“Sharing such a deeply personal chapter of my life was not easy,” he said Michael Bolton In an exclusive with the magazine People. The American balladist of 72 years Face an arduous fight against an aggressive brain cancer, since he received the diagnosis at the end of 2023.
The man who sold more than 75 million records throughout his career, with unforgettable successes such as “when a Man Loves a Woman” y “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, He was in full tour when he experienced some symptoms, which when he analyzes in perspective has no doubt that they were the early signs of the glioblastoma They detected just before Christmas and New Year.
While playing the Bowling with his family, he skip his turn several times and had repetitive behaviors, with fleeting forgetfulness; Days later he suffered from nausea and a lot of headache before providing a concert, and the following week he fell to the floor when he tried to sit.
“He is super athletic, he was always fit, so that series of facts, which could have been stress or simple clumsiness, seemed strange to us as a whole, and we went to the doctor,” Taryn said, one of the three daughters of the balladist, the result of marriage to his ex -wife, Maureen McGuire.
Magnetic resonance revealed the diagnosis and underwent urgent surgery on December 4, 2023, which confirmed the presence of One of the most aggressive tumors of the nervous system in your brain. Against all prognosis, that time the results were promising and doctors described the operation as a success.
His neuroncologist, Ingo Mellinghoff, doctor of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Yorkhe told the magazine People what Remove the tumor It is only possible in 30% to 40% of patients With glioblastoma, and with Bolton they succeeded.
However, two months later, in January 2024, the singer had to undergo A second surgerydue to an infection. Then ten months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions occurred.
“Suddenly, you are using your resources and your determination in a way that you would never have imagined, and You see yourself faced with your own vulnerability, but also your strength“said the singer -songwriter, who found comfort and containment throughout the process in his three daughters, Holly, Isa and Taryn, and passes many afternoons with his six grandchildren, whom he defined as” his source of daily energy. ”
He lives in Westport, Connecticut, for more than 30 years, already the root of the diagnosis He changed his perspective About time. “Now I find comfort more easily; all this gave me a more acute sense of appreciation, and I feel that It is unthinkable not to do the best with your time”He revealed in his interview.
His short -term memory, speech and mobility have been affected by treatments, but works with a vocal coach, performs voice therapy exercises, and meditates every day. Music always accompanies him, and even in these difficult times the inspiration arises to compose.
“I have a title for a song: ‘I’m not going to fall without fighting’”he indicated with enthusiasm. It also remains active with physical routines, along with a personal coach and occasionally makes golf rounds.
Since the end of the treatment rounds in October 2024, they do Magnetic resonances bimonnsual to monitor that the tumor has not reappeared. His last exploration, made in early April, tested positive.
The next steps consist of continuing with the monitoring and analyzing how it advances, since The glioblastoma recurrence rate is approximately 90 %according to the foundation of glioblastoma.
At the moment There is no cure For glioblastoma, and although the heartbreaking medical statistics position the diagnosis as a terminal disease with an estimated survival of 16 months, and exceptional cases that reach five years, Bolton chose not to ask and stay focused on the present. “They did not give me a forecast, and I prefer to be so. I choose to stay hopeful“The singer said.
“Whenever you are in a difficult situation, The simple fact of knowing that you are not just a great achievement“, He reflected. He also expressed his gratitude through his Instagram account, and defined this moment as” one of the most happy of recent times “, due to the messages of encouragement he received.” I think we perhaps inspire many who are going through something similar, and I want to continue; I feel that there is still a lot to do and a lot to fight for, ”he projected.
