Dana White: I want the surgery
Posted on May 28, 2012, 07:33 PM by Mike Searson
Earlier this month, UFC President, Dana White missed his first UFC event in the 11 years he has been at the helm of the organization. White watched UFC on FUEL TV 3 from home because he was scheduled to undergo a surgical procedure the next day, which would have involved cutting his vestibular nerve to treat symptoms of Meniere's Disease.
At the last minute, the doctors decided to treat it without surgery. Now, White claims that he wants to have the surgery to combat the disease and put it behind him, once and for all.
White told MMAWeekly: "I want the surgery. They don't want to give me the surgery, but I want the surgery."
Although this surgical procedure has no 100% guarantee, White is set on having it after experiencing a recent series of debilitating symptoms from the disease. White was quoted as saying: "I didn't miss a fight for 11 years. I've had the flu, I've had food poisoning. I've had everything. I've never experienced anything like that in my life, and I don't want ever want that to happen to me again."
An attack of Meniere's disease can cause a sudden loss of balance, vertigo, decrease in hearing, dizziness, nausea and severe sweating. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but it is believed to be related to an increase in fluid pressure of the inner ear, which seves as the body's equilibrium center. Up to 100,000 people are affected by the disease.
Treatments include lifestyle changes, antibiotics and herbal remedies. If surgery is required, a portion of the inner-ear apparatus may be removed, which helps with the dizziness but causes complete hearing loss in that ear. On occasion an antibiotic can be placed directly into middle ear to relieve the symptoms.
According to White, physical therapy will follow the surgery and he will need to recover his basic motor skills like walking and retraining spatial awareness. Ever the fighter, White said: "They said you go in and start working with a therapist, and in like a month, you can start getting your stuff back together. So I'll do it in two weeks. I don't have a month."
Keeping an optimistic attitude like that should bode well for White and his success in combating the disease.
Comments
Hope he undergoes the surgery successfully.
”Treatments include lifestyle changes.” Yeah that's not an option for Dana.
"Loss of balance, vertigo, dizziness and nausea?" No officer, I'm not drunk in public, I have Menier's disease. I'm really sensitive about it so step off homie.
That's crazy that Ross Pearson, Jon Jones and Dana all have the same disease......
Seriously? There are fighters with that? I'm surprised the athletic commission allows them to fight considering the symptoms.
Hope it goes well. I can't imagine wanting a surgery that will cause deafness. It must be hell to make him want that.
Sometimes the cure can be worse, talk to most people who have gone through something like chemo.
lol Chemo isnt a cure. Its actually a dumb as idea the doctors call a remedy!! Shooting radiation into your body is not the safest thing to do!!
Unfortunately people with cancer don;t have a choice, doctors are giving them the best healthcare available, its rough, but many people can survive and continue a normal life after radiation.
radiation and chemo are two different things
Chemo is definitely not a cure but a prolonged money maker. And there are other cures out there that actually work but without money to be made on them they're repressed so you have to find them on your own. Standard doctors and bought and owned by big pharma.
With such a busy lifestyle it is not surprising that Dana's symptoms are aggravated.
He lives a lifestyle across many time zones with increased adrenaline flooding through his body from watching all the fights, and also the high cortisol in his body from all the stress from fighters messing up with arrests and injuries.
Surgery should be a last resort. Once you cut with the knife thats it, there is no return. I would rather see Dana at half the events and be healthy rather than draining himself.
But at the end of the day, if this is what makes him happy, maybe it is the best medicine having him attend all the fights.
I pray Dana doesn't have to leave the podium as the face of the UFC. When i think UFC, i think Dana White. Love him or hate him, he's done sooo much for the sport and always speaks his mind. Get better, come back and finish what you started by giving the entire world a taste of the greatest sport in the world!
let this man have his surgery for christs sake!
I'm curious if this could be a product of Dana constantly flying. All that change of air pressure probably isn't helping.
Hope this gets sorted out and he gets back to perfect health.
He deserves respect "I'll do it in two weeks. I don't have a month."