While updating fans on the successful surgery to remove a portion of her lung following a cancer diagnosis, comedian Kathy Griffin revealed that she’s already stopped taking painkillers out of fear of falling back into addiction. After the 2017 controversy surrounding the infamous photo of Griffin holding Donald Trump’s severed head, the comedian went through a period of addiction that culminated in a suicide attempt in 2020. It’s not a struggle that the comedian is looking to repeat, and Griffin opened up to fans about switching to Tylenol after her cancer surgery. Via Twitter:
To be honest, this cancer surgery was a little more than I had anticipated. Tonight will be my first night without any narcotic pain killers. Hello Tylenol, my new best friend! The last time I was in a hospital in June 2020 when I tried to take my life and overdosed on prescription pills. With over a year clean and drug free, I now know I can do this and anything I want without those devil pills Y’know what? I fear drugs and addiction more than I fear cancer. So, I think I’ll be ok.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 5, 2021
Considering she’s never been a smoker, Griffin’s lung cancer diagnosis arrived as a surprise, but the comedian has remained optimistic throughout the ordeal. In her initial announcement, she also made it a point to tout the importance of the COVID vaccine, which prevented her situation from being far worse.
“Of course I’m fully vaccinated for Covid,” Griffin wrote. “The consequences for being unvaccinated would have been even more serious. Please stay up to date on your medical check ups. It’ll save your life.”
(Via Kathy Griffin on Twitter)
