Elaine Thompson / Associated Press
After her request to not participate in the WNBA 2020 season for medical reasons was denied, Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne has opened up about her long-standing health issues.
In an open letter in Players’ Tribune, Delle Donne wrote that she has to take 64 pills a day to fight Lyme disease:
“That’s 25 before breakfast, another 20 after breakfast, another 10 before dinner, and another 9 before bed.
“I take 64 pills a day, and I feel like it’s slowly killing me. Or if it’s not killing me directly, then at least I know one thing for sure: it’s really bad for me. In the long run, taking so much medicine with that regular a regimen is just straightforward bad for you. It is literally an elaborate trick that you play with yourself, a lie that you tell your body to keep thinking that everything is fine. “
In a statement to ESPN’s John Barr and Sarah Spain, Delle Donne said a panel of independent doctors denied the six-time All-Star’s request to stay out this season:
“The independent panel of doctors the league appointed to review high-risk cases has reported that I am not high-risk, and should be allowed to play in the bubble.”
“I love my team, and we had an amazing season last year, and I want to play! But the question is whether the WNBA bubble is safe for me. My personal doctor who has treated me for Lyme disease for years advised that I have a high risk of contracting and having complications from COVID-19.
“I am thinking things through, talking to my doctor and my wife, and I hope to share what I ultimately plan to do very soon.”
Elle Duncan @ @elleduncanESPN
I can’t imagine being in the position of @ De11eDonne. But its transparency, authenticity and vulnerability are so evident here and I hope @WNBA does the right thing here. Thanks for sharing your story with us. https://t.co/soRMEdrbgR
Delle Donne told Patricia Babcock McGraw of the Daily herald in 2014 he was diagnosed with Lyme disease six years earlier.
Barr and Spain noted that Lyme disease is not among the Centers for Disease Control’s list of underlying conditions that could increase the risk of serious disease from the coronavirus.
Delle Donne wrote that the amount of pills she takes each day “it’s the only way to keep my condition under some kind of control “and you’ve had serious problems in the past from illnesses like a common cold:
“I have been told over and over again over the years that my condition makes me immunocompromised That part of what Lyme does is weaken my immune system. I had a common cold that caused my immune system to drop into a serious relapse. I have relapsed from a simple flu shot. There have simply been many cases where I have contracted something that should not have been a big problem, but my immune system blew up and became terrifying. “
He also noted that the doctor treating his disease gave the WNBA independent panel a full report on the health risks:
“The doctor treating my Lyme disease wrote a full report, detailing my medical history and confirming my high-risk status. The doctor from the Mystics team (who is amazing, but who has never treated my Lyme disease) wrote a A report that essentially differs from my Lyme Disease Physician, and based on my high-risk profile, I submitted both reports to the league, as necessary, along with a signed form that waived my right to an appeal.
“A few days later, the league panel of doctors, without speaking to me or any of my doctors, informed me that they were denying my request for a health exemption.
“Now I have two options left: I can risk my life … or lose my salary.”
“Honestly? That hurts.
“It hurts a lot. And maybe being hurt just makes me naive. And I know that as athletes we are not supposed to talk about our feelings. But feelings are all I have left right now. I don’t know” no I have money for NBA players. I don’t feel like going to war with the league over this. And I can’t appeal. “
The two-time WNBA MVP noted that her letter was not intended to announce a decision on her plans, as she “I keep thinking very carefully and weighing my options. “
The 12 WNBA teams are currently at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the 22-game regular season and full postseason will take place.
The 2020 regular season is slated to start on July 25. Reigning WNBA champion Mystics will play Indiana Fever on opening day at 5 p.m. ET.
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