This is the first part of a three-part interview by Broncos wire's Brandon Walker with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. This first story focuses on Elway's diagnosis of Dupuytren's contracture in a question-and-answer format. Readers can learn more about the condition at Xiaflex.com.
BW: You first shared your diagnosis and treatment for Dupuytren's contracture in 2019. What first motivated you to seek treatment?
Elway: I think it was something I noticed, a contracture on my hand, right? It was constricting me and I could feel the tendons in both my left and right hands. I had let go of both hands and so my fingers began to contract to the point where I could no longer place my hand flat on a table. I didn't know what it was.
I went to Steve Antonopolis (former Denver Broncos head coach) and he sent me to a hand specialist, and I went to a hand specialist and then was able to find something that wasn't surgical.
I had so many surgeries playing football that I didn't want to have another surgery because that was one of the options and then I could, you know, find the benefit of Xiaflexwhich they used on my hand, which required no surgery and made the recovery time much, much shorter. So I let go of both hands and actually they are doing very well.
It was something that wasn't really painful for me, but it was something that really annoyed me because I wanted to know what was going on.
And it's amazing, Brandon, you know, since we talked about Dupuytren's contracture, how many people have come up and and and have the same problem. I believe that 5% of the population suffers from this disease.
And so it was fun to get the word out and get people to see their doctors and hand specialists to look at the different options and learn that there is a non-surgical option with Xiaflex.
BW: Do you know other people with this condition or do you personally know someone with DC?
Elway: You know, I don't. You know, I've had several people come up to me, a lot of friends have come up to me and shown me that they're different things because we've seen the different things that we've done to get the word out on Dupuytren's .
You know, it's funny, we just did an interview with Dan Patrick and he's killing it! It's amazing how many people have it but it's not really talked about and so it's nice to get that feedback and share my experience with them and be able to point them towards the non-surgical option, which is using Xiaflex , where you, you know, go to your hand specialist and it's really a 24-hour exercise.
One of the most painful things is that you have to get injections in the palm of your hand and put the medication in there, but that released my hand to where I was after the treatment, you know, I was able to put my hand flat on a table again and didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable as the feeling of constriction on my hands and fingers.
BW: Can you put your hand flat on the table today?
Elway: That's it, you know, and I think my left hand in particular is really, really good.
I have another umbilical cord in my right hand that I need to see the hand specialist again but it's something that won't go away but the medication can help you get your hand straighten it and break up the collagen , which has accumulated on the tendons in your hand.
And so unfortunately it's something that doesn't go away and it does come back a little bit at some point so I have to go back and get a new one published but with Xiaflex it's a much better option than it is I have to have surgery which as far as I know I know it's pretty hard and can take six to eight weeks of recovery time, which at my age I don't like having to sit around for six or eight weeks. Every time I get back out and get back on the golf course, the faster the better.
BW: So were those your only options for Xiaflex and the surgery, or were there other options for you?
Elway: Well, those are really the only options. Xiaflex is really the only non-surgical option at this time. (Note from Broncos Wire: Xiaflex is the only FDA-approved non-surgical treatment for Dupuytren's contracture.
And that's why I chose to do this and was, you know, fortunate enough to have a relationship with them to be able to spread the word because this disease affects, you know, 5% of the population. You know, it's funny, (Dupuytren's disease) is also called Viking's disease, so anyone who is of northern European descent, which I have, my mother's side is Norwegian, and that's probably why I got it because they were called Viking becomes illness.
But it's something, you know, that option was Xiaflex. It is non-surgical and has a much faster recovery time. It's definitely an option for many people and they should see their hand specialist, see a hand specialist and see if this option is for them.
BW: What would you say to someone who just found out they have Dupuytren's contracture? What would you say to them? What advice would you give them?
Elway: From what I understand, I would send her to her hand specialist (first), and if that's not the case, it will progressively get worse. So I would think, you know, I would say the quicker the better, go to that doctor, a hand specialist, and talk to him about it because if it's an advanced thing that, like you said, is not the case. If you don't get rid of it, it may worsen.
That's why I think it's better to fight it early, and the sooner they go and get an opinion from their doctor, the better off they'll be, in my opinion.
BW: You postponed treatment for two years (after you found out you had Dupuytren's). Do you regret the decision to postpone it for two years?
Elway: You know, I do, although I think everyone is always a little scared, sometimes they go to the doctor to see what's wrong with them. I felt the same way and after playing football everything was fine, it's just something that's there and you know, it'll be there forever.
But I think it's something of a progressive aggravation.
And like I said, the sooner the better when someone realizes they have the tightness in both their hands and fingers. I think the sooner you get into it, the better. Before looking at it, I think it was better for me to attack it earlier, especially with the left hand than the right.
BW: And especially the right hand in your throwing hand, and now it feels better.
Elway: I can actually yes, I can hold a football now. It bothered me because I couldn't hold a soccer ball in my hand and I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back when I finally said, “Okay, I'm leaving now,” and I went to our coach Steve Antonopulos, to sort of find out what was going on. And then he referred me to the hand specialist and found out what (Dupuytrens) was.
Now I can pick up a soccer ball again, which makes me feel much better.
BW: And your hand for a golf club!
Elway: Even more important!
Stay tuned for the second and third parts of the interview to follow Broncos wire in which Elway shares his thoughts on rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the team's 2024 playoff chances.