Bassist struggled with addiction for years and only managed to recover after suffering acute pancreatitis and witnessing his mother’s suffering
O Ministry of Health recommends that an adult human being ingest at least two liters of water every day to stay healthy. Who knows how, Duff McKagan claims to have survived for 12 years without consuming the liquid.
the bassist of Armas e Rosas discussed the subject in a recent participation in the TV Rock & Roll Road Trip (via Far Out Magazine)presented by vocalist Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen). From the way he approached the subject, it doesn’t seem exaggerated that he went 12 years without ingesting water. The question is: suffering from alcoholism throughout his youth and early adulthood, he substituted alcohol, completely eliminating the healthier option.
“My family tried an intervention on me the day after we played the King Dome [em Seattle, sua terra natal], but my family also drank. So I ran from that intervention. My body was failing. My hair was falling out. I didn’t drink water, only alcohol. I literally haven’t had a glass of water for 12 years. I am not kidding.”
McKagan he also admitted that he didn’t think about living long at that time. Today, the bassist is 59 years old, contrary to all his expectations from the time when he was surrendered to addiction.
“I got to a point at 28 and kind of thought, ‘Well, I guess I’ll make it to 30 and that’s it.’ He didn’t want to end up like that, but he was okay with it. I was in a frame of mind like, ‘That’s the way it is: live fast, die young… f#fuck’.”
Acute pancreatitis at 30
Ultimately, the forecast Duff McKagan almost came true. The bassist suffered a crisis of acute pancreatitis just when he was 30 years old, in 1994. The situation was so serious that his pancreas simply ruptured, so swollen he was.
The consequences of the breakup were even worse. Due to the release of digestive enzymes in the body, the bassist suffered third-degree burns internally. During the same interview, he recalled the situation.
“Woke up one morning and thought it was just some sharp gas pains so I rolled over a bit and it spread to my hips all the way around to my back I couldn’t even move to pick up the phone and call 911.”
The musician reported that he couldn’t even breathe right. It was a tragedy announced.
“I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t do anything, but then a friend came to see me and said, ‘Shit, it finally happened.’ My pancreas burst, so all the enzymes that digest your food shouldn’t be out there dancing on top of your organs.”
Duff McKagan’s Redemption
Faced with such a serious problem, Duff McKagan andhe found in his mother the strength to recover. Alice Marie McKagan, at the time, he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was in a wheelchair.
In an interview with Wales Online (via Whiplash)the bassist of Armas e Rosas revealed that he finally noticed that he was the one who should be taking care of her. Then came a “moment of clarity”.
“I understood that I needed to change or I was risking losing everything. She drank a gallon of vodka and took all kinds of drugs. I wasn’t being fair to my mother. He was a lioness, seriously ill and still worrying about me. It should be the other way around, I should take care of her. At that very moment I knew I needed to get sober.”
Since then, duff he walked through sobriety and became an example for his mother. Alice sadly passed away in 1999, but she could see her son’s comeback.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
