'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson battles leukemia, broken back, possible 'ministrokes'
Phil Robertson is facing a difficult road with his life but he has his family and faith to support him.
In “Shameless about the Robertson family,” Phil's son, Jase, initially told fans that his father has “early stages of Alzheimer's” and “can't sit down and talk.”
“It's like accelerating, and it's causing problems with his whole body. And he has early stages of Alzheimer's. So, when you put those things together, he's not doing really well. He's struggling,” he continued.
His son, Willie Robertson, spoke to Fox News Digital by phone and clarified that Phil is “struggling with a lot of different things right now.”
Phil Robertson's son, Willie Robertson, told Fox News Digital that his father is “fighting a lot of different things right now.” (Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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“He has a blood problem, and then he has mental problems that may develop quickly [on-set] Alzheimer's … and maybe ministrokes because of his blood,” explained Willie. “Also, there might be some things that happen, that happened. So, we're still evaluating all of that. However, he also has a back problem, he broke his back and that's where it hurts. So, it's kind of fighting a lot of different things at the same time. “
Willie said that on a day-to-day basis, Phil's back pain is a major problem affecting his overall well-being.
“Especially in any situation where he gets up from a sitting or lying position, [it’s] it's very stressful for him, too, and it's very painful,” he said.
“We have several other things that we're looking at, we're trying different medications. And, again, it's a little difficult with the pain problem, with the back, because that seems to be very dominant in his day – today is from that, so we're trying to fix his back so that he can at least walk around. We're trying several different things. Let's see many doctors [are] just getting the best care we can and the best things we can and trying to figure out what's next.”
According to Willie, Phil suffers from back and blood problems as well as Alzheimer's and early ministrokes. (Courtesy of Phil Robertson)
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The “Duck Dynasty” star didn't elaborate on the blood disease but said it caused her father to produce “too much blood,” making it thicker and potentially leading to the ministroke he had.
“It's hard with the mental stuff,” Willie said. “It is difficult to determine exactly what these causes are, especially with the first symptoms, it is difficult to determine brain damage from a stroke or that of Alzheimer's?”
He went on to say, “I know that's in their families. He's had similar things with other siblings. This happened to almost all of his siblings who are gone.”
According to Willie, Phil also has an “enlarged spleen, which can push into the stomach, and can cause some of the food stuff.”
“He broke his back and that's where the pain is. So, it's kind of fighting a lot of different things at once.”
In “Shameless,” Jase shared that Phil “wasn't hungry at all” and had to “feed himself.”
“There are several problems that we are trying to solve, some of which may be coming from there. It can be pain but also blood disorders that have caused other things that they may be dealing with. like that,” said Willie.
Phil's son, Jase, second from the right, spoke about his father's health problems on the “Don't Be Shameful with the Robertson Family” podcast, revealing that his appetite has greatly diminished. (The Robertson Family)
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But the family is doing everything they can to support their patriarch, and Willie revealed, “I just got a text from him to bring him more food. He seems to like my cooking.”
“I made hamburgers, I made a few crawfish dishes. I made all kinds of things that I think he always liked and ate in the past, I don't know if they are as good as my mother's, but, I” did my best,” said the 52-year-old, adding that Phil can't “do what he usually does with his food.”
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The family managed to stay on top of Phil's health issues, seeking help when possible Alzheimer's symptoms began.
“We noticed some problems, so we started taking him to the doctor and trying to figure out what was wrong,” Willie said.
Willie said the family started noticing problems with Phil's memory and took him to the doctors for a check-up. (AP)
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“It's hard to know if someone is getting old and forgetful or if there's actually damage. And that's what we were trying to find out.”
Willie said that “some days are good and some days are not so good” for Phil, but they try to “have normal conversations that we can have with him.”
“He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that was comforting and he still hasn't lost something.”
Phil's wife and Willie's mother, “Miss Kay,” is dealing with some of her health issues stemming from a broken foot over the summer, which is affecting her mobility.
Willie said he wishes he could help more, but for now, the couple in their 60s spend their time together quietly.
Willie said his parents are working together as they are both dealing with health problems. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for A&E Networks)
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“They're both down there, in the same place. They're sitting in their chairs and doing the same thing. So, they get along well.”
Despite his condition, Phil is “as sharp as ever” when it comes to his faith and knowledge of the Bible.
“He goes back to that, so we find those are the things that seem to comfort him,” Willie said. “He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that was comforting and he still hasn't lost something.”
“He can't talk like he used to teach his class, so he's taking a break from that and his podcast and stuff. But it's still strong and important to him, he can't always form the words again. The thoughts I think he wants to do.”
According to Willie, Phil's faith is strong and “has comforted him”. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
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Willie continued, “His faith is an important part of his life. And life is short and temporary, and he always knows that. And we've always had such an eternal view, really, in life itself. We're not sad. , we realize that, you know, these are the things that happen in this world, and we deal with them .”
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And faith helps the whole family in this difficult time.
“In these times, that's where the religious element comes up a lot,” Willie said. “This is what we're about, this is what he lives for and hopefully there's more to it than that. And so, and he's a testament to that, even where he is now in life.”
Willie said the “faith part goes up” in times of crisis. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
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He added, “But who knows? God can do amazing things. I know there are a lot of prayers going up. And so it won't surprise me if he has a chance and ends up doing good, so you never know.”
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