He also couldn't have heard better news Wednesday from the doctor. After undergoing a colonoscopy, Harpring was able to rule out everything from cancer to Crohn's disease as cause of his repeated episodes of violent illness the past two years.

"It's been very blessed, I have to say," Harpring said of his month. "I've got nothing to complain about."

Harpring originally was ordered to the doctor after he became so frighteningly sick that he threw up and immediately passed out right before the Jazz's flight home from a Dec. 14 game at Portland was set to take off.

It was Harpring's sixth similar episode in 15 months, including one in Toronto earlier this season. Harpring underwent a three-day battery of tests last month, the last of which turned up spots in his gastrointestinal tract that required the colonoscopy and a biopsy.

The initial belief was that the anti-inflammatories Harpring takes to play on his knee were eroding his stomach lining and making him sick at times. That was confirmed Wednesday, though Harpring acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation took a toll.

"I'm human, too, so obviously it was a sense of relief," Harpring said. "It's something that I tried not to think about too much." He was almost grateful for the distraction provided by a new baby and the Jazz schedule. "I was kind of keeping my mind busy all the time.

"Some of the issues they were talking about . . . there were some things that I would have to deal with the rest of my life," Harpring added. "It's just good to be healthy. I don't have to worry about it any more."

To counter the anti-inflammatories, Harpring now is taking a new medication to help coat his stomach lining. As part of Wednesday's exam, Harpring learned that the ulcers that existed in his digestive tract only a month ago have healed.

"I haven't been sick in a month, so obviously I think it's working on all fronts," he said. "So cross your fingers and keep the good thing going."

Harpring returned to practice Thursday and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he was happy Harpring was not forced to confront more serious health issues.

"The most important thing is players are healthy," Sloan said. "You see how fast things can change in this business, through an injury or sickness or something like that. Quite frankly, a career can be over. We certainly don't want to see any of that happen to any players."

Now Harpring can focus on basketball, where he is perhaps the Jazz's most important bench contributor.

In his first game free from medical restrictions as far as his knee, Harpring finished with a season-high 17 points in 27 minutes Monday against the L.A. Clippers.

The Jazz's bench combined for 51 points in the game as Harpring picked up the slack for Andrei Kirilenko, who struggled with foul trouble and went scoreless in 10 minutes. The Jazz are 11-3 this season when Harpring scores in double figures.

"Over the year, he's been very instrumental in helping us win," Sloan said. "This year, because of his health problems, we were limited in what we could do." Harpring had been restricted to playing 16 to 18 minutes a game.

If he's lucky, Harpring won't have to visit the doctor for a while. He was asked how sick he was of doctors after undergoing so many tests and asking about so many conditions in the last five weeks.

"I'm sick of needles and getting pricked and poked," Harpring said. "Yeah, for sure."

rsiler@sltrib.com

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