Celebrating Milestones-- And Changing Your Health To Live a Better & Longer Life
- Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards, who previously quit tobacco and cut back on his alcohol intake after his fellow rockstars battled cancer, took to social media this week to celebrate his 80th birthday and his 40th wedding anniversary.
- Reaching milestones is huge, especially during or after a cancer battle, or following a life change like quitting tobacco and reducing alcohol intake. These events like getting engaged, turning another year older, or even wedding anniversaries may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all that you’ve overcome.
- One expert tells SurvivorNet that emotional health is associated with with better cancer-related outcomes. So, it’s important to keep doing things that you love during your cancer journey. And for some people, that may involve working.
- We’re happy to see Richards thriving in life, both with his love life and his health, especially after he quit smoking to reduce his risk of cancer.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cigarette smoking is linked to about 80 to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.
The English musician, singer-songwriter, and dad of four, was born on December 18, 1943, and four decades later, on his 40th birthday, the rockstar married the love of his life. Now, as an additional forty years have passed, Richards and his wife, who share two children together, are commemorating their deep affection and support for each other.
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He captioned the post, “For Patricia, Happy 40th Anniversary! I love you. Keith.”
Richards’ post prompted praise from numerous fans, with one writing, “So beautiful..Happy 40th Anniversary to @pattihansen and to you. Wishing you two all that is special. Love is everything!” and another commenting, “True Love is so Rare and Exquisite. Happy, happy Anniversary Beautiful Patti and Keith!”
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Richards met his wife on her 23rd birthday at Studio 54 and they started dated about nine months later, according to People.
Last year, on their wedding anniversary, their 38-year-old daughter Theodora Richards wrote a sweet post to celebrate their special day.
Alongside another iconic photo of their pair kissing on their wedding day, Richards’ daughter wrote, “”A jubilee happened yesterday. My parents had a party where we celebrated my dad being another year older and that my parents have been married for 39 years (really it’s 43yrs of togetherness but we’ll go off the legitimacy of their 1983 Cabo wedding).”
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“I am so proud of this family. We’ve been through a lot but the love is so strong and powerful that it carries us forever forward on a cloud of compassion and courage,” she continued.
“I love you mom and dad. You guys are my inspiration. And HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY dear Daddio.”
She also shared a recent photo of her mom, wearing her wedding dress, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek in what appears to be their home.
Why Keith Richards Stopped Smoking & Reduced His Alcohol Intake.
The notorious rock star revealed he quit smoking and dramatically reduced his drinking to protect his health after bandmate Ronnie Wood’s lung cancer diagnosis in 2017.
Richards, who wrote many of the Rolling Stones’ number-one hits, lost his fellow musician Bobby Keys passed following a long battle with liver cancer in 2014.
Three years later, guitarist Ronnie Wood was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent three months of treatment before going into remission.
Richards then decided to make some changes to reduce his risk for lung cancer. He went two years without alcohol, saying, “I pulled the plug on it. I got fed up with it.” And while he chainsmoked since his teenage years, he announced in February 2020 that he has quit completely. This follows earlier cold-turkey efforts that kick heroine, cocaine, and other drug habits.
Richards’ lifestyle change comes after nearly every member of the band faced serious health challenges. Drummer Charlie Watts was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004, which he attributed to decades of smoking. Mick Jagger, the band’s lead singer, underwent emergency heart surgery in 2019.
In a September 2023 interview with The Telegraph, Richards offered some more insight on his new, health conscious lifestyle.
He told the news outlet, “The cigarettes I gave up in 2019. I haven’t touched them since. I gave up heroin in 1978. I gave up cocaine in 2006. I still like a drink occasionally – because I’m not going to heaven any time soon – but apart from that, I’m trying to enjoy being straight. It’s a unique experience for me.”
Commenting on how he’s aging well, Richards said, “m blessed, maybe, that physically this thing [his body] just keeps going. So far, I have no real problem with getting old.
“There are some horrific things that you can see in the future, but you’ve got to get there. I’m getting along with the idea of being 80, and still walking, still talking. I find [aging] a fascinating process.”
Smoking and Lung Cancer
Richards’ hard-partying lifestyle may have dramatically increased his risk for lung cancer, but his recent decisions to cut back on smoking and drinking will help reduce the likelihood he contracts the disease.
Smoking is by far the leading cause of lung cancer: 80% of cases are directly caused by tobacco consumption. Even worse, smokers who don’t quit after being diagnosed are far more likely to suffer severe complications, like pneumonia, from lung cancer surgery.
Take it From a Guy Who Looks at Diseased Lungs Every Day Stop Smoking
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women in the United States. Non-smokers still get lung cancer, but cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for the disease. Tobacco smoke contains a mixture of more than 7,000 different chemicals, at least 70 of which are known to cause cancer, the CDC says.
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The CDC says cigarette smoking is linked to about 80 to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths, and people who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who don’t smoke. Additionally, second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer.
Smoking is, of course, the primary cause of lung cancer, but nonsmokers can and do develop this disease. Researchers have made progress in understanding the differences between lung cancer in smokers versus nonsmokers, says Dr. Ronald Natale, a medical oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and they’re developing targeted treatments that will be able to address the genetic drivers of lung cancer in nonsmokers.
WATCH: Smokers vs. Non-smokers and lung cancer
“Among patients who are nonsmokers, or former very light smokers, we identify a mutation that we can target with pills in about 60% to 70% of them. That leaves 30% or so, 40%, in whom we either have a target for which we do not have successful treatment,” Dr. Ronald Natale, a medical oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“Among patients who are smokers, who have more complex cancers that have hundreds, sometimes thousands of mutations, don’t have a driver mutation that we can give a pill for, which is only a tiny percentage of lifelong smokers. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment in most patients,” Dr. Natale explains further.
Reaching Milestones as a Cancer Survivor
Reaching milestones after during or after a cancer battle, or after life changes made to reduce the risk of cancer, is huge. These events like getting engaged, turning another year older, or a wedding anniversary like Keith Richards just celebrated may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all that you’ve overcome.
I’m Able to Be Here For More Milestones One Cancer Survivor’s Incredible Story
Chrissy Degennaro, a cancer warrior determined to keep enjoying these precious milestones, is a great example of this. She has been battling a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma for 14 years, and was first diagnosed when she was just 36 years old with a 2-year-old son.
When she was diagnosed, she almost expected to not be able to see him enter kindergarten. But thanks to 27 rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, a CAR-T cell trial and two CAR-T cell transplants over following 14 years, she’s able to keep making memories with her family.
“You know, I do live one day at a time,” Chrissy previously told SurvivorNet. “Now, maybe I can go a week, a month, but things are looking pretty good. I’m able to be here for more milestones for my son, for more holidays, more birthdays. I do feel like I have had another chance at life.”
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Benefits of Having a Supportive Partner
Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin says people faced with cancer should “surround [themselves] with individuals who care and support [them]” throughout treatment while also acknowledging their limits on what they can handle. Although Richards never battled cancer himself, his habit changes to reduce his risk of cancer and his wife’s support throughout it all is truly admirable.
“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” Dr. Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”
If you’re ever in a relationship where you feel overwhelmed by how your partner is trying to support you, Dr. Strongin says you should try to communicate your feelings. This may help you decide if your partner is the person you want beside you “during this arduous chapter” of life.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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