Sunday, January 17, 2010

Anthony Robbins - A Giant?

During my last post, I did a little research on Anthony Robbins, the motivational speaker who happens to have acromegaly. I am hoping that he will become a spokesperson for acromegaly, so that the disease would gain more recognition and ultimately, more resources for research towards a cure and better treatment.

According to this bio, "In 1994, a routine medical check revealed a tumor in Robbins' pituitary gland. Robbins explains in Personal Power that the tumor was actually an adenoma that had infarcted several years earlier. Due to the pressure of the adenoma on his pituitary gland, he had circulating levels of growth hormone several times higher than what would be normal for an adult his age. This had resulted in a subclinical manifestation of the disease known as acromegaly, which doctors told Robbins was responsible for his remarkable growth spurts as a teenager, as well as his large hands and feet. (He is 6 feet 7 inches tall, or 201 cm). After consulting with multiple physicians, Robbins decided not to have the adenoma resected, as it was not causing any clinical manifestations."

I find it interesting that he has TWO books with "Giant" in the title - Awaken the Giant Within, and Giant Steps.

On Page 448 of his book, Awaken the Giant Within, he promotes HGH! I cringe because he mentions it under the heading, "The Fountain of Youth."

The book was written in 1992, so I suppose that was before he was diagnosed. Anyway, has anyone ever met him or discussed his acromegaly further? I wonder how his diagnosis has changed his outlook on life and his priorities. I wonder what he was like before he found out about his tumor and what he's like now. I know that my diagnosis was one of the most life altering events in my life.
More on giants by Ms Moge over on her blog, Giant Bridges.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i think the fact that his acromegaly has no clinical manifestations might mean something here. perhaps it means that his daily experience of acromegaly stops at the "cosmetic" manifestations. i think if he was experiencing some of the "clinical" manifestations (the fatigue, what i call the "buzzing" of tissues, the excessive sweating and overflowing oil-glands, the tingling and shooting pains, the skipped heartbeats, the vertigo, the long-terms affects on his organ, etc. and what have you) he and his doctors may have decided to remove the adenoma. i don't know just saying...