Natalie Cole opens up about heroin use and hepatitis C
Ten-time Grammy winner Natalie Cole writes her harrowing personal story in the May issue of Los Angeles Confidential magazine.
The singer speaks frankly about past drug use, contracting hepatitis C, interferon treatment, chemotherapy, her ongoing battle with kidney failure and waiting for an organ donor.
"In my younger, hell-raising days, I was an active drug user and heroin was my drug choice. There are several ways to use it: Some inhale or 'snort' it, some give themselves a shot, and some inject it directly into their veins. ... I did the latter."
It's needle use that her doctors believe led her to contracting hepatitis C. Anyone who has ever used contaminated needles for drug use, gotten a tattoo, or received a blood transfusion could easily contract this disease,
She recently underwent treatment to eradicate the HCV virus. "It is absolutely one of the most debilitating and difficult experiences that could ever happen to a human being."
She was left feeling like a "very fragile old lady" but still went on tour despite then being diagnosed with kidney failure. She is hooked up to a dialysis machine three days a week, three hours a day, and waits for a kidney donor. Her son offered his kidney a short time ago, but he was not a match.
"I am hoping for a kidney transplant, but at the moment, where it is coming from, heaven only knows. And yet I don't believe God has brought me this far to leave me."
We feel the same way, Natalie. Hang in there.
Prayers and love from The Dish Rag.
More Natalie dish:
Natalie Cole diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
Photo: Natalie Cole at the 2009 Grammy Awards. She sure looks beautiful for being in such ill health. Good luck, Natalie!
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Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.
I have no sympathies for fools who are a waste of oxygen.
My name is DeShawn McMilan my mother Sheila Reddick died in "2005" from this disease. She got Hep C from a blood transfusion. Her death really took a toll on me. She and I were best friends and very close. I watched her take her last breath. From this experience, I founded my own non-profit organization called Sheila's Saving a Life Campaign -www.sheilasavelife.org,
where I go throughout the DC, MD, and VA area and raise awareness about organ/tissue donation. I promised myself I would do everything in my power to prevent another person from dying. I will be praying for Nathalie Cole each and everyday that God has favor over her life for a kidney.
When I read her story I cried and I tried to contact someone from her camp about this story, however I wasn't sucessful.
I know what her and her son must be going through, because I have been there. Just living on prayer and faith for your love one to find a match for a transplant before it too late. I would love to be tested for Ms. Cole to see if I'm a match for her. I refuse to continue to sit back and watch my people die.
DeShawn McMillan from WDC
You have just discouraged thousands of people from getting the Hepatitis treatment. I work in a clinic and we have patients that run 5 k races while under treatment. We have never had anyone that could not life their head off a pillow. We treat a 71 year old.Interferon is chemotherapy. Not as the article says interferon and chemotherapy. thanks a lot Natalie
Actually, interferon is NOT chemotherapy. but the side effects can be similar.
that said, I too know of people who maintain full time jobs, run 10k races and swim competitively while on this treatment. not everyone develops serious symptoms like the ones Natalie describes. Everyone is different. imanaging the side effects comes down to Fluids, Good Attitude and Tylenol Extra Strength.
Yes Natalie Daddy would be hurt and Big Daddy (our heavenly father) said sin is Death and I know you knew this because I belive your mom may have told you something about the Lord
Jayanne Sessums:
You are amazing. Where on earth do you come from saying Natalie was discouraging? Darling, my mom could not get OUT of bed, walk, sleep or eat. How dare you. Why don't you get on treatment and then share with us your experience? Or better yet, research, darling, research, hit the books and learn what you obviously don't know. Poor thing. Oh no wait, you're just concerned that some patients just won't get the treatment then, the pharm. comp. won't sell their products, DR's won't benefit from this etc., I almost forgot.... The $$$$ is in the sickness, not the cure.
Natalie keep your head held high to the heavens sky and continue fighting and praying.
Peace,
Quana Thomas
(You biggest fan)
I am a singer and ,contracted hep c from a dentist using unsterilized equipment , interferon is not chemo, but can have similar side effects, I have been on the treatment for 1 month, and I would prefer having the treatment to dying of liver cancer in 20 years time.
Ms. Sessums, if you really work in a hcv clinic you should know better. Everyone reacts differently to peginf/rib whether or not it works...which it does not in most gen. 1 cases. Deciding to go on therapy is a genuine crapshoot, with the stakes possibly ruining your thyroid gland permanently, living with "brainfog" the rest of your life, etc....all for about a 40% chance that it will do the job it's prescribed for. The decision to treat is a very personal one, and how one reacts to the treatment is as different as we all are, but one thing for sure, each person needs to make a truly informed decision, and if Natalie Cole's experience is all that it takes to discourage one from treating, then they or their medical provider have been remiss. The facts and options are all available on the web. Insinuating that hcv treatment is easy is true...for maybe 10% of those who attempt it. It's moderately tough to very tough for the majority, and flat out impossible for at least 10%. Better research before you make judgements Ms. Sessums. The fact is a significant number of people with hcv won't be allowed to treat because the extreme toxicity of the therapy precludes a vast number of patients with prexisting medical conditions, like heart, thyroid, auto-immune, psychiatric, etc. BTW, I'm pretty sure that interferon is used as chemotherapy, but at much higher doses. And Ms. Snead, I personally could barely function, and couldn't have done my job, much less have run a marathon, if I hadn't been forced to stop treatment because of side-effects. I may try again soon, but no one will stampede me into treatment with rosy stories of effortless success...or deter me with unrealistic horror stories. The decision will be all mine, as it should be, and knowledge is power, and Ms Cole's story is real and a point to be considered, not one to sweep under the rug because it might get in the way of some clinic's agenda. I thank you Natalie Cole for telling it like it was for you. Truth sets us free.