Battle of the giants. Antonio Silva vs Nikolai Valuev
A 43-year-old boxer who competed in the heavy weight category, Nikolai Valuev, opened up on the talk show “About Love” on Channel One and spoke about the brain tumor, because of which he left big sport.
“It's genetics. No one can be insured,” Nikolay shared. “But it could end badly.” I was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor, which is actually small. The operation had to be done 2 times: I went to Germany, but the operation was not completed there. It cost a lot of money, but in the end it was poorly done. I was about to calm down then, but doctors in Russia, in the 40th clinic, in St. Petersburg, found this story - doctors call this disease acromegaly. I was forced to give up boxing because of her. Then I already had two children, and I decided that there was no need to take any further risks.”
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Since 2013, since the boxer left the ring, he has been fighting a tumor and has already undergone two craniotomies. All this time he was supported by his wife Galina and three children. The couple has a daughter and two sons - Irina, Grigory and Sergei.
Nikolai Valuev is a world-famous former world boxing champion, deputy of the Russian State Duma and public figure. He acts in films, performs on television and is an example for many of his fans. In boxing history, he is remembered as the heaviest and tallest fighter. According to the World Boxing Association, Valuev became the first Russian to win the title of world super heavyweight champion.
Gigantism or as it is also called, this disease is macrosomia, characterized by pathological tall stature, which is expressed in excessive secretion of growth hormone. By the way, it’s no secret that one of the most pronounced examples of gigantism is the famous Russian boxer Valuev.
Manifestations of gigantism are observed in children at a very early age, and by the period of the final formation of the body, a person’s height can be more than two meters. Also, one of the features of gigantism is that patients with macrosomia in most cases have a disproportionate body structure. Also, do not forget about certain complications associated with the psychological and physical condition of the patient.
Causes of gigantism
The risk group for this disease includes children who have not yet completed the process of bone formation in the body. But as statistics show, the male population aged nine to thirteen years is most often susceptible to gigantism. An interesting fact is that the parents of such children almost always lack any signs of gigantism.
Experts have also proven that an increase in growth hormone is observed with various damage to the pituitary gland (trauma, tumors, intoxication).
Symptoms
Gigantism is characterized by:
Rapid growth of limbs.
Thickening, which can be clearly expressed in the area of the frontal bone or lower jaw.
Bite problems.
Problem skin. (Increased sweating, papillomas, folds on the skin).
Thick joints, which can cause mobility problems in the future.
Problems with potency in men and cycle disorders in women.
Also, given the deformation of the body, a patient with gigantism may have complaints about:
Constant pain in the eye or eyebrow area.
Visual impairment.
General weakness.
Frequent headaches.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Diagnosis of the disease
If you suspect gigantism, the initial diagnosis in any clinic will be aimed only at a visual examination of the patient. Further, to confirm the presence or, conversely, absence of this disease, various medical procedures are performed: fluoroscopy, laboratory tests...
The purpose of laboratory diagnostics is primarily to determine the amount of hormones in the human body that are responsible for growth.
X-ray examination and magnetic resonance imaging are used to exclude tumor formations in the pituitary gland. And ophthalmological diagnostics are necessary to identify congestion that may appear in the fundus.
Treatment
As medical practice shows, the earlier the cause is detected, the more effective the prescribed treatment will be. This axiom also applies to this disease. So, for example, in the early stages of the disease, conventional drug treatment, which consists of taking somatostatin or its analogues, will be sufficient. But in more advanced cases, both radiation and hormonal therapy, and surgery may be required.
Important! Do not take under any circumstances medicines on one's own. Only qualified and only after an appropriate examination can give the go-ahead to use the prescribed medications. Also, do not forget that the necessary examinations can be performed at home by filling out .
Nikolai Valuev openly spoke about the brain tumor that he was diagnosed with in 2013. The boxer had to turn to Russian doctors for help after German specialists made a mistake. Previously, the athlete tried to keep this story a secret.
Nikolai underwent two brain surgeries. The first one was in Germany to remove the tumor. The second is in Russia, to correct the mistakes of European doctors. Throughout this difficult period in Valuev’s life, his wife Galina supported him. “She is the person in whom you can be 100 percent confident,” said the loving husband.
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According to the athlete, his illness is genetic. “No one can be insured. I had a small tumor of the pituitary gland. The operation had to be done twice. I went to Germany, and they didn’t complete the operation, which cost a lot of money. I had already calmed down, but, thank God, they found this story in Russia. "In the end, it turned out that I have it and can have relapses. Doctors call it acromegaly," Nikolai said on the Channel One show "About Love."
Due to the tumor, the professional athlete was forced to retire from boxing. “Back then I already had two children, and I decided that there was no need to take further risks. The second time, everything was done in Almazovo, they cleaned up what the Germans had failed to do,” Valuev noted.
On the day of the operation, Nikolai decided to save his wife’s nerve cells and went to the surgeon without her. Galina stayed at home and found out about her husband’s condition by phone. “I had a terrible feeling,” recalls the boxer’s wife, not without a shudder.
When Nikolai had a second operation, his wife was even more worried. “At first there was wild anger at the Germans. Because for several years we lived in complete confidence that everything was good and wonderful with us. And when everything was revealed, there was great anger. I thought: “Why is this?” After all, they told one thing, but in the end everything turned out completely differently. But all’s well that ends well,” concluded Galina.
Among the famous modern athletes, it is not difficult to find several sports stars who are probably not deficient in growth hormone. Growth hormone is known to be released in excess in some diseases such as gigantism and acromegaly. It can also be introduced into the body by injection. It affects people differently. In childhood and adolescence, bone growth zones are open and growth hormone, which is in excess in the body, enhances the growth of bones in length.
With age, bone growth zones close and normally bones stop growing in length. If a person has any of the above diseases and growth hormone continues to be released, there may be abnormal growth of some bones in which the growth plates do not close. This is where people with big jaws, feet, fists and hands, ears and brow ridges come from. Almost the same thing happens when the hormone is administered by injection.
I doubt, of course, that the man known as the French Angel injected himself. On the contrary, he did not want to be what he became and was a very intelligent and educated person. But looks and physique took over and he may have become the founder of the modern sport known as wrestling. We are talking about a Frenchman of Russian origin, the French Angel Maurice Tillet. Naturally, he was a gifted fighter. But even more unusual was his appearance. Living man Shrek without makeup. All due to acromegaly and the associated excess growth hormone. Height: 173 cm; Weight: 120 kg.
Another athlete famous for beating Fedor Emelianenko. We are talking about the Brazilian Antonio Silva, nicknamed Bigfoot. Pay attention to his jaw. And the anthropometric data is impressive, height 193, weight 137 kg. Fedor looks like a teenager in comparison. There is hardly anything special about it other than its size. Other MMA fighters put out the light for him without any problems, it’s a pity that Fedor was less fortunate.
Now you see a photo of Hong Man Choi. This is no less famous personality among fans of mixed martial arts and K1. For a Korean, he also has very outstanding anthropometric data: height 218 cm, weight 161-166 kg. By the way, unlike Antonio Silva, he was much less lucky in the fight with Fedor Emelianenko. There are problems with hormones.
Take a look at our other athletes and try to find similarities in the features of their sweet and friendly faces. It is not difficult to conclude that it is much better to be strong and famous than to be a handsome, skinny dwarf. This does not mean that everyone should rush to get hormonal injections. They are not only expensive, but also have a bunch of contraindications and side effects. There is a chance to grow not only a huge nose, jaw, tongue, palms, but a cancerous tumor, and maybe... something else. And having such a disease is hardly healthy. A lot of these big guys have a bunch of health problems.
In the photographs are Nikolai Valuev, Hong Man Choi, Maurice Tilleux, Antonio Silva Bigfoot. I don’t know whether there is a photo of Nikolai Valuev here or not, but he definitely has some similarities with these athletes.
