Hollywood actor and co-owner of AFC Wrexham Ryan Reynolds broadcast his first ever colonoscopy after losing a bet – and it may have saved his life.
The Deadpool star wagered that fellow actor and co-owner of the Welsh side Rob McElhenney would not be able to learn any Welsh during their ownership of the National League side. However, McElhenney managed to pick up the local lingo to such a point, Reynolds agreed to take the often taboo, but lifesaving test and broadcast it for all to see.
And after his fellow co-owner managed to pick up the local words of the Welsh locals, Reynolds was true to his word, taking a camera team into the hospital with him for his first ever colonoscopy. Incredibly, this humorous wager may well have saved the 45-year-old’s life.
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The wager was carried out on behalf of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to raise awareness about the vital medical procedure so many people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about having. “Rob and I both turned 45 this year and part of being this age is getting a colonoscopy,” Reynolds said at the start of the video. “It’s a simple step that could literally, and I mean literally, save your life.
And he was not wrong, as Reynolds’ wager is a vital example of exactly why everybody must go get checked if they feel something may be wrong. The doctor carrying out the medical exercise discovered an “extremely subtle polyp” – a projecting growth of tissue from a surface in the body that can develop in the colon and rectum.
While they are usually benign, and therefore harmless, they can develop rapidly and become malignant. Upon discovering the polyp, the doctor was able to quickly and easily cut it off with a very minor operation.
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(Image: YouTube/Ryan Reynolds)
“I was able to find an extremely subtle polyp that was on the right side of your colon,” Doctor Lapook said to the American. “This was potentially lifesaving for you, I’m not kidding, I’m not being overly dramatic.
“This is exactly why you do this. You had no symptoms.” Incredibly, McElhenney, sort of, agreed to follow Reynolds lead, broadcasting his colonoscopy to the world also. And in almost identical circumstances to Reynolds, the doctor found three polyps within the actor’s colon.
The doctor carrying out the procedure said it was “certainly a good thing we found them early and removed them”. As light hearted as the bet may have been, the procedure may have added considerable years onto the lives of both actors.
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