Perhaps more than any of her peers, Lake Clifton center Natisha Ferguson savors every point, every rebound, even every second that she's on the court.
The 6-foot-6 senior knows all too well how quickly things can change.
Last February, in the midst of an outstanding season, Ferguson underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.
"The doctors told me a percentage of people die from this surgery," she said. "They also told me I might go blind or that I could be paralyzed. They told me some things that really shook my faith."
But because of her faith and determination, as well as the encouragement of her family and friends, Ferguson has returned this season to the starting lineup of the area's second-ranked team.
Although the effects of the tumor are evident -- Ferguson went from 270 pounds to 205 and said she has lost strength in her arms and legs -- her doctors told her she could expect a full recovery.
"It's still hard for me to get up and down the court at times," said Ferguson, who is averaging 9.0 points and 10.7 rebounds. "And by losing so much strength, I feel like I get pushed around a lot now. I'm not used to that and I get frustrated.
"But my body is recovering faster than they thought. I haven't worked with any therapists or anything. It was just me. The vTC stronger your will is, the more you can do."
Before her illness, Ferguson had established herself as one of the area's dominant inside players. A second-team All-Metro selection, she averaged 18 points and 20 rebounds last season.
Ferguson first realized something was wrong when she began experiencing prolonged headaches. When periods of vomiting followed, her mother took her to a doctor on Feb. 11.
A CT scan revealed what appeared to be a tumor. Ferguson was scheduled to return to the doctor on Feb. 14, but the headaches and vomiting got worse, and she was taken to the hospital the night before her appointment.
The following morning, laser surgery was performed to remove the tumor.
After the surgery, Ferguson spent three weeks in the hospital and was unable to go outside for a month.
"After that, I was just feeling real weak and I had a hormone displacement problem," she said. "Before the surgery, I started losing the vision in my right eye. After the surgery, I was seeing double for about three days. I couldn't remember things and I had trouble breathing at first."
Ferguson also battled intervals of depression, from which she still suffers.
"The depression is because I want to be where I was before and it's taking a little while for me to get there," Ferguson said. "When they first told me I might not be able to play basketball anymore, I stopped watching TV, I wouldn't talk to anybody and I stopped having visitors except for my mother. My mother and my grandmother are religious, and they kept telling me that I had to have faith."
In May, Ferguson was feeling better and she picked up a basketball for the first time since the surgery.
"I went to the basketball court and I just started shooting around," she said. "I felt like I could play."
Ferguson received her doctor's blessing and began competing in the Baltimore Neighborhood Basketball League.
"I played for a little bit, but then I took myself out of it because of the way I felt mentally," she said. "I felt like I should be doing better than I was. I was pushing myself more than I should have."
Ferguson experienced similar doubts when she began practicing with the Lakers last month.
"A couple times I wanted to give up," she said. "I felt like I didn't have the desire to play anymore. But I wouldn't quit. I knew where I wanted to go and I just kept going."
Ferguson said her frustration was due in part to a feeling that she was starting over. She had come a long way since her awkward days as a freshman.
Her only qualification for being on Lake Clifton's basketball team that season was the fact that she was 6 feet 5.
Realizing the basketball could pave the way for a college education, however, Ferguson -- who never had played the sport before high school -- dedicated herself to the game.
She learned the basics and showed rapid improvement as a sophomore, averaging 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Last season, she honed her dribbling and passing skills, which complemented her increasing arsenal of inside moves and defensive intimidation.
"Last year, I felt like I was unstoppable before I got sick," Ferguson said.
Several top Division I programs concurred. Some schools stopped recruiting Ferguson after her illness, but others like Maryland, Louisiana Tech, Ohio State, Purdue and St. John's continued.
Ferguson, who speaks to children with brain tumors at Union Memorial Hospital, said she would like to become a physical therapist, specializing in the rehabilitation of young athletes.
"I feel like I could make a difference with a lot of young kids who get hurt or go through the same thing I went through because I know it's hard, not just physically, but emotionally," she said.
"You can't take anything for granted, not even walking down the street -- because at one time I couldn't have been walking. So you have to be thankful for what you have and use it to the best of your ability."