Jeff Bridges, 72, reveals life became ‘hyper-precious’ after battling both cancer and COVID-19

Entertainment
By Liam

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Jeff Bridges has revealed that everything in life became “hyper precious” to him during his recent health issues.

The 72-year-old was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system in 2020 and was also hit hard by COVID-19, which he previously admitted left him at ‘death door’.

However, the actor now believes his two-year “health adventure” has helped him look at life through a new lens.

Upside: Jeff Bridges, 72, has revealed that everything in life has become 'hyper precious' for him amid his recent health issues (pictured Thursday)

Upside: Jeff Bridges, 72, has revealed that everything in life has become ‘hyper precious’ for him amid his recent health issues (pictured Thursday)

He told Sky News: ‘Not all bad – [there were] wonderful parts about being so sick that were quite unexpected, you know, I felt all that love coming to me from my family and friends and from other people around the world’.

‘That was [an] unexpected, wonderful feeling, and then also the love that it unleashed for me.

“I said, ‘Oh yes, this is life, this is great,’ and everything got a little hyper-precious during that time.”

Getting well: He was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system in 2020 and was also hit hard by COVID-19, which he previously admitted left him at 'death's door'

Getting well: He was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system in 2020 and was also hit hard by COVID-19, which he previously admitted left him at 'death's door'

Getting well: He was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system in 2020 and was also hit hard by COVID-19, which he previously admitted left him at ‘death’s door’

Jeff revealed in 2021 that his tumor had shrunk, shared: “I got cancer and chemo and then COVID. And the chemo stripped me of my immune system, so I got the COVID quite a bit.

“I was sick for about two years and… [it was] very dreamy, you know.’

He confessed e! News earlier this year that he was “on the doorstep a few times.”

Beloved: He said, 'Not all bad - [there were] wonderful parts about being so sick that were quite unexpected, you know, I felt all that love coming to me from my family and friends and from other people around the world'. (Jeff (right) pictured in The Big Lebowski with co-star John Goodman)

Beloved: He said, 'Not all bad - [there were] wonderful parts about being so sick that were quite unexpected, you know, I felt all that love coming to me from my family and friends and from other people around the world'. (Jeff (right) pictured in The Big Lebowski with co-star John Goodman)

Beloved: He said, ‘Not all bad – [there were] wonderful parts about being so sick that were quite unexpected, you know, I felt all that love coming to me from my family and friends and from other people around the world’. (Jeff (right) pictured in The Big Lebowski with co-star John Goodman)

Initially, the acclaimed actor was informed by doctors that his chemo treatments were working, but then he tested positive for COVID-19 in early 2021, a time before vaccines and boosters became available.

During his time in the hospital, his thoughts raced through whether he would ever be able to work again, or be able to walk his daughter Haley, 36, down the aisle at her wedding.

“I remember the doctors saying to me, ‘Jeff, you have to fight,'” he recalled a time when things went from bad to worse. “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, everyone brought me back.”

Scary time: Initially, the acclaimed actor was informed by doctors that his chemo treatments were working, but then he tested positive for COVID-19 in early 2021, a time before vaccines and boosters became available

Scary time: Initially, the acclaimed actor was informed by doctors that his chemo treatments were working, but then he tested positive for COVID-19 in early 2021, a time before vaccines and boosters became available

Scary time: Initially, the acclaimed actor was informed by doctors that his chemo treatments were working, but then he tested positive for COVID-19 in early 2021, a time before vaccines and boosters became available

The Hollywood star has now returned to filming his new TV show, The Old Man, and is “excited” to be back on set.

He said: ‘We broke through before a pandemic and we were off for a few months and that’s where my health adventure started.

And then, two years later, I went back to work and it was the most bizarre feeling – it was like we had a long weekend and I couldn’t wait to tell my friends this dream I had: I was sick, I was in the hospital, you know, it all felt very dreamy.

“But I’m back on my feet and happy to be here.”

Back to work: The Hollywood star has now returned to filming his new TV show, 'The Old Man', and is 'thrilled' to be back on set (pictured on the show)

Back to work: The Hollywood star has now returned to filming his new TV show, 'The Old Man', and is 'thrilled' to be back on set (pictured on the show)

Back to work: The Hollywood star has now returned to filming his new TV show, ‘The Old Man’, and is ‘thrilled’ to be back on set (pictured on the show)

WHAT IS LYMPHOMA?

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, the body’s disease-fighting network.

That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland.

There are different types of lymphoma, but there are two: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin.

Both have much better prognosis than many cancers.

WHAT IS HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA?

Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the white blood cells. It is named after Thomas Hodgkin, an English physician who first identified the disease in 1832.

It affects about 1,950 people per year in the UK and 8,500 per year in the US.

Hodgkin lymphoma is most common between the ages of 20 and 24 and between the ages of 75 and 79.

Five-year survival rates:

The chances of survival are much better than with most other cancers.

  • Phase 1: 90%
  • Phase 2: 90%
  • Phase 3: 80%
  • Stage 4: 65%

Symptoms include:

  • a painless swelling in the armpits, neck and groin
  • heavy night sweats
  • extreme weight loss
  • itch
  • shortness of breath
  • cough

Risk Factors:

  • lowered immunity
  • a family history of the condition
  • smokers
  • those who are overweight

Therapy:

  • chemotherapy
  • radiotherapy
  • steroids
  • stem cell or bone marrow transplants

WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA?

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body, but it is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around the patient’s neck.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma affects approximately 13,700 new people in the UK each year. In the US, more than 74,600 people are diagnosed each year.

It is more common in men than women, and it is often diagnosed in the early twenties or after the age of 55.

Five-year survival rates:

Survival can vary greatly with NHL.

The overall five-year survival rate is 70 percent and the 10-year survival rate is about 60 percent.

Symptoms include:

  • Painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin
  • Heavy night sweats
  • Unexplained weight loss of more than a tenth of a person’s body
  • itch

Risk Factors:

  • more than 75
  • have a weak immune system
  • suffer from celiac disease
  • have a family history of the condition
  • have had other types of cancer

Therapy:

It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Therapy usually includes chemotherapy.

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