Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian revealed that she recently underwent surgery to remove “suspicious nodules” on her thyroid that were likely to become cancerous.
The Reddit co-founder, 41, shared the news on Instagram this Thanksgiving, posting a photo from the hospital along with adorable snaps of his daughter Olympia, 7, and daughter Adira, 15 months, whom shares with the tennis superstar.
“After tracking down some suspicious nodules in my thyroid for the past 4 years, I recently had half of them surgically removed,” Ohanian explained.
“The nodules were growing and the latest biopsy showed that they were very likely to become cancerous. My mother had breast cancer around this age (41) and eventually passed away from brain cancer about a decade later. I hate cancer.’
He went on to express his gratitude and note that the surgery went smoothly.
‘I wasn’t going to take any risks. I’m so grateful this Thanksgiving because I got the call this morning confirming that the half of my thyroid that was removed was full of some gnarly nodules that would most likely turn cancerous.’
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian revealed that he recently underwent surgery to remove ‘suspicious nodules’ on his thyroid that were likely to become cancerous.
The Reddit co-founder, 41, shared the news on Instagram this Thanksgiving, posting a photo from the hospital along with adorable snaps of his 7-year-old daughter, Alexis, whom he shares with the tennis superstar; (seen in July)
While he joked about missing his usual weightlifting routine for two weeks, Ohanian shared an optimistic update.
‘The worst part, to be honest, has been not being able to lift weights for two weeks. But the great friend will do it again next week. “I took my girls to Disney World this week, so life is wonderful.”
He ended his post with a reminder to other men: ‘To my fellow dads: make those doctor’s appointments. Especially if you are parents. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.’
In July, Ohanian says he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which came as a bit of a surprise.
He explained his health situation in a series of posts on X/Twitter on Tuesday, saying that doctors informed him of the diagnosis after he underwent multiple medical procedures.
“I did a whole battery of health scans, tests, etc., and found out that I have Lyme disease,” said the tech entrepreneur, father of two children of the tennis icon. ‘Wild. Fortunately there are no symptoms, but we are going to treat it.
Ohanian explained some of the intricate details behind his diagnosis: ‘The good cholesterol is too low. Bad cholesterol is fine. I have to work on that. On the plus side: 822 ng/dL total + 162 ng/dL free testosterone.’
Ohanian said that while he has a family history related to the ailment, the diagnosis took him by surprise since he was not in the group that is typically geographically exposed to the condition.
“After tracking down some suspicious nodules in my thyroid for the past 4 years, I recently had half of them surgically removed,” Ohanian explained.
“The nodules were growing and the latest biopsy showed that they were very likely to become cancerous. My mother had breast cancer around this age (41) and eventually passed away from brain cancer about a decade later. I hate cancer’
“I have a loved one who had it a few years ago, showed a lot of symptoms, etc. and just couldn’t understand it until he was tested and then found (also successfully treated),” Ohanian said. “I spend so little time in nature/the northeast that it was quite a surprise.”
Ohanian said he was going to “take some antibiotics” to combat the ailment, adding: “You can’t keep me down, tick!” with an image of the cartoon character The Tick.
Ohanian stressed to his 563,700 followers on the platform that he was in no way giving health advice to the masses regarding Lyme disease: “Please talk to a doctor!” said. ‘Don’t listen to me for any health advice!’
The Mayo Clinic describes Lyme disease as “a disease caused by the bacteria borrelia,” adding that “humans usually contract Lyme disease from the bite of a tick that carries the bacteria.”
The clinic noted that while “ticks that can carry borrelia bacteria live in most of the United States,” the disease “is most common in the upper Midwest and northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.” nationally, and “is also common in Europe and in South Central and Southeastern Canada.
People are most at risk if they “spend time where ticks live, such as grassy areas, bushes, or woods,” and the best means of prevention “is to avoid tick bites when outdoors.”
He Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that “476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year in the United States,” adding that the total consists of people who “are treated based on clinical suspicion but do not actually have Lyme disease.” .
He government agency He said most cases ‘can be treated with 10 to 14 days of antibiotics’, and that doing so in the ‘early stages’ of the illness leads to a quick and complete recovery.
‘I wasn’t going to take any risks. I’m so grateful this Thanksgiving because I got the call this morning confirming that the half of my thyroid that was removed was full of some gnarly nodules that would most likely turn cancerous.
The disease has been a controversial topic at times, with a January 2023 report from the American Medical Association stating that “the lack of evidence-based guidance on how to care for people experiencing persistent symptoms and growing misinformation make treatment challenging.”
Ohanian is one of several prominent names who have emerged publicly about their health battles with Lyme disease.
Others include Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Yolanda Hadid and her daughter, model Bella Hadid, who have spoken openly about their respective battles with the ailment.
Bella said last year that she had undergone 100 days of treatment amid a battle with the condition that lasted almost 15 years.
Musical artist Justin Bieber said in January 2020 that doctors had diagnosed him with Lyme disease after receiving unpleasant comments about his appearance.
“Although a lot of people kept saying that Justin Bieber looks like shit, that he takes meth, etc., they didn’t realize that I was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, and not only that, but I had a severe case of chronic mononucleosis that caused me affected skin, brain function, energy and overall health,” the Grammy-winning artist said on Instagram.
Actor Ben Stiller said The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he had been diagnosed with the condition in 2010.
“I bought it in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a couple of years ago,” Stiller told the outlet. ‘My knee became swollen and they couldn’t determine what it was, then they found out it was Lyme. I have no symptoms now, but Lyme never leaves your system. “It’s really difficult.”