Phil Robertson faces a difficult road due to his health, but is supported by his family and faith.
On ‘Unapologetic towards the Robertson family’ Phil’s son, Jase, initially told fans that his father has the disease “early stages of Alzheimer’s disease” and is “unable to sit down and have a conversation.”
“It seems like it’s accelerated, 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 really not doing well. He’s struggling,” he continued. he.
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 “struggling with a lot of different things right now.” (Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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“He has a blood disorder, and then he has the mental issues that could be early (early) Alzheimer’s… and probably some mini-strokes because of his blood,” Willie explained. “And so it could be that a stroke has occurred, that has happened. So we’re still checking that out. But then he also has a back problem, he broke his back and that’s where the pain is. So he is a kind of struggle against many different things at the same time.”
Willie said Phil’s back pain is the biggest problem affecting his overall well-being on a daily basis.
“Especially in any situation where he gets up from a sitting or lying position, it’s also super stressful for him and very painful,” he said.
“We have several other things we’re looking at, we’re trying some different medications. And again, it’s a little bit more difficult with the pain issue, with the back, because that seems to dominate a lot of his day. Today is the day.” , so we’re trying to get his back fixed so he can at least move. We’re trying different things. We’ve seen a lot of doctors and (are) just getting the best care we can and the best things we can and trying to find out what’s next.”
According to Willie, Phil suffers from back pain and a blood disorder, as well as early Alzheimer’s and mini-strokes. (Courtesy of Phil Robertson)
The “Duck Dynasty” star didn’t share the details of the blood disorder, but said it caused his father to produce “too much blood,” making it thicker and potentially leading to the mini-stroke he had.
“It’s hard with the mental stuff,” Willie said. “It’s difficult to determine exactly what these causes are, especially when there are early signs. It’s difficult to diagnose brain damage from a stroke, or is that Alzheimer’s disease?”
He added: “I know that runs in their family. Other siblings have also had similar things. This has happened to virtually all of his siblings who have passed away.”
According to Willie, Phil also has an “enlarged spleen, which can press on the stomach and cause some appetite problems.”
“He broke his back and that’s where the pain is. So he’s fighting a lot of different things at the same time.”
In “Unashamed,” Jase shared that Phil was “not hungry at all” and had to “force himself to eat.”
“There are a few issues we’re trying to figure out, and that may be where some of that comes from. It could be the pain or it could be the blood disease that has caused some of the things we could be dealing with. That’s true,’ Willie said.
Phil’s son, Jase, second from right, spoke about his father’s health problems on the ‘Unashamed with the Robertson Family’ podcast and revealed that his appetite has drastically reduced. (Robertson family)
But the family is doing their best to feed their patriarch, with Willie revealing, “I just got a message from him telling me to bring him more food. He seems to like my cooking.”
“I make burgers, I made some crawfish dishes. I’ve done all kinds of things that I think he used to like and eat. I don’t know if it’s as good as my mom’s, but I’m trying my best,” the 52-year-old shared, adding that Phil “usually can’t do what he normally does for his food.”
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The family has been able to closely monitor Phil’s health issues and sought help when the possible signs of Alzheimer’s disease first began.
“We noticed some problems, so we took him to the doctor to find out exactly what was going on,” Willie said.
Willie said the family began noticing problems with Phil’s memory and took him in for examination by doctors. (AP)
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“It’s hard to know if someone is just getting older and forgetful, or if there is actual damage. And that’s exactly what we tried to find out.”
Willie said that “some days are good and some days are not so good” for Phil, but they try to “have the most normal conversations with him.”
“He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s comforting and something he hasn’t lost yet.”
Phil’s wife and Willie’s mother, ‘Miss Kay’, is dealing with some of her own health issues due to a broken foot over the summer, which affects her mobility.
Willie said she’d love to help more, but in the meantime… the couple for almost 60 years spend their time together quietly.
Willie said his parents keep each other company as they both struggle with health issues. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for A&E Networks)
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‘They’re both sitting there, in the same place. They sit in their chairs and do the same thing. So they certainly keep each other company.’
Despite his condition, Phil is “as sharp as ever” when it comes to his faith and knowledge of the Bible.
“He goes right back to that, and so we find that these are 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’s comforting and something he hasn’t lost yet.
‘He can’t talks like he used to and teaching his class, and so he’s kind of taking a break from that and his podcast and stuff. But it’s still strong and essential for him, he just can’t always express the words and thoughts that I think he wants to make.”
According to Willie, Phil’s faith is strong and “comforting” for him. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Willie continued, “His faith is such an important part of his life. And life is short and temporary, and he always knew that. And we’ve actually always had such an eternal perspective on life itself. We are not sad. We realize that these, you know, these are things that happen on this earth, and we deal with them.”
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And faith helps the entire family through this difficult time.
“These times are when the faith component really comes to the fore,” Willie said. “This is what we care about, this is what he lives for and the hope that there is something else. And so, and he’s definitely a testament to that, even where he is in life now.”
Willie said the “faith component really increases” in times of trouble. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
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He added, “But who knows? God could do some amazing things. I know there’s a lot of prayers going up. And so I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his turn and does a great job, so you know but never.”
