When Flex Wheeler was a teenager, doctors diagnosed him with a rare kidney condition. However, instead of instructing him to take precautionary measures, they told the bodybuilder to avoid alcohol. Years later, at the peak of his bodybuilding career, Wheeler began having severe health issues. In 1999, he found out he had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and a year later, Wheeler got a kidney transplant. Since then, the Arnold Classic winner has faced numerous health issues. During an interview at the Arnold Sports Festival, Wheeler opened up about an emotional conversation with his doctor after a life-threatening diagnosis.

During the interview, Flex Wheeler revealed that an attempt to reduce the pain in his leg led to a shocking diagnosis. He explained the ultrasound results were so unusual the doctor couldn’t understand what she found.

Flex Wheeler didn’t realize the danger he was in

During the interview, the bodybuilding icon recounted his experience in the scan room of the hospital. Wheeler said his doctor told him to get the ultrasound after they had tried everything and he became frustrated with the pain. The Arnold Classic winner said after finishing the scan, she asked how he was feeling. “Her eyes get watery,” said the bodybuilder. Confused, Wheeler asked to see the scan results.

However, instead of showing him the scan, the doctor asked if he had a graph of his calf muscle. “A graph, if you don’t know, is a plastic tube that substitutes for an artery,” Wheeler told the audience. He replied that he had a graph in the other leg connected to his kidney. “She said if you don’t have a graph in your calf, then I’m looking at the biggest blood clot ever seen in my life.”

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The Arnold Classic winner also said the doctor broke down before the shocking revelation. Wheeler said she didn’t answer him at first, but after he insisted, “She literally started crying. It doesn’t take me much to cry. So now I’m crying.” The four-time Arnold Classic winner told the interviewer.

What began as a blood clot ended as an amputation

Wheeler revealed he had to attend the Arnold Classic Australia. So when the doctor urged him to cancel the trip and allow them to remove the clot, he hesitated. However, the excruciating pain forced him to check into the hospital a day after the diagnosis.

The bodybuilding said what was supposed to be a three-and-a-half-hour surgery turned into a ten-day coma. During those ten days, Wheeler’s kidney failed, and the whole ordeal ended with a partial amputation of his left leg.

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Despite facing such severe health issues, Flex Wheeler continues to inspire people. He also regularly trains in the gym and coaches bodybuilders. So, what do you think of the bodybuilding icon’s story? Write your thoughts in the comments.