Aretha Franklin on Mystery Illness: 'The Problem Has Been Resolved'

In her first in-depth interview since undergoing a mysterious medical "procedure" last month, Aretha Franklin tells the folks over at Jet magazine the "problem" that landed her in the operating room has been "resolved". WHAT PROBLEM?! She remains mum on that piece of information, but according to several news reports and the Enquirer, who broke the story (again!), Aretha is suffering from pancreatic cancer -- an incurable and fatal disease.

The Queen of Soul is not one to divulge much about her personal life away from the spotlight. She is known to be an intensely private person.

Speaking exclusively to JET for the third interview since announcing that doctors advised she cancel all concerts until May because of her health, she says: “I am not one to do a lot of talking about my personal health or business. Not too much, not too much. There are a lot of people who will talk about anything, as long as there is somebody listening. But I am not one of those people. That’s not Aretha.”

And that’s why she says she's not discussing the news reports and rumors that she is battling pancreatic cancer.

“I am not going to even deal with that,” she states. “I don’t have to talk about my health with anybody other than my doctors. The problem has been resolved.”

The soul icon encourages people to stay on top of their health. “If there is anything happening with you that is uncommon and something that you know should not be happening, go to your doctor. Be determined to find out what is going on.”

She reveals that she went to a series of doctors who ran tests before they discovered what was wrong. She recalls saying to herself, “ 'I know there is a problem, but these tests are showing nothing.'”

She recalls having “a very hard pain in my side” during a concert in Toronto, Canada last year. "I had a colonoscopy and it showed nothing was wrong. I associated the pain in my side with the colonoscopy that I had within a day or two before. I got up at 2 o’clock in the morning and called the doctor who did the colonoscopy and told him what was happening. He said, ‘Miss Franklin, whatever it is, it is not from the colonoscopy. You need to come home and have a CAT-scan.’ Thank God he said that because that unfolded everything, what the problem was and everything.”

She reiterates why she talked to JET, “I know my fans are concerned. Let them know I am feeling great and coming along.”

She sends out a message of gratitude for her fans worldwide. “I want to thank my fans and friends and supporters who have prayed for me and sent me beautiful cards and flowers. Please continue to respect my privacy as I continue to recover.”
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If you read Aretha's account of events, it's eerily similar to what friends say went down before she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lead to the subsequent surgery to remove half of her stomach! Furthermore, at 5'5" and weighing 300 pounds, medical problems will continue to persist, no? But on a parting note, we truly do wish the Queen of Soul a speedy recovery.