Dolly Parton isn’t hanging up her heels just yet.
The 79-year-old country music legend took to Instagram this week to reassure fans she’s still going strong after her sister’s public request for prayers sparked concern.
“I know lately, everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am,” Parton said in a video posted on X Wednesday, “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here!”
The update comes just days after the “9 to 5” singer postponed her first Las Vegas residency in more than 30 years.
“As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” Parton explained. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Though famously private about parts of her personal life, Parton has been open about several health challenges she’s faced in the past. Here’s a look at the medical issues she’s endured as fans root for her recovery.
Facing endometriosis
In 1982, Parton was forced to cancel a tour due to severe abdominal pain and bleeding. Later, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, often causing intense pelvic pain — especially during menstrual periods — and can lead to fertility issues.
To manage her symptoms, Parton underwent a partial hysterectomy in 1985 at the age of 36, during which her entire uterus and part of her cervix were removed, according to an interview with Closer Weekly. The procedure left her unable to carry children.
Overcoming mental health struggles
Parton has been candid about the emotional spiral she fell into following her endometriosis diagnosis, surgery and the painful realization that she wouldn’t be able to have biological children.
“Suddenly I was a middle-aged woman. I went through a dark time, until I made myself snap out of it,” she revealed in the 2017 book “Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.”
That “dark time” brought deep depression, an emotional affair and bouts of binge eating that caused her to rapidly gain 50 pounds.
The “Jolene” singer’s despair grew so consuming that she says she even contemplated ending her life and found herself arguing with God.
“I just said things like, ‘Look this is ridiculous, I am not happy,’ [and] arguing about why when they say you shouldn’t commit suicide because that’s a sin you can’t get forgiven for,” Parton recalled during a 2019 episode of the podcast “Dolly Parton’s America.”
“Everything was just confusing to me and I was just angry and I was hurt, and I was unhappy, and so I just said ‘You’re going to have to get me some answers or I’m getting out of here.’”
At her lowest point, alone in her bedroom with a gun, Parton believes a sign from above may have saved her life.
Suddenly, her Boston terrier, Popeye, ran up the stairs and into the room, “’bout the time I was writing my— you know,” she said. “God is dog spelled backwards, and I always thought that might have been the very thing.”
In recent months, Parton has opened up about the heartache she’s felt since the death of her husband of nearly 59 years, Carl Dean, in March.
“I’ve loved him since I was 18 years old, and it’s a big adjustment just trying to change patterns and habits,” the Grammy winner said during a TODAY segment in May. “I’ll always love him,” she added, admitting she gets “very emotional” when people bring it up.
In July, Parton revealed on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast “Khloé in Wonder Land” that she hasn’t been able to write since her husband’s passing.
“Several things I’ve wanted to start, but I can’t do it,” she said. “I got so many other things and I can’t afford the luxury of getting that emotional right now.”
Managing back pain
In 2008, Parton was forced to delay the start of her ninth headlining tour, supporting her 40th studio album “Backwoods Barbie,” after suffering a back injury.
“Hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don’t have back problems,” Parton joked, referring to her breasts, according to Reuters.
“The truth is I just bent over one day to pick something up, and I hurt my lower back… I just kind of popped a disk in my lower back,” she explained, adding that her doctor advised six to eight weeks of rest.
“It was just one of those freak things, and it’s fine now,” she reassured fans.
Kidney stone setbacks
In September, Parton was forced to skip a Dollywood event after being sidelined by a painful kidney stone.
“I had a kidney stone, which caused me a lot of problems,” she said. “Turns out there was an infection. And the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better.’ So he suggested I not go to Dollywood today.”
The “Here You Come Again” singer previously shut down false rumors of stomach cancer by revealing she had three kidney stones removed in 2015.
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and acid salts that form when certain substances in urine become too concentrated. The painful pebbles can make it difficult to urinate and keep food down.
Around 11% of men and 6% of women in the US will experience kidney stones at least once in their lives.
Parton hasn’t revealed the full details of her current health issues, but her rep, Olly Rowland, recently cleared up rumors after the singer’s younger sister, Freida Parton, sparked concern by asking fans to pray for the country star.
“It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”
Despite the setback, Dolly made one thing clear: she’s not planning to retire anytime soon.
“Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” Parton told fans in a video.
“But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
