Dwayne Wade Warns Men Against One Stubborn Health Habit.
NBA legend Dwayne Wade opened up at the New York Times Well Festival about the health scare that changed everything, and why men need to stop playing tough when it comes to their well-being.
Wade, now 43, is in arguably the best shape of his post-NBA life. But not because he’s training for a game, because he’s finally taking full responsibility for his health. And it took a cancer diagnosis, family history, and a lot of soul-searching to get there.Wade admitted that, during his playing days, he didn’t have to think much about health maintenance. “You had trainers, you had a whole team making sure you were ready,” he said. “When you have people doing things for you, you don’t know what to do for yourself.”
But in retirement, there’s no team trainer waiting with ice and answers. When something hurts, he has to speak up. “Before, you go to the doctor and you just want to get out of there. You don’t ask questions,” he said. “Now I’m like, ‘But hold on, are you sure? What does this mean?’”During his sit down conversation with journalist Marc Lacey, Wade talked about his cancer diagnosis, and how he didn’t go to the doctor expecting to hear the word “tumor.” He just had a low urine stream, a little stomach discomfort, and a creeping concern after his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His decision to start doing full-body MRIs turned out to be the proactive check that saved his life.
Wade explained that doctors, did an MRI with dye on his entire body and that’s how they found out he had a cancerous tumor in his kidney. “I didn’t go in for my kidney,” said Wade“I went in because I was 40 and wanted to live a long life.”Wade pointed out a common cultural truth with a touch of humor: “We hear it all the time, guys can spend six hours on a golf course, and when they get home, their partner asks, ‘What did y’all talk about?’ And the answer is usually, ‘We don’t even know.’ Because we don’t ask questions.”
“I didn’t share it with my kids. I wouldn’t share it with my wife,” Wade admitted, reflecting on his cancer diagnosis. “I didn’t know what to do with the information. I was walking around the house trying to act like I had it all together, but I didn’t.”That silence wasn’t unique to him. “In my family and in my community, we don’t share a lot of things about our health history,” he said. “I didn’t even know my granddad had prostate cancer until after my dad was diagnosed.”
After that experience, Wade wanted to bring men together in a safe place to be expressive. What started as silence turned into connection. Surrounded by other men who were opening up, and working on their mind, soul wellness, and physical wellness. “I was walking on clouds once I left there because I realized I was not alone,” he expressed
