The basketball legend talks candidly in regards to the lengthy street to his atrial fibrillation prognosis — the signs he dismissed and the denial that just about killed him.
“I went to a baseball recreation.”
That’s how NBA Corridor of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 76, discovered he had atrial fibrillation (AFib). Two years in the past he attended a Los Angeles Dodgers recreation, and “each time I attempted to maneuver from one place to a different, I’d get further tingly fatigue and out of breath. And I did not perceive it.”
This wasn’t the primary time. Abdul-Jabbar had been coping with related signs for some time and downplayed them as a result of they’d been delicate and got here and went. However now he admits they’d been getting worse over time and the ballgame was the worst but.
His enterprise supervisor was with him and insisted Abdul-Jabbar go to the hospital. He refused, in fact – this was only a passing factor. He lastly relented, nevertheless, and as soon as on the hospital he obtained a fast prognosis: AFib.
In an interview with WebMD CEO Bob Brisco, Abdul-Jabbar mentioned, “We won’t defeat one thing if we won’t even acknowledge that it exists. The denial side of it’s a killer. It is no large deal, it is going to go away, after which it does not go away. You are the one that may go away.”
Video Transcript
This transcript has been edited for readability.
Bob Brisco: It is our privilege to have as our visitor this morning Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You could know him as an athlete. He is additionally an writer, a screenwriter and activist, and a well being advocate.
Kareem, we’ve you with us at present to speak about atrial fibrillation (AFib). Why are we speaking to you about AFib?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Nicely, I am somebody who has needed to cope with AFib. Only a couple years in the past, I used to be coping with it and it was not enjoyable, particularly as a result of I did not know what was occurring to me.
Brisco: Can you are taking us via that? How did you uncover that you’ve it?
Abdul-Jabbar: I began to note that I used to be having shortness of breath, and at varied occasions, I felt lightheaded and drained although I hadn’t been doing something. I went to a baseball recreation. I received to the Dodgers recreation. And each time I attempted to do one thing, to maneuver from one place to a different, I received further tingly fatigue and out of breath. I did not perceive it. My enterprise supervisor noticed what I used to be coping with and instructed me I used to be going to the hospital and I used to be like, No, I do not wish to do this.
