Kris Kristofferson battled Lyme disease before his death: details
30 september 2024 в 17:13
Kris Kristofferson struggled with Lyme disease in the last years of his life. Before passing away at the age of 88 in September 2024, the actor, known for his role in «A Star is Born», - was initially misdiagnosed with another illness. During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2016, Kris and his wife Lisa Meyers shared that he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more about Kris’s health and how he dealt with Lyme disease, keep reading.
During the Rolling Stone interview in 2016, Kris explained that he was experiencing memory loss. Lisa spoke with LymeDisease.org shortly after and shared more detailed information about her husband’s health.
«About 12 years ago, he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which, looking back, should have been the first signal to test for Lyme», - Lisa explained to the site in 2016. «But we suspect he contracted Lyme somewhere between 14 and 30 years ago, because he had chronic muscle spasms, which is a common symptom».
Lisa explained that the doctors surrounding her and Kris were not «informed» about Lyme disease at the time, and therefore mistakenly took it for Alzheimer’s disease.
Prior to the Lyme disease diagnosis, Lisa recalled Kris’s fibromyalgia. At one point, he had «massive, painful spasms all over his back and legs», - adding that watching her husband in pain was «so awful». She also noted that the «nerve endings» of the «Me and Bobby McGee» songwriter caused painful contractions the size of golf balls, which they treated with acupuncture, heat, and massage, followed by spinal cortisone from a rheumatologist and a low-dose antidepressant.
Lisa also remembered how Kris worked on the film «Disappearances», - which required him to be on a forest floor «most of the shoot» and be «hoisted in a homemade harness» throughout the film.
«After that film, Kris was diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea, requiring a bipap machine for continuous air pressure, which he tried and refused to use», - Lisa continued. «He had painful knees and yearly knee injections, a pacemaker for arrhythmias — which we now know can be from Lyme — so much Advil for headaches that he became anemic».
Finally, Kris was officially diagnosed with Lyme disease in early 2016.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Lyme disease is caused by a tick carrying the Borrelia bacterium. The first and most common sign of the disease is a rash after a tick bite. If left untreated, the condition can lead to «immune system activity in heart tissue, causing irregular heartbeats», - as well as pain, numbness, and/or stiffness in different parts of the body.
It is unclear what caused Kris’s death. In a statement, his family, including his wife and eight children, said he passed away «peacefully» at home.
«With heavy hearts, we share the news that our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28, at home», - the statement read. «We are all so grateful for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these years, and when you see a rainbow, know that he is smiling down on us all»
During the Rolling Stone interview in 2016, Kris explained that he was experiencing memory loss. Lisa spoke with LymeDisease.org shortly after and shared more detailed information about her husband’s health.
«About 12 years ago, he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which, looking back, should have been the first signal to test for Lyme», - Lisa explained to the site in 2016. «But we suspect he contracted Lyme somewhere between 14 and 30 years ago, because he had chronic muscle spasms, which is a common symptom».
Lisa explained that the doctors surrounding her and Kris were not «informed» about Lyme disease at the time, and therefore mistakenly took it for Alzheimer’s disease.
Prior to the Lyme disease diagnosis, Lisa recalled Kris’s fibromyalgia. At one point, he had «massive, painful spasms all over his back and legs», - adding that watching her husband in pain was «so awful». She also noted that the «nerve endings» of the «Me and Bobby McGee» songwriter caused painful contractions the size of golf balls, which they treated with acupuncture, heat, and massage, followed by spinal cortisone from a rheumatologist and a low-dose antidepressant.
Lisa also remembered how Kris worked on the film «Disappearances», - which required him to be on a forest floor «most of the shoot» and be «hoisted in a homemade harness» throughout the film.
«After that film, Kris was diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea, requiring a bipap machine for continuous air pressure, which he tried and refused to use», - Lisa continued. «He had painful knees and yearly knee injections, a pacemaker for arrhythmias — which we now know can be from Lyme — so much Advil for headaches that he became anemic».
Finally, Kris was officially diagnosed with Lyme disease in early 2016.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Lyme disease is caused by a tick carrying the Borrelia bacterium. The first and most common sign of the disease is a rash after a tick bite. If left untreated, the condition can lead to «immune system activity in heart tissue, causing irregular heartbeats», - as well as pain, numbness, and/or stiffness in different parts of the body.
It is unclear what caused Kris’s death. In a statement, his family, including his wife and eight children, said he passed away «peacefully» at home.
«With heavy hearts, we share the news that our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28, at home», - the statement read. «We are all so grateful for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these years, and when you see a rainbow, know that he is smiling down on us all»
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
