Just two months before she passed away, Tina Turner discussed her condition in an open and honest manner.
Turner expressed her remorse that she had not taken better care of her kidneys sooner in a message that she published on her Instagram page on March 9. She told her followers that she had put herself in “great danger” by ignoring her high blood pressure and not seeking medical attention for it.
“Today is the International Day for the Care and Preservation of Kidneys. Why is it necessary to do this? Because renal failure does not produce any pain. And this is the reason why I am telling you today: Show some love to your kidneys! They are worthy of it. Turner revealed this on March 9 in commemoration of International World Kidney Day. “My kidneys are victims of me not realizing that my high blood pressure should have been treated with conventional medicine,” she said. Because I refuse to accept the fact that I will require daily and permanent treatment with medicine, I have put myself in a very precarious situation. For far too long, I was under the impression that my body was an impregnable fortress that could not be breached.
Turner then led followers to a webpage where they could read more about her tale, which ultimately involved an organ donation from her husband, Erwin Bach, to save her life. The account included dialysis as one of the treatments she had.
“I have had hypertension for a very long time. I was first diagnosed with it in 1978, but I didn’t really worry all that much about it. I don’t recall ever being given an explanation on what high blood pressure is or how it impacts the body. I also don’t remember ever being diagnosed with it. My elevated blood pressure was something I accepted as my usual. Therefore, I didn’t put much effort into trying to control it,” Turner wrote on the website for the organization Show Your Kidneys Love. “In 1985, a physician provided me with a prescription for pills, of which I was only required to take one of them per day, and that was it.” I decided not to give it any more thought after that.”
She went on to describe additional health challenges she had faced over the course of her life, saying, “After suffering a stroke in 2009 due to my poorly controlled hypertension, I struggled to get back up on my feet.” This is when I first became aware that my kidneys were not functioning as well as they formerly had. They had already lost three-quarters of their function by that point.
Turner persisted in treating her hypertension with the support of her medical professionals by taking the prescribed medicine. Following the recommendation of a close friend, the singer best known for her hit “Proud Mary” visited a homeopathic physician in France since she did not enjoy the effects of the medication or the way it made her feel. But following a routine examination, she discovered that discontinuing the prescription medication was doing her more harm than good and was gradually but definitely destroying my kidneys. This news came as a result of her decision to stop taking the drug.
“I never would have replaced my medication by the homeopathic alternatives if I had any idea how much was at stake for me,” she stated in her letter. “I had no idea how much was at stake for me.” “Because of my naiveté, I had found myself in a situation in which the outcome may mean life or death. Some of the symptoms that I blamed on the medication, like my fatigue, nausea, or occasional irritability, were really signs of my kidney disease in its final stage. The doctors made it very clear that the consequences of my decision were irreversible. At first, I may not have noticed any signs of sickness. However, some of the symptoms that I blamed on the medication, like my fatigue, nausea, or occasional irritability. The level of renal function in both of my kidneys had dropped to an all-time low.
Turner had no choice but to start the “depressing” procedure of dialysis at that point, which required her to be connected to a machine for several hours at a time. After nine months of treatment and continuing education on the “silent” killer that is chronic renal failure, Turner’s husband stepped in and offered to give one of his kidneys to her. This was after she had already received kidney transplants from both of her parents.
“The months that followed the transplantation were characterized by a roller coaster ride of ups and downs that never seemed to end. “The complicated procedure resulted in my body trying on multiple occasions to reject the kidney that had been donated to me by another person, which is something that commonly occurs after a transplant,” Turner said. “On occasion, this necessitated additional admissions to the hospital. I couldn’t stop feeling sick and lightheaded, I kept forgetting stuff, and I was quite afraid.”
In addition to this, in March, Turner stated that the problems she was experiencing as a result of her kidney transplant were “not quite resolved.” She informed readers that she was continuing to take various prescriptions and was following the recommendations of her physicians “meticulously” in the hopes of mending and making a full recovery.
It is possible that Turner’s kidney problems were the cause of her death; nevertheless, her representative only acknowledged on Wednesday that the rock icon had passed away following a struggle with a protracted illness. It is yet unknown what exactly led to the 83-year-old man’s passing away.
In addition to a message being released on Turner’s verified Twitter account following the performer’s passing, a statement was also made on Turner’s official Instagram account confirming the sad news.
“It is with a deep sense of loss that we must inform you that Tina Turner has passed away. She captivated millions of fans all around the world with her music and her inexhaustible zest for life, and she inspired the stars of tomorrow,” the statement said. “Today, we are saying farewell to a wonderful friend who leaves us all with her most significant work: her music. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family at this difficult time. Tina, you will be greatly missed by all of us.
