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Scott Hamilton, 65, received America’s hearts when he introduced residence the gold medal within the males’s class on the 1984 Winter Olympics. The epic win ended a 24-year gold medal drought for the U.S. in males’s determine skating and put the expert and energetic athlete into a giant highlight. He went on to win many extra spectacular titles and finally turned skilled, performing to determine skating followers everywhere in the world in his profitable self-created tour, Stars on Ice, for 15 years earlier than retiring in 2001.
Before his skating profession took off, Scott, who was adopted at six weeks previous, battled a mysterious childhood sickness that was misdiagnosed a number of instances. When he began skating, his well being improved, and it was later decided that the sickness was attributable to a congenital mind tumor. Scott, who is thought for his charismatic and humorous skating packages, confronted well being points once more in 1997, when he was recognized with testicular most cancers. After getting handled via surgical procedure and chemotherapy, his well being was within the clear till 2004, when he was then recognized with a benign mind tumor. He had to undergo a sequence of surgical procedures to deal with each the tumor and problems that got here together with it. After a profitable consequence, he came upon he was battling a mind tumor as soon as once more in 2016.
Find out extra about Scott’s well being battles and the place he’s at in the present day under.
Scott Hamilton Diagnosed With a Brain Tumor
Scott was first recognized with a benign mind tumor in November 2004. He was handled on the Cleveland Clinic and was recognized with one other mind tumor in 2010. During surgical procedure for the second mind tumor, a complication prompted an aneurism and he had to have surgical procedure for that. Both had been profitable, however in 2016, Scott was recognized with a 3rd mind tumor. Scott, who is thought for his lighthearted and compassionate persona, talked to PEOPLE in regards to the third analysis that very same yr.
“I’ve a novel passion of gathering life-threatening sickness,” he advised the outlet. “It’s six years later, and it determined that it wished an encore.”
“The first mind tumor knocked me down,” Scott additionally advised Coping Magazine in 2018. “The second mind tumor, issues didn’t appear proper, and I assume that was a premonition. The surgical procedure to take away the tumor had a complication that created an aneurism. After the obliteration of the aneurism, I went again to life extra diminished than my earlier two well being adventures. When the third one was discovered, I used to be rather more in management. I had survived two earlier ones and most cancers, so I approached this journey with calmness and a greater understanding of the method.”
Scott determined to not have surgical procedure for the third mind tumor, regardless that it was given to him as an choice. It proved to be a smart move because the tumor shrunk. Just earlier than COVID-19, nonetheless, it grew once more. “All I felt was simply, don’t fear about this. Just go residence and get sturdy,” he advised PEOPLE in February 2024. “They go, ‘Well, what would you like to do?’ And I stated, ‘I feel I’m going to go residence and get sturdy. I used to be simply answering my spirit.”
What is a Brain Tumor?
A mind tumor is “a progress of cells within the mind or close to it,” in accordance to the Mayo Clinic. “Brain tumors can occur within the mind tissue. Brain tumors can also occur close to the mind tissue. Nearby places embody nerves, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, and the membranes that cowl the floor of the mind.”
Many various kinds of mind tumors can exist, the Mayo Clinic additionally says. “Some mind tumors aren’t cancerous. These are known as noncancerous mind tumors or benign mind tumors,” the clinic states. “Noncancerous mind tumors might develop over time and press on the mind tissue. Other mind tumors are mind cancers, additionally known as malignant mind tumors. Brain cancers might develop shortly. The most cancers cells can invade and destroy the mind tissue.”
Brain tumors can vary in dimension and relying on the place they’re within the mind, it could actually trigger signs immediately or take a very long time and develop very massive earlier than any signs are detected. Some signs can embody complications, nausea or vomiting, eye issues, similar to blurry imaginative and prescient or lack of imaginative and prescient, dropping feeling in an arm or leg, lack of steadiness, reminiscence issues, dizziness, feeling very hungry and gaining weight, and extra.
Brain tumors develop when cells in or close to the mind get adjustments of their DNA. The adjustments inform the cells to develop shortly and proceed to reside when wholesome cells die as a part of the pure life cycle. The additional cells could cause a progress known as a tumor. It’s unclear what causes this to occur, however some mind tumors will be hereditary whereas others will be linked publicity to excessive radiation. They may occur at any age, together with to kids, however most frequently occur in older adults.
How Long Has Scott Hamilton Had a Brain Tumor?
Scott was recognized along with his first mind tumor in 2004 and a second in 2010. His third was recognized in 2016 and remains to be there. He opted not to have surgical procedure and has intently monitored the tumor with common physician’s visits.
How is Scott Hamilton Doing Today?
In 2024, Scott revealed the third mind tumor has had its adjustments since he opted not to have the surgical procedure in 2016. “It’s been outstanding,” he advised PEOPLE. “I went again to the scan three months later and so they stated, it hasn’t grown. I’m going again three months later and so they go, it shrank 45%. I stated to my surgeon, ‘Can you clarify this?’ And he stated, ‘God.’ I went again in, and it shrunk 25% once more.”
The subsequent time he had it checked, there was a special outcome. “It had grown,” he stated. “And then COVID hit and going into any type of hospital scenario was nearly inconceivable. So in my spirit, in my inside being, I noticed, I’m completely at peace with not even taking a look at it once more until I turn into symptomatic.”
The legendary skater additionally stated he’s contemplating therapies that will assist him keep away from having to have surgical procedure once more. “The ace I’ve up my sleeve is that now there’s a focused radiation remedy that can shrink the tumor,” he defined. “And in that, I can keep away from lots of different issues like surgical procedure and chemo. So I don’t know, I’m principally making an attempt to be within the second and taking all the data and do the correct factor when the time comes.”
Throughout his well being struggles, Scott began the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which has helped fund most cancers analysis that has saved many lives. He married Tracie Robinson in 2002 and so they share three sons and a daughter. He additionally continues to work behind the scenes for Stars on Ice, and typically seems on the ice for particular exhibits.
“I’m blessed past my wildest creativeness,” he advised PEOPLE in February 2024, whereas celebrating the fortieth anniversary of his Olympic gold medal win. “I by no means would’ve thought to dream any of the issues which have occurred to me. I by no means would’ve thought to dream that someday I might discovered a most cancers group that’s really going to have influence and save lives. I by no means would’ve thought to dream that an Olympic gold medal expertise would’ve allowed me to give a lot again to my sport and assist create a platform to give careers to so most of the best skaters within the historical past of the game.”
“And to have my kids and simply how wonderful they’re, and my spouse and the way wonderful she is? I by no means would’ve thought to dream any of it,” he added.
