Jeff Bridges' Cancer Battle
- Memorabilia and costumes from the 1998 cult classic “The Big Lebowski,” starring Jeff Bridges, are set to be auctioned off next month.
- “The Big Lebowski: The Complete Storyboards Auction,” being held by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), will help benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry program, which works to prevent childhood hunger across the United States.
- The 1998 crime comedy film, which was produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and celebrated it’s 25th anniversary this year, is a staple movie in Bridges career, so it’s no wonder the award-winning actor loves the movie so much.
- Bridges announced in October 2020 that he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and about a year later in September 2021, he was declared to be in remission.
- He had chemotherapy to treat his disease. Other lymphoma treatments include active surveillance, radiation, and bone marrow transplant.
Bridges, an activist, musician, photographer, and actor known for his iconic role as Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, recently promoted the upcoming event, dubbed “The Big Lebowski: The Complete Storyboards Auction,” being held by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
Read More“A portion of the proceeds from each lot will go to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. No Kid Hungry is a national campaign that is working to end childhood hunger in the United States, run by the national nonprofit organization Share Our Strength. Launched in 2010, the No Kid Hungry campaign equips schools and community organizations across the country with the technical assistance, funds and resources they need to connect kids to the food they need to thrive.”
Included among the soon-to-be auctioned items are the film’s “end-to-end” storyboard collection, Bridge’s character’s ensemble, “a light brown knitted fleece bathrobe and an off-white cotton Jockey T-shirt” worn by the actor himself, as well as his sunglasses.
According to Julien’s Auctions website, the robe has a starting bid of $7,000 and it is estimated to be auctioned off between $30,000 and $50,000.
As for Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski’s sunglasses, those have a starting bid of $5,000 and is estimated to go for $20,000 to $30,000.
Signed memorabilia will also be up for auction, for example, bowling pins with special pictures drawn on them by Bridges.
In a video clip, shared by Julien’s Auctions on YouTube, Bridge’s is seen promoting the upcoming auction and praising “The Big Lebowski” as one of his “favorite movies of all time.”
“And not just because I’m in it. Of course, I’m biased, by come on! … The Coen brothers, they know how to make ’em, man, and they make it look so easy,” he explained.
Speaking to the camera, Bridges continued, “It’s wonderful to be here and to celebrate the Turner Classic Movies.
“I’m so happy that they’re all about preserving these amazing films, “The Big Lebowski” being one of them, and the fact that Julien’s Auctions has made it possible for all you guys out there, who love your favorite movies, to get a little piece of that.”
As for what “really” makes Bridges happy, he insists its that a portion of the proceeds raised at this auction will help benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry program.”
“So, you guys, big away and have a groovy time doing it.”
Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle
Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.
While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.
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According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.
He dubbed his wife as being his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.
He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.
Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life.
“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire in an earlier interview. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”
“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”
Understanding Lymphoma
Jeff Bridge’s battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one of the two most common types of lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
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“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she added, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55, like Jeff Bridges. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
What Life May Look Like After Treatment
If patients have not experienced too many complications from their chemotherapy, “they are often able to go back to many of the same things that they did before they had their diagnosis of cancer and are able to live full and complete lives,” Dr. Michael Jain, medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
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If the cancer does return at some point, any future treatment you get will depend on:
- The type of lymphoma you had
- The type of treatment you received for it
- How long it has been since you finished your treatment
- Your overall health
Making a Survivorship Care Plan
So what comes after successful treatment? “At that point we often focus on the survivorship issues that they may have, preventing second cancers, and properly following them,” Dr. Jain explains.
A survivorship plan will include a schedule for follow-up exams and tests, plus a schedule for tests to check for any long-term health impacts from your cancer or treatment, and screening for any new cancers. (You’re at higher risk for cancers such as melanoma, lung cancer, and kidney cancer if you’ve had non-Hodgkin lymphoma).
Your doctor will likely tell you what to look out for in terms of side effects that could show up late or over the long term. Your care team will provide you with diet and physical activity recommendations as part of your survivorship plan.
Moving On From Treatment
It’s natural to feel continuing mental health effects, such as depression and anxiety, even after your treatment ends. This is where you can benefit from a supportive community. Look to strengthen your relationships with friends and family, faith groups, support groups, and mental health professionals to buoy you as you move on from treatment.
In addition to caring for their mental health, people who finish treatment and are in complete remission will want to move on from cancer with a physically healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, staying at a healthy weight, and not smoking are all lifestyle practices that generally contribute to a healthy quality of life.
Indeed, cancer and its treatment might naturally point survivors in the direction of such practices. “Mostly [we’re] trying to maximize the quality of life that people have, because once you have a cancer diagnosis, I think it is an important time in someone’s life where they can take stock and really understand what’s important,” Dr. Jain adds.
Thriving as a Cancer Survivor
We’re delighted delighted to see the beloved actor working toward helping others after beating cancer and raising awareness for the No Kid Hungry program. Bridges also often takes to social media to raise awareness for the Plastic Pollution Coalition, The Amazon Conservation Team, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
As we’ve seen in Bridges’ lymphoma battle, it is certainly possible to thrive following a cancer journey.
For example, college student-athlete Marecya Burton received an ovarian cancer diagnosis at age 20. She had been looking forward to graduation, but her life took a turn when she had to move home to begin cancer treatment.
“That was definitely challenging for me,” Burton previously told SurvivorNet. “I was looking forward to graduating.”
She also had hoped to obtain a law degree after graduation another dream she had had to put aside for treatment.
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She said, “I really had to, in a sense, put my life on hold. Sometimes I look at where I am, and I can’t help but wonder, would I be further had I not had my diagnosis?”
Despite not going to law school, Burton found joy in teacher and obtained a job at a high school in Baltimore, Maryland.
“I wouldn’t change my career for the world,” she said. “It’s so fulfilling.”
Do What You Love Even if Cancer Gets in the Way of Your Dreams
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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