Former President Jimmy Carter, who is receiving hospice care at home after a series of short hospital stays, has had several health problems in recent years.
At 98, Carter is America’s oldest and longest serving president, telling People Magazine in 2015, when he was 95, that he didn’t expect to live that long.
Here are some of the recent health issues Carter has faced:
Liver surgery
Carter underwent elective surgery on Aug. 2, 2015, at Emory University Hospital to remove a small lump in his liver, the Carter Center announced at the time.
Although the operation was successful and doctors announced that he would make a full recovery, the operation revealed other health issues for the former president.
Cancer diagnosis 2015
On August 11, 2015, Carter said surgery on his liver revealed he had cancer and had spread to other parts of his body.
“I will rearrange my schedule if necessary so that I can undergo treatment by Emory Healthcare doctors,” he said in a statement through his organization.
There is a history of cancer in Carter’s family. Her mother died of breast cancer. Her father, her two sisters and her brother all died of pancreatic cancer.
Former President Jimmy Carter sits on the Atlanta Falcons bench before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Diego Chargers, October 23, 2016, in Atlanta.
John Bazemore/AP, FILE
Doctors discovered that Carter had melanoma, one of the most common cancers in men and women in the United States and the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Melanoma has a very high risk of metastasizing to the bloodstream or lymphatic system and to other parts of the body.
The 39th president said at a press conference on August 20, 2015 that an MRI of his head and neck revealed that the cancer had spread to four different parts of his brain.
Carter, who was 90 at the time, said when he found out the cancer had spread, he thought he didn’t have much time left, which didn’t alarm him.
“I just thought I had a few weeks left, but I was surprisingly comfortable,” Carter said. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I have thousands of friends…so I was surprisingly comfortable, way more so than my wife.”
During the press conference, Carter said that despite the ease of knowing he was living a full life, he would follow his doctors’ recommendation to make sure he “extended” his life for as long as he needed. can.
He underwent surgery, radiation therapy and a cancer treatment called immunotherapy to fight the disease.
Carter received treatments between August 2015 and February 2016.
In December 2015, responding well to treatment, Carter said MRIs showed there were no more signs of melanoma spots on her brain, and there were no new ones.
The former president told his church in March 2016 that doctors stopped his treatment after seeing no signs of a tumor.
Experts say the treatment’s success was likely mainly due to the drug pembrolizumab, which targets cancer by boosting the body’s immune system. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the treatment in 2011.
Dehydration at Habitat for Humanity
On July 13, 2017, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner was taken to hospital for observation after becoming dehydrated while building homes in the scorching sun at a Habitat for Humanity site in Winnipeg, Canada.
Carter was back at the job site the next day after being discharged from the hospital, the Carter Center announcement.
Former President Jimmy Carter smiles as he receives the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero from Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela during a ceremony at the Carter Center, January 14, 2016, in Atlanta.
John Bazemore/AP, FILE
Grave at his home in Georgia
Carter fell at his home in Plains, Georgia while out turkey hunting, breaking his hip, his organization announced in May 2019.
The Grammy Award winner underwent hip replacement surgery at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia on May 13, 2019.
“President Carter has said that his primary concern is that turkey season is ending this week and he has not reached his limit,” the Carter Foundation said. “He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to roll over the unused limit to next year.”
A few days later, the Carter Center announced that he would undergo physical therapy after the operation and would recover at home.
On October 6, 2019, Carter fell at his home in Georgia. He ended up getting stitches above one of his eyebrows.
A few weeks later, on October 22, 2019, the former president fell again at his home. He was admitted to hospital and treated for a minor pelvic fracture, the Carter Center said.
Carter underwent surgery on Nov. 12, 2019, to relieve pressure on his brain caused by bleeding from falls at his home. According to The Carter Center, there were no complications following the operation.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta, August 20, 2015.
John Amis/Reuters, FILE
Palliative care at home
On Saturday, the Carter Center announced that the former president was receiving hospice care at home, where he was expected to spend his final moments with loved ones, rather than seek treatment.
“He has the full support of his family and his medical team,” the Carter Center said in a statement. “The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the interest shown by its many admirers.”
Despite health issues in recent years, Carter credits his marriage to his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, for its longevity.
“It’s hard to live to be 95,” he told People Magazine in 2019, weeks after his second fall. “I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse, someone who will take care of you and be committed and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life.”
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso, Julia Jacobo, Dr. Chantel Strachan and Gillian Mohney contributed to this report.
ABC News
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