LOS ANGELES — Fans waited a long time for the Bengals to return to the Super Bowl, but one Cincinnati faithful had to wait even longer than most.
Michele Porter was so frustrated with the first half of the AFC championship game, she paused her TV and walked away to relieve the anxiety.
"I started doing laundry, dishes," Porter said.
Her husband, Dean, kept watching while she was away — seeing their favorite team pull off the comeback to go to the Super Bowl. Still, he kept the ending a secret, waiting for her to return to the game.
"I had to hold my poker face really tight for her," Dean Porter said.
Finally, she returned and watched the rest of the game, screaming and celebrating the overtime win with the rest of Who Dey Nation as her husband captured her reaction on camera.
The two West Virginia natives now live in L.A. after spending time in Cheviot and Mason. Porter works at Providence Holy Cross Surgery Center, proudly showing off her Bengal pride during a difficult time.
"I am a surgical technologist, I assist in surgeries," Porter said. "My first job out of school was at Cincinnati Children's."
With the Bengals heading to the Super Bowl, Porter's highs have been very high this year. Still, her work outside those four quarters reminds her how difficult things can be.
"I can't even begin to express how hard it is to watch someone have to say goodbye to a loved one on an iPad," Porter said.
Every day, pushing through the stresses of life, Porter donned a Bengals cap and did what she was called to do in the operating room — even if she was with a bunch of Rams fans.
"I'm the only Bengals fan there and now they're pulling for their Rams...and I'm pulling for my Bengals," Porter said.
Hopefully, she won't be frustrated with the first half on Sunday.
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