Finding Joy Through Cancer
- John Daly isn’t competing at The Masters, but he’s partying at the local Hooters with friends and fans alike.
- Daly was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2020 and seems to be doing well tthese days after treatment.
- Smokers are three times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than non-smokers.
- Blood in the urine, or hematuria, is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, but there are other signs of the disease including waking up to urinate many times throughout a night.
- One of our expert’s advice regarding disease prevention and early detection is simple: “Hydrate well, don’t smoke, and make sure that you get in to see your physician if you have symptoms that concern you.”
Daly, known as “Wild Thing” or “Long John” for his driving distance off the tee, hasn’t played in The Masters Tournament since 2006. But he still finds time to stop by to enjoy the festivities, colorful outfits and patterned pants surely in tow.
Read MoreNo tickets to @TheMasters
— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) March 31, 2023
Come pay me a visit—plenty of wings/drinks @Hooters and lots of Merch to take home! 👊🏼 See y’all in Augusta ….all week!! pic.twitter.com/gg02xDx4nR
“No tickets to @TheMasters,” he wrote. “Come pay me a visit—plenty of wings/drinks @Hooters and lots of Merch to take home! See y’all in Augusta ….all week!!”
You might not agree with all of his lifestyle choices, but it’s hard to deny his refusal to let cancer dampen his spirit.
John Daly’s Cancer Journey
Prior to discovering he had bladder cancer in 2020, Daly was suffering with kidney stones and back pains. A resulting trip to the doctor for those issues led to his diagnosis.
“The doctors were pretty cool about how they explained it,” he said. “They told me I had bladder cancer but it was one I could beat. I’ll have to change some things in life, but I can beat it.”
For treatment, he underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy. He was reportedly told there was about an 85% chance his cancer would return, but Daly has done a great job focusing on the positives.
“The good news is it wasn’t in the kidneys and it wasn’t in the liver,” Daly said in 2020. “A lot of people have had it and a lot of them have made it. … I only smoked six cigarettes today. Normally I’d smoke about a pack and a half. I’m trying to slow everything down.”
What Are The Surgical Options To Treat Bladder Cancer?
There hasn’t been an update on his cancer status very recently, but a March 2022 interview revealed that things were looking up. He also shared some information about ongoing appointments.
“I go back in May and I’ve got to do once every six months now instead of three, but I’ve still got to do it for five years. Some days I feel like Superman, some days I feel like Jimmy Hoffa 6 feet under,” he said.
More Bladder Cancer Stories
- Bladder Cancer & Still Hitting Hole In Ones: John Daly Gets 11th Ace While Barefoot
- After Almost Dying of Bladder Cancer and Spending 34 Years as a Psychiatrist, British Man Becomes an Actor at 63: ‘I Feel Most Real On Stage’
- An English Woman Was Misdiagnosed with a UTI – Doctors Eventually Discovered Her Bladder Cancer; Know the Signs of this Disease
Understanding Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the fourth-most common cancer among men, but women can develop the disease too. It’s not talked about as much as other cancers, but people should be aware of the disease as well as knowledgeable about risk factors and potential symptoms.
“Bladder cancer is one of those cancers that you don’t hear about too often, which has always been surprising to me because it is the fifth most common cancer that we see in the American population,” Dr. Jay Shah, the cancer care program leader for urologic oncology at the Stanford Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. [It’s worth noting that the National Cancer Institute puts it as the sixth most common type of cancer in the U.S.]
What Are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?
There are many factors to consider regarding your risk of developing this disease including the following:
- Smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than non-smokers.
- Chemical exposure. Some chemicals used in dyes, rubber, leather, printing material, textiles and paint products have been linked to risk of this disease.
- Hydration. Drinking a lot of fluids each day is associated with lower bladder cancer risks. This is partly due to the fact that people who stay well hydrated empty their bladders more often.
- Race. Caucasians are twice as likely to develop this cancer.
- Age. The risk of this disease increases as you age.
- Sex. Men are diagnosed more often than women.
- Personal history. Your risk increases if you or anyone in your family has had bladder cancer.
Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
One good thing about bladder cancer is that it can often be detected early because hematuria, the first main sign of the disease, is hard to look. This is great because bladder cancer is highly treatable when detected early.
“That is far and away the most common presenting symptom,” Dr. Balar previously told SurvivorNet.
Hematuria is blood in the urine. This blood can change the urine’s color to orange, pink and, in some extreme cases, dark red. Hematuria is usually the first sign of bladder cancer, but it can also occur with other health issues too, so it’s important to know that experiencing hematuria does not necessarily mean you have cancer. Still, you should always bring it up with your doctors so it can be investigated properly.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?
When bladder cancer is in the early stages, hematuria is usually painless. It can also be brief and irregular leading some people to ignore the symptom altogether. Small amounts of blood in the urine might not even change the urine’s color too noticeably, so the moral of the story is to always be vigilant about your health and promptly address changes to your health when they occur.
Can Urinary Tract Infections Cause Bladder Cancer? The Answer Is Mostly No.
Other symptoms of bladder cancer can resemble that of a urinary tract infection. According to Dr. Balar, some patients might find out they have bladder cancer after “many courses of antibiotics to treat what was thought to be a urinary tract infection that simply did not get better.”
In addition to hematuria, other possible symptoms of bladder cancer can include:
- Needing to urinate more frequently than you typically would
- Feeling like you need to urinate urgently even when your bladder isn’t full
- Waking up to urinate many times throughout a night (as we’ve mentioned before)
- Having a trouble urinating because of pain or a burning sensation
- Frequent urination, urgent urination, and uncomfortable urination are all symptoms of bladder cancer.
More advanced cases of bladder cancer can present with symptoms like:
- Inability to urinate
- Pain on one side of the lower back and pelvis
- Loss of appetite
- Unintended weight loss
- Fatigue or weakness
- Bone pain
- Swollen feet
Overall, Dr. Balar’s advice regarding disease prevention and early detection is simple: “Hydrate well, don’t smoke, and make sure that you get in to see your physician if you have symptoms that concern you.”
RELATED: Should High Risk Individuals Be Screened For Bladder Cancer?
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