Jeff Bridges has revealed he had some pretty close calls whilst fighting cancer and Covid-19 at the same time last year.
The 72-year-old actor, who is best known for his roles in films such as The Big Lebowski and True Grit, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2020.
Whilst battling his cancer, Bridges also tested positive for Covid-19 in early 2021 as he underwent treatment.
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Doctors confirmed that the chemotherapy was working, but Bridges was left feeling worse than ever.
Speaking to E! News, he said: "The chemo wipes out your immune system and when COVID hit me, I had nothing to fight it.
"I was just really at death’s door a couple of times there."
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Fighting cancer and Covid was no easy feat, and the actor admitted he thought his luck might be running out.
He explained: "I remember the doctors saying to me, 'Jeff, you gotta fight,'. I had no idea what they were talking about.
"I thought, 'Man, I’m in surrender mode here.' With a great medical team, great trainers and my family, everybody brought me back."
In September last year, Bridges' cancer was officially in remission and he shared the good news on his blog, writing: "While I had moments of tremendous pain (screaming singing, a sort of moaning song all through the night) getting close to the Pearly Gates, all in all, I felt happy and joyous most of the time.
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"This brush with mortality has brought me a real gift — LIFE IS BRIEF AND BEAUTIFUL. LOVE IS ALL AROUND US, AND AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES."
The actor also declared that Covid is now 'in the rearview mirror' and getting vaccinated had helped alleviate some of his long-term symptoms.
"COVID kicked my ass pretty good, but I’m double vaccinated and feeling much better now.
"I heard that the vaccine can help folks with long haulers. Maybe that’s the cause of my quick improvement."
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He added: "We, (I) often want some other gift that life isn’t giving us. I mean, who would want to get cancer and COVID? Well…it turns out I would. I would because I get to learn more about love and learn things that I never would have if I never got it."
The actor also shared some touching insights, now he's officially in remission: "Here’s a FLASH I had — home is the place where a person can receive, give and learn about love.
"And that place, home, is really wherever you are at any given moment, right now, for instance."
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If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
If you’ve been affected by coronavirus and want up to date advice, visit the Gov.uk help page here. If you need medical help call NHS 111 or visit online
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, US News, Health
Niamh Spence