Roussimoff wasn’t just genetically blessed (and it was a real mixed blessing). He had acromegaly, a disorder of growth hormone production caused by a benign tumor on his pituitary gland. The amazing thing is that it could have been safely removed, but …
10
He Refused Medical Treatment
For about half his life, Roussimoff’s size was a mystery, but after he was diagnosed with acromegaly in the ‘70s, he refused treatment because he was afraid of losing his strength in the ring, even though his baffled and exasperated doctors warned him it would mean he would likely die by 40. By his mid-thirties, he started having breathing problems due to fluid buildup around his heart, and even then, his friends had to drag him to the hospital, if emphatically metaphorically.
9
He Was Constantly in Pain
Acromegaly isn’t a fun condition, party tricks notwithstanding. Joints are joints, no matter how big they are, and carrying all that weight left Roussimoff in constant knee, back, and neck pain, on top of all the standard health risks of enlarged organs. By the time he wrestled his final match, he could barely stand, relying on the ropes and his opponents to hold him up. That’s part of the reason why…