“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan spoke with TMZ Sports this week after getting out of an intensive care unit in South Carolina.
As noted, the WWE Hall Of Famer was hospitalized in ICU due to breathing trouble and heart complications. After getting out of the hospital earlier this week, the pro wrestling legend spoke at length about his recent health issues with the popular celebrity gossip media outlet.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On first realizing he was having health issues and finally going to get himself checked out on the advice of his wife: “I flew up to New York on Sunday for an autograph session and flew back Sunday night. I had a little tightness in my chest, and of course some years ago I tore my pectoral muscle and never had it fixed, so I thought that was the problem. Well, I drove back from Virginia on Monday, and Tuesday night I was trying to move some boxes for my daughter and I’m like, ‘I cant believe how out of shape I am! I can’t walk up the stairs carrying a box.’ I was really having trouble breathing.’
“Tuesday morning, I got up and I was trying to take my blood pressure, and my wife came in, and I said, ‘maybe I should get an EKG, but not at the hospital!’ And she said, ‘We’re going to the hospital!’ Of course, we went in and with chest problems, they take good care of you. The first EKG they did, six or eight more people came in the room and started sticking me and plugging me up to machines and stuff. Which was pretty terrifying to tell you the truth, because ya know, I’ve been relatively healthy my whole life and never had a heart problem. And all of a sudden, all these people with masks on are seriously working on you. It’s pretty terrifying! They told me my heart had gone in to AFib, which is not a life-threatening deal.”
On staying in good spirits despite his diagnosis and finding support from his family and friends who have dealt with similar health issues: “Bill Eadie, one of the Demolition guys, called me and said he had Afib for many years. Jerry Lawler called me and said, of course, he has a heart problem and is still doing well. [Brian] Knobbs and [Jerry] Sags. Hulk Hogan. Just everybody checked in on me, which was really nice. The outpouring from the fans and friends is humbling.”
Check out the complete TMZ Sports interview with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan via the YouTube player embedded below.
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View this post on InstagramDoing ok, hope to be out by Saturday ! But will.miss the show this Sat.