Eric Muirhead, Jerry Francisco, and Noel Florredo, conducted a two-hour post-mortem examination. Author Sally Hoedel's Elvis: Destined to Die Young notes that Elvis 's mother's parents were first cousins, with ill-health running through that side of the family. While this is a cruel and derogatory way to describe someone dealing with personal health problems, it's undeniable that Elvis' eating and weight issues colored his last year on Earth. Nick to make it right. The moment came toward the end of the night, just before his closing performance of "Can't Help Falling In Love With You." One of the first responders who arrived at Graceland after the emergency call on the day Elvis died and helped carry him to the ambulance was quoted in the book "Elvis Presley: A Southern Life" saying he "must have weighed 250 pounds," according to Salon. I gently raised one eyelid. Evidence from the official autopsy, medical professionals and Sallys book all point to the same thing, that Elvis had serious health issues long before his death in 1977. Hoedel said Presley was "worried" about his health deteriorating. The last decade of his life had seen his health take a dramatic nose dive. Mystery has long surrounded the death of Elvis Presley after his family sealed the results of his autopsy for 50 years. In addition to the head and heart problems, author Sally A Hoedel - lifelong Elvis fan, historian and journalism graduate - delved into his family history discovering more about his health. The doctor remained by Elvis' side during his drug addiction and where there on the tragic day of his death and claims in an autopsy, stunned medics found a four-month-old stool blocking his gut. Elvis did indeed suffer from heart problems aggravated by an excessive use of drugs, but Tennant believes the ultimate cause of his death was a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a major cause of intractable pain and other chronic health problems. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! ", ELVIS PRESLEY BECAME A ROCK 'N' ROLL ICON WITH THE HELP OF MEMPHIS CLOTHIER: THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING'. The singers incredibly unhealthy diet consisting mostly of cheeseburgers and chronic constipation inevitably contributed to these problems. Elvis' drug problem was the result of prescription drugs, some of which were administered for health problems. She credits this topublic figureslike Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish and Michael Phelps, who usetheir platforms toshare theirstruggles and help reducemental health stigma. (CBS via Getty Images). In fact, Danzig's vocal style is so reminiscent of Presley's that he's earned himself the nickname "Evil Elvis," a title he's happy to accept. "He believed he could conquer all his problems himself. During the autopsy it became clear that Elvis did in fact have multiple heart problems, including a strained aorta and atherosclerosis. He gave his rings to his fans during concerts. As a young man Elvis had been extremely fit, playing football and practicing martial arts. Mourners stayed all night outside Graceland, where 42-year-old Elvis Presley died. Put simply, the strain of attempting to defecate compressed the singer's abdominal aorta, shutting down his heart.". As detailed in the documentary Elvis Presley: The Last 24 Hours, Elvis' final day on earth included a nighttime trip to the dentist in search of prescription drugs, a 4 a.m. game of racquetball with his cousin Billy Smith, and an impromptu piano performance of classics including "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain." Elvis Presley health: The star was destined to die young full list of his health issues. Elviss story is looked on as one of destruction, but it is a futile struggle to survive, through poverty and then through health issues, she says. The book alleges that during the second show of that fourth tour, Presley, who was semiconscious, had his head dunked in a bucket of ice water. This infamous sandwich would bemade with an entire stick of melted butter, as shown byMary Jenkins, former cook at Graceland, duringa 1987 appearance on "Letterman. According to Elvis: Destined to Die Young, the singer's downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, could have been caused by. More: Austin Butler's 'Elvis' acting lessons began when Tom Hanks delivered a typewriter to his door. (Reuters), '70S ROCK PIONEER SUZI QUATRO SAYS SHE WAS NEVER TEMPTED BY FAME: 'YOU EITHER GO MAD OR WIND UP DEAD', Kirk said she kept her stories about Presley private for 38 years before she decided to revisit them in her 2015 self-published memoir Taking Care of Elvis.. It takes hours to die from drugs.". In her book Elvis: Destined To Die Young, Sally revealed that Elvis suffered from diseases in nine of the 11 bodily systems. EDS is a genetic connective tissue collagen disorder, and what that means is that you are genetically predetermined to have your collagen in certain tissues either disappear or deteriorate or become defective, and to put it bluntly, you can have a rectal problem and an eye problem at the same time due to the same cause because your collagen is deteriorating in these tissues, Tennant told my colleague Donna Gregory Burch in a 2021 interview. His twin brother Jessie wasstillborn, saidbiography.com. At only 42 years of age, initially the cause of his death was reported as a heart attack. First he complained of vertigo, back pain, and insomnia, eye infections and headaches, and in 1973 he was rushed to hospital in a semi-coma and found to be suffering from jaundice, severe. The other two pathologists Muirhead and Florredo eventually revealed they also had found evidence of severe and chronic constipation, diabetes, and glaucoma during their examination. Elvis Presleys former private nurse Letetia Henley Kirk has had the King on her mind. She has a new book about the King coming out in September. By then, he and his wife Priscilla Presley had separated. "In the last few years of his life, he was very aware of how ill he was," she said. If he didn't prescribe the pills to Elvis, someone else would, and at least this way he wouldn't get them off the street. More info. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images). As a result of his horrendous diet, he suffered from chronic constipation and a post mortem found he had compacted stool that was four months old sitting in his bowel. Elvis Presley skyrocketed to fame in the 1950s. The pressure to perform, the loss of privacy and the incessant public. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His manager, Colonel Tom Parker allegedly shouted, "The only thing thats important is that hes on that stage tonight! We don't know what their fears are, what their hopes are, what their dreams are, what their sadness is. The death of Elvis Presley came with a shock and sadness, one hot summer day--August 16th, 1977. . And theres evidence of that time and time again. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Prior to his death, Presley was visually no longer the hip-swaying "Elvis the Pelvis" sex symbol. While Elvis did suffer from a pill addiction, as the Austin Butler Elvis movie ending explained, he had chronic pain and health problems that may have fueled it. Instead of rushing an unconscious Elvis to a hospital, manager Tom Parker --- played by a surprisingly villainous Tom Hanks -- declares that the show must go on and summons Dr. They were all connected. With Elvis' extraordinary pain and the fact that the pain was inside the eyeball, where the nerve fibers and blood vessels are located, the problem was extremely dangerous and could even threaten his eyesight. In turn, many in Elvis' entourage believed Ginger to be nothing more than a gold-digger. Some expertsagreeElvis may have been performing at a feverish pace to meet fans' demands at the expense of his well-being. Home Health News Elvis Presley health: The star was destined to die young full list of his health issues, We use your sign-up to provide content in ways youve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. He did start abusing drugs including amphetamines, opioids and sedatives as a teenager and is known to have had an appalling diet. According to Elvis' longtime friend and hairdresser Larry Geller, the star was ready to turn his life around in the months leading up to his passing at age 42 in August 1977. Elvis Presley's former private nurse Letetia Henley Kirk has had the King on her mind. His then-fiance Ginger Alden found Presleylying unconscious on the floor of the master suite bathroom, according to PBS. Elvis Presley with his girlfriend Ginger Alden in March 1977 in Hawaii. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images). Did he really fire Colonel Tom Parker onstage in Las Vegas? "If it had been a drug overdose, [Elvis] would have slipped into an increasing state of slumber. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for July 13, Ed Sheerans wife diagnosed with tumor during pregnancy: Spiraling through depression, Prince Harry describes the rest of his life in five words amid 'Spare' fallout: 'Freedom', Chris Rock plans to address Will Smith Oscar slap in live Netflix special, Prince Harry apology 'demands' from King Charles, Prince William before coronation are 'delusional': experts, Brendan Fraser recalls near-death experience filming 'The Mummy' scene: 'I was choked out', Morgan Evans' dad recalls 'everything' being 'destroyed' in singer's life after Kelsea Ballerini divorce. If we can strip away the negative connotations, and then look at the consequences, theres a lot of truth to be uncovered, Hoedel says. So what had caused all of these disease processes in his stomach, liver, lungs, heart, spine, eyes and bowel? "[Those health] issues become more difficult to live with the more he tours, and he toured a great deal in those last several years. It was a time when Presleys daughter Lisa Marie Presley, as a child, came to visit Graceland. In the recent HBO documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher, the singer's longtime wife Priscilla revealed that she wasn't sure whether Elvis' death was really an accident. Elvis Presley was found dead at the foot of the toilet with his bottom in the air after months of agonising constipation and cheese burger binges. He was terribly ill, and he died accidentally in some ways with a dentist giving him codeine for his bad tooth, and his bad teeth were also part of the same disease that gave him a bad colon and a bad eye and a bad liver. Elvis approved of the idea, and the label sent a studio truck to his home. Elvis actually died a death that is quite common, albeit an embarrassing one. Within the book Sally revealed that Elvis grandparents were first cousins. Elvis was sitting on the toilet, straining very hard to have a bowel movement a maneuver that put a great amount of pressure on his heart and aorta. What confused some people, though, was that Elvis took a portion of the show to introduce everyone from his life onstage. Williams herself recently told a photographer that she is "formerly retired" and wants to appear on shows including "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "The View.". During the final months of his life, Elvis Presley was said to be in a lot of physical pain. the excessive use of drugs had caused serious implications on the singer's health. Austin Butler stars as the American heartthrob through the years:as a rocking teen who eventually spirals under the crumblingpressureof success, money and power. It was hard to be Elvis, no one had done fame like that before, and no one else could do it for him. However, as Presleys body was slowing down, Hoedel said his determination to hit the road endured. He would pass away that same year. And we love tocriticize the celebrity to bring them back down to our level. He once told me, You never hear Superman asking for help.", "The touring is difficult," Hoedel explained. The maids were like family. The autopsy results are due to be unlocked in 2027, but until then, the biggest insight into the star's mysterious death has come from prominent California physician, Forest Tennant, who actually reviewed the report while defending Elvis' doctor, Dr. George Nichopoulos, who was later acquitted of over-prescribing drugs. What were Elvis Presley's health issues that plagued him during his short life? Either way, not only do BPD parents often. Does Austin Butler sing in 'Elvis'? Vernon Presley and Elvis Presley on stage during a concert recorded on June 19, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska. ", In Ginger's mind, these opinions were unfair stones cast by her fiance's cronies. 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