Yahoo Lifestyle Dwyane Wade Opens Up About ‘Shocking’ Diagnosis After Recent Health Scare
Retired NBA guard Dwyane Wade is speaking out about a serious health issue for the first time.
In the latest episode of his podcast The Why with Dwyane Wade, the 43-year-old former basketball pro revealed that he had 40% of his right kidney removed when a cancerous tumor was discovered 13 months ago.
According to Wade, the "shocking" diagnosis came after he visited the doctor to find out why he was having stomach issues and urinating more slowly than usual.
“On the process of checking, like, ‘Why is my p--s coming out slow, why is my stream ain’t powerful? Why is it a little weak?’” Wade recounted, going on to explain that a full-body scan revealed a cyst or tumor on his kidney.
“And the doctor was like, ‘You need to have kidney surgery,’" he said.
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After getting the diagnosis confirmed by other doctors, Wade scheduled his surgery for Dec. 18, 2023.
“I had a personal decision to make, and what it was was, ‘If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst is cancerous, on your kidney, you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it's something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread,’" he said.
Throughout the experience, Wade leaned on the support of his family.
“As a man, you never want your family to see you weak,” he admitted. “Don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to.”
“What I saw in the midst of me going through my illness, I saw my family that may not always talk, may not always agree," Wade continued. "I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me and in that process. In my weakness, I found strength in my family."
Wade shares a daughter, Kaavia James, 6, with wife Gabrielle Union. He also shares Zaire, 22, and Zaya, 17, with his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, in addition to a son, Xavier, 11, with Aja Metoyer. He's also the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21.
