# @behindtheracquet on Instagram - **Type:** Image - **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CSeysB1gmO_ - **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/158815-behindtheracquet-instagram - **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/8887958602.jpg - **Posted:** 2021-08-12T16:30:42.000+00:00 ## Caption “June 20, 2020, my mom and step dad walked through the door. My mom looks at me and says, “Al, your dad passed away this morning.” I struggled with this every day and little did I know it was just the beginning of a very long healing journey.   My grandma had a cancer that was considered to be a, “good cancer that wouldn’t kill her.” I was on a trip training for Australian open qualifying. The day before coming home, I got the call that she had passed.   3 weeks later my step dad’s mom passed away. A couple weeks after that my coach Lisa’s dad passed away.   Summer comes and I forgot to sign up for the French open due to a miscommunication. I had a full blown panic attack that put me in the emergency room. The entire trip I struggled mentally, then I started having horrible stomach issues. It took such a toll on my body that I literally broke down when I knew I was okay. The stress I put on my body during these couple of weeks was absolutely debilitating.   I came home and suddenly started to feel this lump sensation in my throat. It was globus sensation caused by anxiety. At this point, I knew I needed help. I kept feeling like something bad was going to happen to me.   I started getting headaches. My step dad ordered me an MRI with contrast just to alleviate the stress I was having. He comes in, sits down with a different look on his face.   “You have Acoustic Neuroma,” he said.   Acoustic Neuroma is considered to be a very rare, benign, brain tumor. The surgeries to remove it are very dangerous and due to the fact I’m young, I most likely will need the surgery to get it removed to (hopefully) preserve my hearing. How fast it grows is the million dollar question.   As odd as it sounds, I actually feel even more blessed knowing there are worse things in life than this. These past months have been so incredibly tough on my body, mind, and my tennis, but in the end I know it will all get better. Upon finding out the news, my coach Lisa said to me, “It’s going to be okay Al, you survived it all and keep surviving. You are a fighter and are so strong. You are a Kiick.” That stuck with me… “I am a Kiick”…. #21 @alliekiick #BTR ## Stats - **Views:** 0 - **Likes:** 1,017 - **Shares:** 0 - **Comments:** 53 ## Credits These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete. A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator. | Name | Username | Profile | Role | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Behind The Racquet | @BehindTRacquet | https://gondola.cc/BehindTRacquet | Brand | | Sarah Campbell | @SarahCampbs | https://gondola.cc/SarahCampbs | Copywriter | ## Tags 21, btr --- Copyright (c) Gondola