An ex-professional basketball player has told of his shock when he was diagnosed with stage four cancer, which started with flu-like symptoms.
Will Wise, 30, originally from Philadelphia, USA, but now living in London, had played professional basketball for seven years before moving to Britain and felt ‘invincible’ as he kept up his fitness.
But as he was commuting from the gym to work one morning, the recruitment consultant started ‘heavy sweating’ on the tube. Then a headache developed.
He initially dismissed his symptoms, believing he had simply overdone it during a workout – but the truth was far more sinister.
After arriving at work, he began vomiting blood and was rushed to hospital, where tests revealed he had stage four thyroid cancer and a separate cancerous growth in his adrenal gland.
Before that November morning, Mr Wise claimed he had never had anything ‘seriously wrong’ and had no symptoms of cancer.
Will Wise, 30, originally from Philadelphia, US but now living in London, had kept fit playing professional basketball for seven years and has maintained his fitness since, until ‘shock’ cancer diagnosis in 2022
Doctors diagnosed Mr Wise with a pheochromocytoma – a tumor in the adrenal gland – which produces an abnormal amount of adrenaline
Mr Wise had gone to the gym and then gone for a run on November 28, 2022, before showering and going to work.
“I’m about 6ft tall and I’m a former professional basketball player… (so) I get up, I run, I go to the gym, it’s very normal – it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Mr Wise said.
But this time he started sweating profusely after his workout.
Although he initially thought nothing of it and convinced himself it was ‘normal’, he soon began to feel out of breath and developed a throbbing headache.
Recalling the incident, he said: ‘I just think it comes down to my training regime, and pushing too hard sometimes.
‘Normally when I get a headache I just relax, take a moment, breathe and calm myself down, but this time I couldn’t.’
He managed to get to work and sat in the stairwell hoping his symptoms would subside before heading to the office.
At this point, his shirt was completely soaked in sweat.
Colleagues came to help Mr Wise, who shortly afterwards began vomiting blood and was rushed to hospital.
There he received the news that his organs were failing.
He said: ‘It was such a whirlwind because I literally never get sick and I’m always in the best shape, so it was breathtaking. It went from zero to 100.”
Doctors diagnosed him with pheochromocytoma – a rare tumor of the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys.
Although nine out of ten cases do not have cancer, test results a few months later revealed that Mr Wise had a malignant version.
Symptoms are unpredictable but usually occur in sudden attacks that can cause headaches, heavy sweating, vomiting and palpitations. In extreme cases they can last up to an hour.
He was also diagnosed in January 2023 with stage four medullary thyroid cancer due to a rare condition he never knew he had. The tumor is located in the neck, which can make it difficult to swallow and breathe.
Over the next few months, Mr. Wise underwent operations to remove tumors in his adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as 65 lymph nodes.
Doctors will then address the lumps in his liver before planning further treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Recalling his first diagnosis, Mr Wise said: ‘It was a shock and scary, especially at such a young age when you feel invincible.
‘The moment I was diagnosed I was numb for a few moments, it was like the world just stood still.’
Despite this enormous strain on his health, Mr Wise has maintained a positive outlook and documented his cancer journey on social media.
He said, “There’s a moment when you think, ‘What do I do now?’
To change the stigma around cancer in Britain, Mr Wise has launched the ‘CancerBae’ movement, which aims to connect with and support other people living with cancer. He has also maintained a positive outlook and documented his cancer journey on social media
‘When you understand that in reality life goes on, even with scary words like ‘cancer’ and ‘stage four’, you realize that you have to keep moving.
‘Although it is difficult, I try to stay positive and optimistic.’
To challenge the stigma surrounding cancer, he started the ‘CancerBae’ movement, through which he aims to connect with and support other people living with cancer.
Mr. Wise has one GoFundMe page with the aim of raising £15,000 to launch ‘CancerBae’ as a charity and create a community for people living with cancer and rare genetic diseases. So far €2,000 has been raised.
He said his diagnoses taught him to “make the most of life” because “nothing is promised” and “life is short.”
Mr Wise said: ‘It’s a sad truth that we often take things for granted and don’t realize how precious life is until we experience something like this – but it’s a lesson we will carry with us for the rest of our lives . ‘
He added: “I have learned to say yes to new experiences, take risks and step out of our comfort zone.
‘I have also learned to appreciate the little things in life and find joy in everyday moments.
‘This experience has taught me to live life to the fullest.
“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I can make the most of today.”