cancer treatment, ready for the fight on the field
His eyes welled with tears as family and doctors surrounded him. The shrill sound of a ringing bell filled the hallway of the hospital.
A wide smile spread across his face as Head Football Coach John Bonamego rang the bell that would signify the end of his cancer treatment.
Bonamego was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in June and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments until Aug. 21. Doctors pinpointed the tumor in his left tonsil, making treatments non-invasive, but painful.
Bonamego wasn't thinking about that. He wanted to ring the bell.
"It was a big relief (to ring the bell)," he said. "It's accomplishing a goal and I think that's the reason it's there. Every day you go in there, you hear that bell ringing and you know somebody's at the end of their ordeal."
After completing treatment, the coach headed to Kelly/Shorts Stadium for practice. As he walked onto the field with Assistant Head Coach Mose Rison, Bonamego was greeted by a large crowd of familiar faces.
"(Athletics Director) Dave Heeke had the whole athletic department out," he said. "The team, they kind of surprised me. Coach Rison did an excellent acting job getting me to walk out here instead of taking the golf cart."
During treatment, Bonamego wanted to make a commitment to his team by not missing practices. He asked doctors to schedule early-morning appointments at 7 a.m. so he could spend more time with his family and his team. Bonamego said he woke up at 4:15 a.m. every day and was on his way to treatment in Ann Arbor by 5:15.
The coach said his medical team made treatment as non-invasive as possible, but the process was still painful. Bonamego couldn't really feel the radiation, but he said things got harder when symptoms started to show.
"Once they start, they don't go away," Bonamego said. "New ones come to the forefront and it seems like every new one is a little bit tougher than the last one. It's kind of like walking around with strep throat, the flu, the worst cold you've ever had, a migraine and a fever all at once. It's unrelenting."
As he went further into treatment, radiation took a toll on his body. Bonamego had a rash on his neck and his fingernails started to break apart. He said his ears, nose and throat became raw and red.
After treatment, Bonamego would drive back, usually getting home at 9:30 a.m. He would drive to campus and work in his office until the end of the day, where his wife, Paulette, usually encouraged him to take a nap. He would get up and have dinner and go to bed around 11:30 p.m. Then, he'd get up the next day and repeat.
Looking beyond treatment, Bonamego said there are some little things he's excited about.
"I felt handicapped because of my voice," he said. "I'm anxious to get that back. I'm anxious to get my sense of taste back, because I haven't been able to taste for about four or five weeks. It'll be fun to put something in my mouth and not have it burn, swallow it and actually be able to taste it."
When it came to preparing for the season opener against Oklahoma State on Sept. 3, members of the team said their coach didn't miss a beat.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met," said junior defensive back Tony Annese. "Cancer is a terrible thing, and he's been great through the whole process. He's been here, as much as possible. He really hasn't missed anything."
Bonamego said he is looking forward to spending more time with Paulette.
"We'll probably celebrate some time after the season and I can take her on vacation because I owe her one," he said. "The summer was not a lot of fun. God-willing, we'll take a trip to Italy. I'm going on the record, honey, I'm taking you to Italy."
When it came to dealing with the challenge in front of him, Bonamego said he had no choice but to continue being committed to his health and his team.
"I figured I had a job to do," he said. "This is a place that clearly is more than a job for me. It's highly personal."
