Last fall, Mandee Carroll stepped onto the basketball court - a place where she felt comfortable and a place where she had considerable athletic success.

Carroll had always been at home on the basketball court. At Helena High, where she was deadly from beyond the 3-point arc. "MC for three" was a familiar refrain in the Helena High gym and she rode her accuracy to all-state honors for the Bengals.

Carroll then moved on to Havre, where she played basketball for the MSU-Northern. As a true freshman, she played eight games and was expected to be a contributor her sophomore season.

Just before Halloween, though, things changed drastically.

Carroll was walking out onto the basketball court for a routine practice when her body simply failed her.

"I had a bad headache, but I did a few layups," she said. "After about five minutes of that happening I couldn't even function."

Carroll said everything around her became very bright and it was hard even to walk. She described the pain as similar to a migraine headache, only worse.

After the symptoms didn't subside, she went to the hospital in Havre where they diagnosed her with a sinus infection and gave Carroll antibiotics.

Her condition, however, was much worse than a simple sinus infection. She would later be diagnosed with an arterio-venous malformation (AVM) - a mass of tangled veins which was behind her left ear. The malformation was slowly bleeding into her brain tissue.

AVM is extremely rare, and when she was diagnosed with the condition her first reaction was shock.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "I was going to school and playing basketball. A day later, I was doing none of that."

After a diagnosis was reached, Carroll had a choice to make. She could have surgery or she could go through a treatment by cyberknife, which she describes as similar to radiation. However, the cyber knife is still in its experimental stages so for her, the choice was a simple but scary one.

"I knew I had to get it (surgery) done and move on in life," she said.

So in her early 20's, Carroll went through brain surgery at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center.

It was a good news, bad news situation for Carroll as she prepared for the operation. The good news was the location of the mass, which she said was the best possible position for it to be in.

However, the fact that it was behind her left ear could have also created some problems particularly for someone that has participated in athletics for most of their life.

"There was a slight chance that it (surgery) could effect the motor skills, because of where it was in the brain," she said.

The surgery, in early January, turned out to be a complete success. Carroll was surrounded by family and friends and a sense of relief came over he when she opened her eyes following the surgery.

"It was probably the best feeling in the world to be over with and be okay," she said.

With the biggest hurdle over with, she undertook the challenge of regaining her physical skills. It has been difficult at times, but she is well on the road to recovery.

MSU-Northern gave her a medical redshirt last season and she fully plans on returning to play for Skylights next season and using her remaining three years of eligibility.

"I want to do so much and it is frustrating trying to take your first steps," she said. "Even me going hard for a half-hour in the gym is the best feeling in the world."

Before she takes back to the basketball court, however, she is filling her jones for sports by assisting the Helena High softball team.

She was a standout softball player at Helena High and was approached by junior varsiy coach Colette Buckley to help out this season.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity," Carroll said. "I always wanted to coach and it was a good way to be involved in the sport. I just love being around the girls."

This fall, however, she will get to return to the hardwood and when she does for the first time, she will give a lot of thanks to those around her.

"It means so much to me to have support from friends, family and teammates," she said. "It have given me so much drive to get back on the court. I will keep striving to get better and better each day."