Dwyane Wade, the former NBA superstar and new-age entrepreneur, has conquered some personal health issues. Through his engaging story, he now motivates others to make their wellness a priority. Wade left her job during pregnancy to launch a new kind of multivitamin company, Ritual. His audacious gamble has in the years since flourished, now bringing in more than $250 million annually. This year his journey turned in a different direction, as he found out that he had developed a cancerous tumor on his kidney. This discovery emphasizes the importance of being proactive in managing one’s health.
At 40, Wade decided to be more proactive about his health and began seeing different doctors. His family’s history of cancer pushed him to reach out for specialized guidance. His father is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer now, and his grandfather died from the disease. Wade had been disturbed by these family dynamics. He expressed his fears to his PCP and insisted on extensive testing, including MRIs of his whole body.
Wade described how his first visits and even his eventual diagnosis were ignited by a number of physical manifestations, not directly tied to his kidneys.
“I didn’t go in for my kidney. I was going in because I had little pains in my stomach. I was going in because my urine stream was a little low. I was going in because my dad had prostate cancer,” Wade said.
In December 2023, Wade underwent surgery to remove 40% of his kidney. Doctors had to perform surgery because they weren’t able to biopsy the tumor without surgical exploratory means. Looking back on the ordeal, he said he’s thankful that he went in when he did.
“I was going in because I was 40 now, I wanted to live a long life. And being proactive got me to a place where I was able to see that I had a tumor on my kidney.”
Wade’s dedication to improving health and wellness goes deeper than his own journey. He was at the New York Times Well Festival. There, he told his story and motivated others to make their health a priority. In response to this, he explained that in many communities—his own included—there is a complete erasure of dialogues surrounding health history.
“Thank God that I did do the surgery,” Wade remarked.
Wade’s experience exemplifies the underlying principle that we all need to learn to have control over our own health. This holds even truer for those who have a strong family history of chronic diseases. His story is a testament to amazing personal fortitude. It motivates people to start owning their own health paths.
“In my family, in my community, we don’t share a lot of things about our health history,” Wade stated.
He encouraged individuals to leverage their primary care doctors effectively.
“Everyone doesn’t have the abilities and the access that everyone else has. But if you have a primary care doctor, put them to work,” he advised. “Don’t let them just come, bring you in and put you out the door, because that’s what you want to hear. No, ask the right questions.”
Wade’s experience serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of being proactive about health, especially for those with a family history of chronic conditions. His story not only highlights personal resilience but also aims to inspire others to take charge of their health journeys.