How Natalie Cole Copes With Chronic Hepatitis C Singer Reveals Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

Hepatitis C is killing more Americans than HIV, according to a just-released study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the millions infected is singer Natalie Cole. In this exclusive, she reveals how she’s living with and managing her chronic hepatitis C... Trouble is no stranger to multi-Grammy winning singer, Natalie Cole, 61 years old. She lost her iconic father, Nat King Cole, when she was just 15, and struggled with drug abuse for years, which she described in her 2000 autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder (Grand Central Publishing). After going through rehab for drug use in 1983, Cole thought she put the dark days behind her. But in 2008, a diagnosis of the liver disease hepatitis C brought them home again. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that damages the liver and other organs. It may lead to a liver transplant or even death. In fact, Cole got a transplant in 2009, but not for a new liver. Because of chronic hepatitis C, both her kidneys had begun failing, and she received a new kidney. “I've been so fortunate to have learned so much from my past experiences,” she says. “So I knew there was a lesson to learn from this too.” Too many patients suffer with chronic hepatitis C in silence, Cole says. And many more unknowingly live with the liver disease because they’re afraid of being tested and facing a lifetime with chronic hepatitis C. “I want people to know you can live with hepatitis,” she says. “And there are remarkable treatments available to help you do just that.” In this exclusive interview, Cole reveals her life with chronic hepatitis C and how she managed the guilt of knowing her past most likely contributed to her developing the disease. Were you having any hepatitis C symptoms before your diagnosis? I had virtually no symptoms. There was no warning or any signs – which really made the diagnosis a shock. If you weren’t having hepatitis C symptoms, what led to the diagnosis? I was in the studio recording “Still Unforgettable” in 2008, and had a hernia that needed to be [treated with surgery]. As is the case with most surgical procedures – even minor ones – my doctor ordered routine blood work beforehand. The results came back and the doctor said my blood count wasn’t great and that I needed to see a kidney specialist. Were you anxious? At that point, I wasn’t really worried. Then when the doctor said ‘You might have hepatitis C’, I said ‘What?’ I was completely and totally shocked. What went through your mind when you heard you had chronic hepatitis C? It’s scary. Your liver is so vital to your health and the thought that I had [hepatitis C] was unnerving and terrifying. I didn’t see it coming, so I was really quite upset. Did the doctor offer possible causes for contracting the liver disease? I’ve been very open about my heroin use of over 25 years ago. The sharing of needles and other paraphernalia involved with drug use is the most common way to get this disease. It wasn’t a stretch to connect those dots. That’s why when [the doctor] told me I had hepatitis, I thought ‘Oh my, don’t tell me that this [hepatitis C virus] was able to live in my body for 25 years and now my past is coming back down on me.’ Did you feel guilt about your drug abuse and consequent diagnosis? I’m usually the type to say, ‘I’m just going to fight and live in the present.’ I can’t be bothered beating myself up with guilt. Once I got sober, I learned guilt is just too stressful. I take full responsibility for anything I’ve done in my life and the consequences – so there’s no room for guilt. But I got very angry. Then I started worrying. What did you worry about? I worried how my diagnosis would affect my life and career. What would treatment involve? I was very scared. What angered you? I was so angry at myself, but I realized there’s no point on dwelling on the ‘should haves’ and getting stuck on anger or worry. So I refocused on ‘What are we going to do to get me healthy?’ I needed to focus on ‘What’s the treatment?’ Even if a person does dwell on anger, guilt or whatever, in the meantime, they need to get treatment. How were you treated for chronic hepatitis C? I was treated with interferon and that was very intense. [Editor’s note: Interferon, a cytokine protein the body produces, is the most common treatment for hepatitis C. It fights the virus by boosting the immune system and slowing its replication, according to National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).] Did the treatment affect the quality of your life? Oh yes! The quality of my life changed during treatment. I lost weight and was very weak. I was extremely fatigued and, at one point, dehydrated. For a while I couldn’t stand, let alone sing. But I continued to work as much as possible, even though that wasn’t easy. How did you combat fatigue? I slept whenever possible – right until I had to put makeup on and go on stage. My attitude also helped. I was determined and believed in myself and my faith. I knew I would overcome hepatitis. I just needed to do one step at a time and allow myself to rest if I needed to. Did your family or friends help? My family and friends were amazing. I couldn’t imagine going through what I did without them by my side. One of my oldest and dearest friends was with me every step of the way. (We had our kids six days apart, and have been through everything since.) She would sleep over, wait on me, go to the doctor with me – she was phenomenal. It’s important for women facing any health crisis to have that sort of support. That’s critical to recovering physically and emotionally and getting through treatment. How have chronic hepatitis C and its treatment affected your career? When you’re going through something like this, you must have a positive attitude. If people see you feeling pitiful, then they feel bad. If you look bad, they won’t enjoy themselves around you, whether you’re a performer or not. I wanted to give the audience a good time and didn’t want to make them feel bad for me. I knew I had to get out there and do the best I could. Are you still being treated for chronic hepatitis C? Yes, but thankfully the treatment is much better. Now, I just take one pill a day for hepatitis. I take it and go on with my day without thinking much about it again. The quality of my life is the same as it was before diagnosis, if not better. I travel and perform, and feel great. How do you stay healthy? I’m not doing anything different than before I was diagnosed. I eat what I want and feel very blessed that I’m not on steroids and that my liver has healed 80%. I take medicine for my kidney, so I don’t reject the transplant. What prompted you to take your diagnosis public? I didn’t want anyone telling my story for me. Because the treatment that I was on was so debilitating, people or the paparazzi might see me in a wheelchair, looking frail and on oxygen. I knew they might start making up stories, so I released a statement and put the word out on my terms. That [quickly] calmed down rumors. Going public saved me from having the press perform their own diagnosis and make up conditions or stories about my health. I also did it to raise awareness for this very preventable disease. What does it mean to you to be a voice for chronic hepatitis C patients? It would have been much more difficult to do without the constant love and support of family and friends. Unfortunately, I know that a lot of people don’t have that outlet or resource, so I’m trying to help them by bringing attention and awareness to the disease. I don’t want anyone to feel ashamed, or think they have to go through this alone. Hopefully, I’ll inspire others with the disease. I hope that by going public with my health and by continuing to talk about hepatitis, people realize there are support group sessions or treatment options too. And know they can live an unforgettable life despite having hepatitis. Women's Health: How Much Do You Know? As a woman, your health concerns are as unique as your body. How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. There's no substitute for good health, and when it's gone, it's often gone for good. Don't let it pass you by.