Before I begin, please note that the first part of the Victory Post today contains a rather strong Public Service Announcement. You are welcome to skip to the second part, where we compare CKS to CVD and
CMR.
In late March of this year, Mr. Squillian’s nephew turned 30. He has 3 children – two girls and a boy. I tend to forget about the oldest girl because she lives with her mother, and we (the extended family) don’t get to see her. The younger two are nearly 2 and nearly 5.
Shortly after his birthday, nephew fell ill. As with many in his age bracket, he delayed seeking medical treatment until it was nearly too late. On April 14, I got a text from Mr. Squillian’s brother that simply said “Call me when you can.” I immediately stepped out to call, because he NEVER texts me, and that kind of message is nearly always bad news (good news always waits). Sure enough, he was calling to tell me that nephew was in the hospital with a collapsed lung. At that point, the medical staff believed he had caught a bug from his children, and that it had developed into pneumonia. I’m not certain how long he had been in the hospital at that point, but he originally went to the hospital in Byron. Friends, I used to live in the Middle Georgia area, and I didn’t even know they HAD a hospital in Byron. I had presumed he was in one of the Macon hospitals. Before Mr. Squillian and I were able to get down there, he was, but he had been life-flighted from the Byron hospital to the Macon Medical Center (I know it has a different name now, but it will always be the Med Center to me). If you are not familiar with the Middle Georgia area, Byron to Macon is about a 20 minute drive. I presume it would be less in an ambulance. The idea that they life-flighted him for such a short journey scared me.
When we were able to see him, it was difficult for me. He was in ICU and intubated. His parents and grandmother told me that the medical staff was concerned about how much medication it was requiring to keep him sedated. One thing I learned when Podunk was hospitalized: the body will naturally try to fight against the ventilator, but the ventilator taking over the body’s functions will allow it to heal itself.
Nephew is a Dawg fan, but I had (for various reasons) not invited him to join me for a game up to that point. I asked to see him, and while he was lying in the bed, I spoke to him and promised that if he would settle down and do what the doctors and nurses told him, that I would not only take him to a game, but I would allow him to choose any game (other than Alabama, since Brother Podunk had already claimed that one).
He doesn’t specifically remember hearing me tell him this, but all the rest of the family made sure to tell him. When he was able to go home, he asked if I meant it. I assured him that I did, and he chose the Texas game.
In case you were wondering, here’s the PSA part:
In the end, it was decided that nephew DIDN’T have pneumonia (primarily because it didn’t respond to standard pneumonia treatment). It was decided that he was suffering from EVALI, which is e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury.
If you’ve never heard of EVALI before, join the club. Neither had I. Vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, and the idea that it causes lung injury definitely doesn’t surprise me. As I think back on it, while I can’t prove it, I’ve become convinced that Podunk’s vape use contributed to her death.
If you are a current vape user, PLEASE STOP. If you aren’t PLEASE DON’T START. I promise, your family doesn’t want to sit beside you in the ICU while you fight for your life, whether you win or lose.
However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.
Coach Kirby Smart coached his 134th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 114-20 record and a 0.8507 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred fourteenth win overall in the tenth game of the 2025 season against the Longhorns of Texas.
At the identical juncture in their careers:
Vince Dooley’s 134th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs win over Little Brother in the eleventh game of the 1975 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 91-39-5 and 0.6978 percentage.
Coach Mark Richt was 99-35 (0.7444) after a loss to Awbarn in the eleventh game of the 2010 season.
One hundred and thirty four games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 23 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.
As always . . .
Go ‘Dawgs !!!!
