Sophia Michaels
Tina Turner has always been open about her health concerns. In her memoir titled “My Love Story,” the singer shared that her body had been betraying her so much that she found it tough to stay on top of her illnesses. “I’ve been on such a wild roller-coaster in the four years since my wedding that even I have difficulty keeping my medical catastrophes straight,” she wrote (via Today).
Turner’s health began spiraling in 2013 after experiencing a stroke. Three years later, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer that she had a hard time wrapping her head around. “I had no pain but my body was reacting from cancer in the colon,” she wrote (via Us Weekly). “It sounds like it continues and goes on and it does.”
While doctors were able to remove the cancer from her intestines via surgery, her medical issues were far from over. She also confessed to developing a “fatal dislike” for mainstream medication, leading her to seek “homeopathic” alternatives (via Page Six). She was “feeling better after a while,” but it ultimately led to total kidney failure. Her husband Erwin Bach came to the rescue and donated a kidney to save her life. “The consequences of my ignorance ended up being a matter of life and death,” she penned. “At this terrible moment of guilt and self-recrimination, I learned something wonderful about Erwin … He was loyal, kind, and understanding — and determined to help me get through all this alive” (via People).
