just how ill was ELVIS

[lvs2day]

over the years we have heard that ELVIS was ill and had many health problems but its now that i am learning just how ill he really was and how he struggled to go on , in photos and video we can clearly see the deteriation of his health , i do think it was more than just a problem with perscription drugs , so what do you think would he still be with us if he tok a break and got off the drugs that he needed for many of his illnesses?

[Genie]

over the years we have heard that ELVIS was ill and had many health problems but its now that i am learning just how ill he really was and how he struggled to go on , in photos and video we can clearly see the deteriation of his health , i do think it was more than just a problem with perscription drugs , so what do you think would he still be with us if he tok a break and got off the drugs that he needed for many of his illnesses?


That is a question we have all pondered for many years. Rumors, and facts get locked together so that few people know for certain. I can't tell you what really happened, only what other people say happened.
Think about that long enough, and do they even know?
It's very heartbreaking, but I do feel Elvis needed a rest, he needed a lot of things he didn't get, got a lot he didn't want.. Yes I believe he would still be well and healthy and with us now if anyone, including him had taken serious charge of what was happening to him.
By the way folks, I am very silent lately, because (no, I'm not in trouble) I've pretty much learned to behave. Sonny is just too sweet to disapoint.
The snow and rain here in Wa including a yard full of ice under it all, melted... :doh: OH GOD do I ever have a built in swiming pool all through the downstairs basement, bedrooms and bathroom...I've never been so tired in my life....you have to wear boots down there. Even the litter boxes in the washroom were floating, fell over and I have a muddy mass and cats whose pan had to be changed and placed upstairs...:cursing:(n)
The only nice thing I can report, if I live through this...is the fun "Twilight Saga" because I live near Forks...because I am agile as a cat, and they like my face...I have been considered for an extra or body double in the next film.
Casting call is coming up...I've never looked my age (thank God) maybe I'm one of the "Vampires":lmfao: Anyway, I'm alive and well... take care

[rogerM]

Some of Elvis`friends say that he actually talked about tacking some time of and straighten himself up after he finished his august Tour in 77. Sandi Miller (friend) talked to/visited Elvis in the summer of 1977 and she says that Elvis talked about going to Hawaii and rest. And he also said something about there would be some changes in the future. He had already let some of his employes go, and most of the "old" gang was gone. So it`s very sad that he died that summer. We will never know if he actually would have changed his lifestyle...

[monk37]

I don't think he had the various illness people claimed

I know that at the point you're taking more than three drugs, you end up with a lot of side effects from the drug interactions - not only from the drugs, but with the byproducts.

My Dad recently had to be on 26 different medications - some for diabetes, some because of heart surgery - he was very ill from all the interactions between these drugs

Elvis was taking well over 10 kinds of pills - that he really didn't need to be taking for the most part.

Sadly, he would have been better off smoking pot and not doing anything else - it would have helped with the glaucoma, pain and sleeping problems all at once - and you can't OD on pot and it's not physically addictive - it's also not a gateway to other things - you can do pot and only pot, getting a consistent buzz

[Albert]

I think he was ill enough to die on age 42.

If you compare Elvis from year to year, you can easily see his body protesting against the abuse (of Elvis himself). Don't let the good looks and the smile fool you. You can also just listen to the voice: compare any 1970 recording with a 1971 track and you hear a big difference. Listen to a random 1974 show and then to a random 1976 show.

Even in showbusiness it's not normal to have so many differences in physique and sound in just a few years.

And another thing: a person can be physically ill (fever, headaches, etc), but also mentally. With the knowledge we have today about Elvis state of mind during his life, he always battled his inner 'demons'.

[debtdbruno]

Well said Albert!!!!!!

[kathy parkinson]

I second that, well said Albert.

[Diane]

Me three, no matter what caused Elvis' death and I think it was a great combination of things, he wasn't a well man the last few years of his life.

Diane

[May]

I agree Diane. Not well and definately not happy. Very, very sad.

[Donut]

I believe he could have lived longer. I don't think any the health problems he had were necessarily mortal.

[Diane]

I believe he could have lived longer. I don't think any the health problems he had were necessarily mortal.

I agree with that too but it would have taken for him to be very strong and to change a lot of patterns in his life which is hard for anyone to do.

Diane

[GIORGIA]

I believe he could have lived longer. I don't think any the health problems he had were necessarily mortal.I agree with you my friend,and that to Me is so sad and unfair:'(:'(:'(:'(!

[thomas civello]

its kinda simple guys...Elvis did not take care of himself at all...his diet...exercise habits...his abuse of sleeping pills,..pain meds,...uppers...HELLO..!..thats why he died...not because of natural health problems...all...self inflicted...a shame...he could have looked AWSOME..even at 75 if he didnt abuse himself..he was so naturally handsome..and talented...

[Donut]

I agree with that too but it would have taken for him to be very strong and to change a lot of patterns in his life which is hard for anyone to do.

Diane

Yes, it must be really hard Diane.


I agree with you my friend,and that to Me is so sad and unfair:'(:'(:'(:'(!



It is :sad:, but there's nothing anyone can do now so...

[GIORGIA]

Yes, it must be really hard Diane.



It is :sad:, but there's nothing anyone can do now so...I know:'(:'(:'(:'(:sad::sad::sad::sad:

[rickb]

He was so ill that he died at age 42, that really answers the question. His medical ailments, plus his reliance on prescription medication which in itself is an illness, resulted in his untimely death.
If anyone would care to argue that reliance on medication is something that is easy to quit I will gladly take up that argument.
I have been on and off anti-depression tablets over many years. I recently went `off' and had a terrible time. I don't drink, I don't take illegal drugs but here I was going through withdrawal symptoms which were terrible because of a prescribed drug.
If anyone does not have understanding of Elvis' problems then they don't have a proper understanding of medication and the role insomnia, depression, anxiety etc play in some people's lives.
I had a friend visit recently who was on a 375mg dose of the same anti-depressant that i was taking at a maximum of 150mg (I had weaned my way off but still the final weeks were cruel). She also takes two other tablets as well. She is reliant on this medication but I wouldn't call her a drug addict. That's how I feel about Elvis too

[Genie]

its kinda simple guys...Elvis did not take care of himself at all...his diet...exercise habits...his abuse of sleeping pills,..pain meds,...uppers...HELLO..!..thats why he died...not because of natural health problems...all...self inflicted...a shame...he could have looked AWSOME..even at 75 if he didnt abuse himself..he was so naturally handsome..and talented...


I had a spare moment to sit down and take a break from my flooded basement, and I read this...
I do not like this blunt rather unloving post much...it's got an air of indifference. If no one else see's it that way, than I apoloize .
All of those things you listed "HELLO?" were not illegal in that year...and he did have at several points, a reason to have those things prescribed for him. He did have illness, and pain..
At least he enjoyed eating, and living while he did.
He was not advised properly by his so called Doctor! Col Parker and some of the MM inflicted serious harmful influence upon him (in my opinion of course.)
His death was considered natural causes, and I object to the phrase "Self inflicted" Ok...I'll go soak my head in the basement again..
Have a nice evening ya all

[lvs2day]

He was so ill that he died at age 42, that really answers the question. His medical ailments, plus his reliance on prescription medication which in itself is an illness, resulted in his untimely death.
If anyone would care to argue that reliance on medication is something that is easy to quit I will gladly take up that argument.
I have been on and off anti-depression tablets over many years. I recently went `off' and had a terrible time. I don't drink, I don't take illegal drugs but here I was going through withdrawal symptoms which were terrible because of a prescribed drug.
If anyone does not have understanding of Elvis' problems then they don't have a proper understanding of medication and the role insomnia, depression, anxiety etc play in some people's lives.
I had a friend visit recently who was on a 375mg dose of the same anti-depressant that i was taking at a maximum of 150mg (I had weaned my way off but still the final weeks were cruel). She also takes two other tablets as well. She is reliant on this medication but I wouldn't call her a drug addict. That's how I feel about Elvis too

rick b i also have and still do struggle with depression and found that myonly intrestis in E.P. as it always has bin , my point is that i agree that he had alot of legitamite illnessess that were documented in the 1979 20/20 cover up news serial , they said that durring the autopsy they noted an enlarged heart, some blockage of his arteries and of course they noted the hypertension and the advancement of glaucoma- my point is that i believe ELVIS thought and believed that any meds were better than no meds at all and more was better than a little.

[Genie]

True Diane and me three : )

[Getlo]

I object to the phrase "Self inflicted"

Unbelievable ... :rolleyes:

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

You only have to see the environment Elvis lived in to see that the miss use of drugs probably started out innocently. There is a general consensus that Elvis started taking uppers and downers in the army to get through night shifts. This very probably lead Elvis to believe that there were drugs to help with all manner of inconveniences in life e.g. tiredness, unable to sleep, slimming pills, uppers & downers etc.

Elvis' lifestyle was the catalyst to his ill health, poor diet, sleeping routines, gruelling touring schedule supported the move to other types of medication, incorrectly prescribed but never the less taken and the effects enjoyed and so the process continued.

To say this addiction was self inflicted is a too simplistic truth! Whilst I'll agree that the doctors and friends of Elvis weren't necessarily shoving the pills down Elvis' mouth, they were enablers who facilitated in some way or another. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath (http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20909). When Doctors prescribe medicines that are unnecessary they break that Oath.

Elvis was an addict who was in denial, just like millions of others who suffer the same predicament. We are all guilty of doing or taking things we know will do us harm. It can be as simple as drinking coffee when we know caffeine is bad for us or eating to much, we like the taste or effects so we repeat the process. Simplistic, yes, habit forming, definitely.

I can't vindicate Elvis completely, he had been taken to hospital many times and dried out, only to fall off the wagon just as quickly. There were pressures in Elvis' life none of us could understand which lead Elvis to take the path he did. Perhaps the meds took him away from his inner demons, to a place that killed the pain he suffered. I just wish he could have found the strength to fight harder and find a way break free from the destructive path that took his life.

[Getlo]

Elvis was an addict who was in denial, just like ...

... many thousands of fans who still refuse to face that simple fact.

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

... many thousands of fans who still refuse to face that simple fact.

Amor caecus est

[Diane]

You only have to see the environment Elvis lived in to see that the miss use of drugs probably started out innocently. There is a general consensus that Elvis started taking uppers and downers in the army to get through night shifts. This very probably lead Elvis to believe that there were drugs to help with all manner of inconveniences in life e.g. tiredness, unable to sleep, slimming pills, uppers & downers etc.

Elvis' lifestyle was the catalyst to his ill health, poor diet, sleeping routines, gruelling touring schedule supported the move to other types of medication, incorrectly prescribed but never the less taken and the effects enjoyed and so the process continued.

To say this addiction was self inflicted is a too simplistic truth! Whilst I'll agree that the doctors and friends of Elvis weren't necessarily shoving the pills down Elvis' mouth, they were enablers who facilitated in some way or another. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath (http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20909). When Doctors prescribe medicines that are unnecessary they break that Oath.

Elvis was an addict who was in denial, just like millions of others who suffer the same predicament. We are all guilty of doing or taking things we know will do us harm. It can be as simple as drinking coffee when we know caffeine is bad for us or eating to much, we like the taste or effects so we repeat the process. Simplistic, yes, habit forming, definitely.

I can't vindicate Elvis completely, he had been taken to hospital many times and dried out, only to fall off the wagon just as quickly. There were pressures in Elvis' life none of us could understand which lead Elvis to take the path he did. Perhaps the meds took him away from his inner demons, to a place that killed the pain he suffered. I just wish he could have found the strength to fight harder and find a way break free from the destructive path that took his life.


Excellent post!(y)(y)(y)

Diane

[monk37]

...She is reliant on this medication but I wouldn't call her a drug addict. That's how I feel about Elvis too

there's a world of difference between anti-depressants - which return you to a normal or normalish state

and taking uppers, downers, pain killers, etc who's physical and emotional effect is rather different

[Cherokee]

I think he was ill enough to die on age 42.

If you compare Elvis from year to year, you can easily see his body protesting against the abuse (of Elvis himself). Don't let the good looks and the smile fool you. You can also just listen to the voice: compare any 1970 recording with a 1971 track and you hear a big difference. Listen to a random 1974 show and then to a random 1976 show.

Even in showbusiness it's not normal to have so many differences in physique and sound in just a few years.

And another thing: a person can be physically ill (fever, headaches, etc), but also mentally. With the knowledge we have today about Elvis state of mind during his life, he always battled his inner 'demons'.

In Total Agreement(y)

[KPM]

Elvis was an addict of prescription meds, and he never really acknowledged to himself that they can be dangerous, and addictive. He thought if it came from a doctor no matter what is was it had to be okay.
I have said this before he did have some medical problems, how severe and exactly the reasons for them are debateable.... blood pressure, congenital ganglionic fold in his colon (a bowel ressection was considered in the mid a70s according to Dr. Nick and Elvis discussed this with Red West) his glaucoma, arthritis of the neck and spine (also according to Nick) chronic insomnia/sleep problems since a kid and normal problems we all have.
IMO probably the most serious was the colon problem (which he was born with) which worsened as he aged-also the continued use and overuse of meds slowed down the colon-which continued to narrow at the fold as he aged -and this would have caused much pain as the fold narrowed- especially with his unhealthy diet. But he grew up poor and poor people develope poor habits-a good fatty meal is a treat for poor people -comfort food is not called that for nothing:D:D

Unfortunately as his life progressed he just could not live without the medications which he came to rely on. In the 50s he once said
"sometimes I feel lonely in the middle of a crowd" which may say something about depression problems along the way.
I think his genetics also worked against him-but had he worked hard at staying healthy with better diet and less reliance on meds he could have helped himself greatly.

[sasha]

I have read many things about Elvis. I've met a lot of fans.
IMO, the things that will "kill" Elvis is the media & his fans.
The constant bickering, fighting ,jealously gets very old.
How many knew Elvis, personally?
Who was it that insisted we had to "know all" ?

Elvis was only human, just like the rest of us.
He was a humanitarian in that he liked to help others.
He could sing,, no doubt about that.
I'm not going to judge him or anyone.
IMO, he was physically ill As well as the other problems we all face every day .
Do our closest friends/lovers love us for ourselves or because some see us as a step to their own greatness?

[debtdbruno]

You only have to see the environment Elvis lived in to see that the miss use of drugs probably started out innocently. There is a general consensus that Elvis started taking uppers and downers in the army to get through night shifts. This very probably lead Elvis to believe that there were drugs to help with all manner of inconveniences in life e.g. tiredness, unable to sleep, slimming pills, uppers & downers etc.

Elvis' lifestyle was the catalyst to his ill health, poor diet, sleeping routines, gruelling touring schedule supported the move to other types of medication, incorrectly prescribed but never the less taken and the effects enjoyed and so the process continued.

To say this addiction was self inflicted is a too simplistic truth! Whilst I'll agree that the doctors and friends of Elvis weren't necessarily shoving the pills down Elvis' mouth, they were enablers who facilitated in some way or another. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath (http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20909). When Doctors prescribe medicines that are unnecessary they break that Oath.

Elvis was an addict who was in denial, just like millions of others who suffer the same predicament. We are all guilty of doing or taking things we know will do us harm. It can be as simple as drinking coffee when we know caffeine is bad for us or eating to much, we like the taste or effects so we repeat the process. Simplistic, yes, habit forming, definitely.

I can't vindicate Elvis completely, he had been taken to hospital many times and dried out, only to fall off the wagon just as quickly. There were pressures in Elvis' life none of us could understand which lead Elvis to take the path he did. Perhaps the meds took him away from his inner demons, to a place that killed the pain he suffered. I just wish he could have found the strength to fight harder and find a way break free from the destructive path that took his life.



Fantastic post, couldn't be put any better:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

"sometimes I feel lonely in the middle of a crowd" which may say something about depression problems along the way.

Initially I don't think Elvis was alone, maybe later when he grew tired of the sycophants and those who agreed with everything he said. Maybe he realised that his circle of friends didn't have the influence to make a difference in his life..