Dwyane Wade reveals cancer diagnosis, kidney surgery
The Chicago native shared the story of the 'shocking' diagnosis and the emotional toll it took on him on the latest episode of his 'The Why' podcast.
Wade, who turned 43 earlier this month, said his father's journey with prostate cancer inspired him to see a doctor after experiencing stomach issues, cramps and difficulty urinating. A tumor found in his right kidney was removed during a Dec. 18, 2023, procedure, he shared. It was later found to be cancerous.
While kidney cancer does not often cause symptoms at the onset, they can develop over time, the Mayo Clinic explains. Those signs often include blood in the urine, a loss of appetite, consistent pain in the back or side, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. It's also unclear what can cause kidney cancer, though the Mayo Clinic says those with certain inherited conditions, or a family history of kidney disease are at a high risk.
'My own journey to have that surgery, I think it was the first time that my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,' he said on the podcast. 'That moment was probably the weakest point I've ever felt in my life.'
Wade noted that it was his family who gave him strength to persevere.
'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,' the veteran athlete said. '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 was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2003 after playing for Marquette University in college. He spent 13 seasons with the Miami Heat before a single-season stint with the Chicago Bulls and a partial season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The basketball star finished his career with the Heat.
The three-time NBA champion is a partial owner of the Utah Jazz.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
No, California is not guaranteed to remain an abortion haven
The sudden closure of five Planned Parenthood clinics in Northern California last week reveals a sad, stark truth: California is not the national 'haven' for abortion rights that it has aspired to be since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. No state could be under Republican rule in Washington, or while federal law trumps state law, the Supreme Court majority opposes abortion rights and clinics are reliant on federal money to survive. There are few options to fix this problem, even in California, the world's fourth-largest economy. The state barely covered its budget deficit this year, and it has holes to fill as federal funds for public universities, education, transportation and other sectors were slashed in the recently passed budget. Plus, the state needs federal dollars to help rebuild Los Angeles after the devastating wildfires there earlier this year. Ten million Americans are expected to lose their health insurance because of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans will receive a disproportionate share of the tax cuts funded by those reductions, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. 'It's an illustration of the limits on what any state can do (on abortion access) if the federal government is hostile,' said Mary Ziegler, a professor of law at UC Davis and leading scholar on abortion rights. 'It's more of a reminder that there isn't really a real sanctuary. California has limited power over a lot of this.' It is the latest example of how California is in the political crosshairs of what President Donald Trump's former top adviser Steve Bannon famously described as his 'muzzle velocity' philosophy of launching a lot of disruptive policies and spurious attacks simultaneously. California is withering under the incoming fire. The people hurt most by the closure of those clinics will be the poorest Californians, as 80% of the people who used services at those clinics were Medicaid recipients, according to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the umbrella organization for the shuttered clinics. Planned Parenthood doesn't just provide abortion services. The majority of people go to Planned Parenthood clinics for contraceptive services, sexually transmitted infection testing, pregnancy testing and gynecological services. One in 10 (11%) female Medicaid beneficiaries ages 15 to 49 who received family planning services went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in 2021, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. California has the highest percentage (29%) of Medicaid recipients in the country who go there for health care. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. California was supposed to be a haven for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Shortly after the decision, Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the governors of Washington and Oregon to create what he called 'the West Coast offensive. A road map for other states to stand up for women.' A diverse coalition of abortion rights advocates formed the California Future of Abortion Council. It proposed more than 50 recommendations for policymakers to improve abortion access in the state. In the year after the decision, Newsom and the Democratic-controlled Legislature created more than a dozen new laws and invested more than $200 million to increase access across the state. In November 2022, 67% of California voters supported a ballot measure enshrining abortion rights in the state Constitution. Newsom spent $100,000 from his campaign coffers to plant billboards in seven states with some of the nation's most restrictive laws: 'Need an abortion?' reads one billboard. 'California is here to help.' 'What you do in California sets the standard for everyone else,' Mini Timmaraju, national president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said at a 2022 fundraiser for Proposition 1 in San Francisco that Hillary Clinton attended. 'I want to take that package of legislation and this proposition and see it copied nationwide.' Ultimately, all those California laws and all that state funding weren't enough to keep the Mar Monte clinics open. They never could be as long as there isn't the national right to an abortion that Roe provided and as long as women's health clinics are reliant on federal funds to remain open. Planned Parenthood estimates that 200 clinics nationwide could close. To meet this reality, California needs a new 'West Coast offensive.' It needs to draw up a new 'road map for other states to stand up for women.' It would be best if clinics were funded privately, insulating them from partisan federal cuts. But that is harder now. California is the state with the most millionaires and billionaires. Now is the time for wealthy individuals and foundations to stand up and backfill these losses so clinics can continue to provide access to women's health care. But will those individuals step forward? Or will they be cowed like the wealthy law firms and Ivy League universities that have bowed to Trump's intimidation? Even if they do step up, is there enough private money in California to keep federally funded women's health clinics open until Democrats regain control of at least one lever of power in Washington and can curb his fascistic policies? That possibility looks bleak. For starters, it would probably require hundreds of millions of dollars, said Shannon Olivieri Hovis, former NARAL Pro-Choice California director who is now vice president of public affairs at Essential Access Health. 'I think the honest answer is, we don't know yet. We're talking about a huge hole.' Theresa Cheng, a professor of emergency medicine at UCSF and a member of the school's Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, said it will be difficult for the private sector to patch up all the new holes punctured in the social safety net by the Trump administration. 'That's going to be really difficult because the Trump administration has cut so broadly in so many social systems,' said Cheng, who is in touch with private donors through her work with several nonprofit organizations. 'Food insecurity. Homelessness. Immigration. There are a lot of needs out there now.' Relying on private donations isn't going to help clinics across California's chasm of wealth inequality, Ziegler said. 'If you're depending partly on individual donors, that's going to look very different in Beverly Hills or Marin County than it is in Gilroy or other areas where there are few people to give private donations,' Ziegler said. Until political change happens in Washington, Cheng urged Californians to 'stay stalwart in protecting reproductive health. So much of this will have to be settled out in the courts. That will at least buy us some more time.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
"He kept on playing because he's almost superhuman" - Paul Westphal said doctors were stunned Dan Majerle kept playing through brutal injuries
"He kept on playing because he's almost superhuman" - Paul Westphal said doctors were stunned Dan Majerle kept playing through brutal injuries originally appeared on Basketball Network. In today's NBA, it has almost become routine for players to sit out multiple games, even for minor injuries, in order to fully recover and protect their long-term health, but it's a total opposite of what guys like Dan Majerle used to do. While there is nothing wrong with that thinking, old-school basketball fans do not appreciate it one bit. That is largely because, back in the 1990s, players had an unrelenting drive to be on the court. One of the players to embody that mentality was Majerle, whose commitment to staying available on the court stunned head coach Paul Westphal. In fact, Westphal even admitted that team doctors were left baffled when they realized Majerle was playing on the court after looking at his medical reports. Majerle never took days off At one point during the 1990s, Majerle played in 326 of a possible 328 regular-season games for the Suns, which is undoubtedly an incredible testament to his commitment. Thus, during Westphal's stint as the head coach, he saw Dan leave everything out on the court, night in and night out, on both ends of the court. Moreover, when stars like Kevin Johnson struggled with injuries, it was Majerle's commitment to stay out that made sure that the team camaraderie wasn't hampered. To illustrate just how durable Majerle was, Westphal shared how team doctors looked at the three-time All-Star's medical reports in complete disbelief. They repeatedly questioned how it was even humanly possible for someone to keep playing with such relentless energy when their physical conditioning was so fragile that any major contact could've been disastrous. "Dan was really, physically, having a lot of issues," Westphal admitted with a shocked look on his face. "Now he kept playing because he's Dan Majerle, he's almost superhuman. But you know the doctors looked at his X-rays and go, 'How's this guy even playing? How much longer can he last?'"West doubled down on the notion Mark West, who spent eight seasons with the Suns and played alongside several big-name stars during that phase, also acknowledged that no one gave more to the team than Majerle. That's exactly why he became a fan favorite in Phoenix — because no matter how ill or injured he was, he showed up and left it all on the floor. "You see him walking something and like his knees hurt, his ankle hurt, whatever, he has some issues, but when he got on the court, all that didn't matter," West said. "He's coming at you." Safe to say that this all just goes to show that while MVPs and All-NBA honors are impressive, what fans truly remember and appreciate are the players who give their heart and soul to the team, even when they know that might be bad for their own well-being. Who knows, maybe for the Suns to revive their position in the Western Conference in the 2025-26 season, they do not need another All-NBA talent next to Devin Booker, but only another version of Majerle. However, it's almost impossible to find him due to all the load management we've seen over the last decade or story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
TikTokers are obsessed with ‘fibermaxxing'. Here's what the experts say
Break out the chia pudding! The social media trend known as 'fibermaxxing' wants you to add more fiber to your daily diet. TikTok users tout the health benefits of including simple foods packed with the carbohydrate, including the relieving effects in the bathroom. Some TikTokers point to the recent rise in rates of colon cancer in young people, and note that eating fiber can help reduce the risk. To 'fibermaxx,' they're eating more chia seeds in their yogurt bowls, making meals with more beans, and taking supplements. While nutritionists are largely supportive of the trend, they have a few caveats. 'More isn't always better,' Mascha Davis, a registered dietician nutritionist and the owner of Nomadista Nutrition, told Health this week. 'Many people don't get enough fiber, but it's just important to be thoughtful about how you're doing it so that it's not too much too fast,' Kate Mintz, a registered dietitian at U.C.L.A. Health, also recently told The New York Times. Fiber is often used to fight constipation, helping stools to pass easier. 'Even if you suffer from constipation, increasing fiber all at once could make the situation worse before you get cleared out,' Jennifer House, a dietitian and founder of First Step Nutrition, also explained to Health. Getting too much fiber could lead to a bloated and uncomfortable experience, according to the Mayo Clinic. People need to be careful and methodical, and talking to a physician can help to determine what's a right amount, on a case by case basis. What's more, when people with autoimmune conditions such as Crohn's disease see symptoms flare up, they may need to eat less fiber to help manage symptoms. After stomach or intestinal surgery, doctors may also instruct you to keep a lower fiber diet that lets your digestive system heal. Before a colonoscopy the advice may be similar, helping to clear out the large intestine to ensure a successful procedure. But in general, Americans aren't getting enough fiber - more than 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men do not meet the recommended daily intakes. Total dietary fiber intake should be 25 to 30 grams a day from food, and not supplements, according to UCSF Health. Currently, dietary fiber intakes among American adults average about only 15 grams a day. Fiber is good for your gut, heart, and brain, and may also slash the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The Mayo Clinic recommends adding fiber to the diet slowly over a few weeks, letting the natural bacteria in your digestive system adjust to the change. Staying hydrated is also crucial and fiber works best when it absorbs water. So, what can you eat to fiber to the max? The next time you're at the grocery store, pick up some popcorn, beans, cereal, apples, oranges, peas, cauliflower, or carrots. Raspberries are a particularly fiber-rich fruit, packed with eight grams. "If you're going to have a cookie, have an oatmeal cookie," Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, told the American Heart Association. "It doesn't take large amounts of fiber to have a real effect.'
