Johnny Cash, at his home in Hendersonville, TN, 2003
Photo by David McClister, edited from “Forever Words: The Unknown Poems.”
I always strive to be true to myself, and it has to be that way with my research. It’s best to begin writing about the subjects I’ve been reluctant of, like John’s death. The first book I read of him was “Johnny Cash: The Life” by Robert Hilburn, where those close to him shared how he suffered in his last days, it was upsetting.
John had diabetes, automatic neuropathy, glaucoma (lost 60% of his vision), asthma, and had frequent bouts with pneumonia. He could barely walk, couldn’t take care of himself, and was taking around 30 medications, 40 before his death. His cause of death was listed as “complications from diabetes,” in the book, Phill Maffatone (John’s nutritionist) believes, to this day, over-medication was to blame or didn’t help his condition.
What stays with me, is Maffatone stressed the need to reduce John’s medication, his children agreed, but John liked his doctor, he was loyal and stubborn, they couldn’t tell him what to do, so they didn’t. Yet, months before John Carter and Cindy pressured him to fire Peggy Knight, who (along with long-time staff) had become cold toward his children, before June’s death and the tension worsened after. His kids felt the staff weren’t operating in his best interests and were replaced with an ever-changing staff of nurses, strangers, John was uncomfortable, more so because he couldn’t see their faces. Why did the staff, who knew his children since they were little, change after June died?
Why did his children pressure him to fire Peggy (which started the walk-out of the old staff) and not pressure him to change his medication?
Dr. Michael Hunter, in “Autopsy: The Last Hours of…” a TV documentary series, speculated John’s cause of death: Scarred lungs from dust bawl’s in Arkansas, decades of heavy-smoking, a weak respiratory system from previous open heart surgeries, stress on his kidneys from over-medication, concluded, acid reflux/heartburn, worsened by nerve damage from his diabetes, was the underlying cause. Acid built up in his stomach, went into his esophagus, into his trachea, seeped into his throat and lungs, damaging any healthy tissue left, leading to respiratory failure and his death.
I know how I feel about this, there’s more I could add, but I end with this. It hurts to know how John suffered, he was surrounded by people, yet still alone, might as well have died in a nursing home, it all seemed so preventable, but I don’t know…What do you think?
