A former professional basketball player has revealed the bizarre early symptom he experienced that led to his stage four cancer diagnosis – excessive sweating after a workout.
Will Wise, 30, had kept his body in tip-top shape over the years, having played professionally for seven years, and continuing to keep his fitness levels up ever since.
But one morning, in November 2022, he went to the gym before work and found that on his commute on the tube, he was “sweating profusely”, before a headache set in.
The young man dismissed the concerns initially, thinking he had overdone it during his workout – but the truth was far more sinister.
Arriving at work, he started to vomit blood and was rushed to hospital, where tests found his organs were failing dramatically, and a scan found the root cause – an 8cm tumour on his left adrenal gland, as well as lumps in his throat and lesions on his liver.
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Further tests confirmed the worst, and Will was diagnosed with two types of cancer – stage 4 thyroid cancer and a separate cancerous tumour in his adrenal gland.
“It was a shock and scary, especially at such a young age when you’re feeling invincible,” Will, originally from Philadelphia, US, but now living in London, told What’sTheJam.com.
“In the actual moment of the diagnosis, I went numb for a few moments, it was like the world just stopped.
“My health prior to this was very good.
“I never had anything majorly wrong, ever.
“Even up until the actual day that I got sick, I didn’t have any symptoms at all.”
The symptoms had started innocently enough, while he was travelling to his job as a recruitment consultant in London on 28 November 2022.
Will said of that morning: “I got up in the morning and I went to the gym, then I went for a run, and then I showered, and made my way to work.
“I’m about 6’9″ and I’m a former professional basketball player…[so] me getting up, doing runs, going to the gym, it’s very normal – it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
“After my run, I go and get on the tube, and I begin sweating profusely.
“I think nothing of it in the sense that, OK, you just worked out, it’s nothing. It’s fine, it’s normal.’ – then I start becoming out of breath and I can’t catch my breath.
“I sit down on the tube, and I start to get a pulsing headache that I can’t stop.
“I sometimes get headaches and I just think it’s because of my regimen of working out and sometimes pushing it too hard.
“When I get them, I normally just chill, take a moment, breathe and I can calm myself down – but this time I couldn’t.
“I managed to make my way to work, and before getting on the elevator I sat in the stairwell just to try to calm myself because my top shirt was completely soaked in sweat.”
Colleagues came to help Will, who shortly afterwards started vomiting blood, and he was rushed to hospital.
There, he was given terrifying news.
He said: “They quickly rushed me in the back and told me that all my organs were failing.
“My heart was operating under 10%, my lungs had failed, my kidneys had failed, and it was looking dire.
“It was such a whirlwind because I literally never get sick, and I’m always in the best shape so it was mind-blowing.
“It went from 0 to 100.
“When they finally got me under control, and I came back to somewhat normality, they diagnosed me with a pheochromocytoma [tumour of the adrenal gland], which produces an abnormal amount of adrenaline.”
Further tests revealed lumps in his throat and lesions on the liver, and in January 2023 Will was diagnosed with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), a hereditary condition associated with types of tumour, and medullary thyroid cancer.
Over the next few months, Will had surgeries to remove the adrenal gland tumour and another one to remove his thyroid, parathyroid and 65 lymph nodes.
A biopsy from the adrenal gland revealed that the tumour there was cancerous too – meaning he was battling two types of cancer simultaneously.
Next, doctors will be focusing on his liver before they can make a plan for future treatment, such as chemotherapy.
Despite the huge strain on his health, Will has been determined to maintain a positive outlook.
He said: “There is a moment when you are ‘like what do I do now?’
“Understanding that in reality life goes on, even with scary words like ‘cancer’ and ‘stage 4’, you realise that you have to keep moving.
“Although it is difficult, I try to stay positive and upbeat.”
Will has also been documenting his journey and kickstarted the ‘CancerBae’ movement, where he aims to connect with and support other people living with cancer.
He added: “The experience has taught me to make the most of life.
“It’s a sad truth that we often take things for granted and don’t realise how precious life is until we experience something like this – but it’s a lesson that we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
“I now more than ever understand that nothing is promised, and life is short.
“It’s important to cherish every moment and make the most of the time we have.
“I’ve learned to say yes to new experiences, to take risks, and to step out of my comfort zone.
“I’ve also learned to appreciate the small things in life and to 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.”
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