7/16/2013 Marquette, Michigan — Doctors for Randy Travis have provided another update on his condition. The singer faces months of intensive therapy and will require medication to help control what has now become a chronic condition.
Dr. Michael Mack, the medical director of cardiovascular disease at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, reveals Travis was on life support for the first 48 hours after he was hospitalized last Sunday (July 7), suffering from viral cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. “His heart did respond positively to that and after a 48-hour period of time we were able to wean him from that support,” Mack states.
It was after that support was removed that Travis suffered a stroke on Wednesday (July 10), necessitating emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. Dr. Mack adds that the singer’s illness was initially viral in nature, but has now become a chronic condition.
“He has what’s called idiopathic cardiomyopathy,” Mack says, “which means he has scarring of his heart muscle that is causing his heart to be weak and not able to support his circulation without help of either medical devices of medication.” The doctor states that Travis’ heart shows scar tissue, but no active infection, and that his condition does not appear to stem from alcohol or drugs, pointing to his family history as the main contributing factor.
-Eric Scott
