HONOLULU — A litany of restrictions, conditions and stipulations awaited Bobby Curran upon his return from death’s door.

For starters, no protracted standing and talking. No alcohol. No meats cooked less than medium-well. And no raw fish.

To a man well-known for his ability to speak and socialize, these were no small things. But coming off a double lung transplant, Curran, the decades-long radio voice of University of Hawaii sports, was willing to make whatever sacrifices were necessary to not just get back on the air, but keep breathing it.

Ahem — somewhat grudgingly.

“It might not bother some people, but it bothered me. But I’m doing it because it’s that or die, and I’m not ready to die,” Curran told Spectrum News this week.

Curran is slated to make his return to the ESPN Honolulu airwaves on Monday, as he resumes his 6 a.m. slot for The Bobby Curran Show. The program will go for one hour instead of its customary three for the time being.

Curran stepped back from his long-running show — it was a staple of KKEA, 1420-AM going back to 1994 — in July 2022 after experiencing progressively worse symptoms of emphysema during the 2021-22 athletic calendar year. He underwent the transplant procedure in Phoenix last November.

According to ESPN Honolulu General Manager Matt Apana, fans frequently wrote letters, emailed and called in to inquire about Curran’s well-being.

He has recovered much of his lost strength, but must return to the medical facility once a month until this November, after which the visits are spaced out to once every three months.

Minutes before Curran underwent the transplant procedure, his medical team ruled out a standard epidural pain-relief treatment because of a blood-thinning medication Curran was on, he said. The pain was the most intense he’d experienced.

During the painstaking process, he kept thinking about getting back to the airwaves.

“That’s what kept me going,” he said.

He had to remain in Phoenix for several months while he recovered — during which time he was a regular viewer of UH football, basketball and volleyball games.

Curran was able to return to the islands to see his son Finn’s graduation from Mid-Pacific Institute, but was not able to come back for his spring 2023 induction into the UH Sports Circle of Honor. For that, he appeared on a Zoom recording while Finn accepted on his behalf.

Now, when he sits and speaks, he says he feels fine — “like I never left.”

The brush with death and recovery process had the effect of making Curran ponder spiritual matters he previously paid little mind. He plans to speak at a church service on July 30.

“I’m very happy I’m alive and back and grateful,” he said. “I feel somewhat blessed. … I was never very religious, but I’ve gotten more serious about that aspect of life.”

Curran, a free spirit in his younger days, still bristles at the level of medical attention his recovery has demanded.

“They like to keep track of you. As they like to say, ‘we have a ton invested in you,’ ” Curran said with a chuckle. “I’m starting to make my own decisions and it’s not going over great in some quarters.”

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.