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

Jeff Bridges has revealed that everything in life became ‘hyper-precious’ to him amid his recent health struggles.

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’s door’.

However the actor now believes his two-year ‘health adventure’ has actually helped him to look at life through a new lens.

Bright side: Jeff Bridges, 72,  has revealed that everything in life became ‘hyper-precious’ to him amid his recent health struggles (pictured on Thursday)

He told Sky News: ‘Not all bad – [there were] wonderful parts about being that sick that were kind of unexpected, you know, feeling all that love coming towards me from my family and friends and from other people all over the world’. 

‘That was [an] unexpected, wonderful feeling, and then also the love that that kind of triggered for me.

‘I said, “Oh yeah, this is life, this is wonderful”, and everything became kind of hyper-precious during that time.’

Getting better: 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 better: 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 tumour had shrunk, shared: ‘I got cancer and chemo and then COVID on top of that. And the chemo stripped me of my immune system so I got the COVID pretty bad.

‘I was sick for about two years and [it was] very dreamlike, you know.’

He confessed to E! News earlier this year that he was at ‘death’s door a couple of times there’.  

Beloved: He said: 'Not all bad - [there were] wonderful parts about being that sick that were kind of unexpected, you know, feeling all that love coming towards me from my family and friends and from other people all over 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 that sick that were kind of unexpected, you know, feeling all that love coming towards me from my family and friends and from other people all over 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, which was a time before vaccines and boosters became available.

During his time in hospital, his mind raced with thoughts of 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 gotta fight,” he recalled of a time when things were going 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, everybody 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, which was 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, which was 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 ‘thrilled’ to be back on set.

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

‘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 buddies this dream that I had: I was sick, I was in the hospital, you know, it all felt very dreamlike.

‘But I’m back on my feet and thrilled 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)

WHAT IS LYMPHOMA?

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

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

There are various types of lymphoma, but two main ones: non-Hodgkin’s and Hodgkin’s.

Both have much better prognoses than many types of cancer. 

WHAT IS HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA?

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

It affects around 1,950 people each year in the UK, and 8,500 a year in the US.

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

Five-year survival rates:

The survival rates are much more favorable than most other cancers. 

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

Symptoms include: 

  • a painless swelling in the armpits, neck and groin 
  • heavy night sweating
  • extreme weight loss 
  • itching
  • shortness of breath 
  • coughing 

Risk factors: 

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

Treatment: 

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

WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA?

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers’ necks.

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

It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient’s early 20s or after the age of 55. 

Five-year survival rates:

Survival can vary widely with NHL. 

The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent. 

Symptoms include:

  • Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin
  • Heavy night sweating
  • Unexplained weight loss of more than one-tenth of a person’s body
  • Itching

Risk factors:

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

Treatment:

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

Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.

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