The star is getting serious about his health following a scary hospital dash which saw him diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.
Dog the Bounty Hunter is getting serious about his health following a scary hospital dash which saw him diagnosed with pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the arteries) earlier this month.
The reality star, whose real name is Duane Chapman, was taken to hospital two and a half weeks ago after falling ill while working out, and he’s now determined to turn his health around -- starting with kicking his smoking habit.
“Dr. Oz kind of freaked me out about the smoking,” Chapman told ET during an interview over FaceTime on Monday. “I am more cautious. But I don't worry about dying.”
“Dr. Oz introduced me to a professional interventionist in smoking,” he also shared. “So, I went to buy Chantix [a prescription medication to help adults quit smoking].”
However, Chapman said he was horrified at the cost of such medications.
“They want $600, what a crock of sh**!” he complained. “You know $600 -- what the hell is wrong with them? How in the hell can anybody afford this stuff?”
Chapman said he had also just ordered a nicotine patch which he would begin wearing in the afternoon. He noted that his children are also hoping he can quit.
“None of my children smoke,” he said. “So they all encourage me to quit smoking. But I haven't told my children what's going on. I don't want them to worry. It's not any of their business [and] I have not told them what's really going on.”
Chapman appeared to be referring to his recent health struggles, which began when he was exercising at home. He experienced tightness in his chest and turned pale. He had previously suffered similar chest pain around a year earlier and found cold water helped relieve it, however this time, drinking cool water only made the feeling worse.
Eventually allowing his assistant to take him to hospital, Chapman said doctors suspected a problem with his heart, then discovered a blood clot in his lungs.
“Eight minutes after I had the test on the heart, she took me into the room where they check blood clots and then said that on my lung I have a huge blood clot,” Chapman said. “The reason for the blood clot was thick blood. The next step is blood thinners -- 98 percent of blood thinners work on the blood clot.”
Chapman said he spent two days in hospital following the scare and is now eager to remain in good health, especially since the family only just lost wife and mother, Beth Chapman, in June.
“I'd rather live,” said Chapman, who previously suggested his health problems were due to a broken heart from losing Beth. “I'd rather live and continue. I have a lot of children. They depend on me.”
In addition to attempting to quit smoking, he is also continuing to exercise regularly.
“I have a homemade gym here, so I exercise a full body [workout] daily,” he said. “And, I drink a lot of water while I exercise. I take no supplements. I tighten up all the muscles and I feel much better every single day after I work out.”
See more on Chapman and his family below.
Reporting by Brendon Geoffrion.
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