Colt Ford Reveals Eye Cancer Diagnosis + Surgery
Colt Ford is getting back to work after an admittedly difficult year — one that he has revealed was even more trying due to a health scare. In a new interview, the trailblazing country rapper shares that he recently underwent surgery after doctors diagnosed him with eye cancer.
Ford’s health ordeal started in March of 2021, when a friend of his pointed out a spot on his eye. He wasn’t overly concerned after an optometrist friend of his prescribed some eye drops, but that began to change when the spot grew larger instead of going away.
“I went to a doctor in Georgia that specialized in cataracts and all that stuff, and I remember them saying, ‘This ain’t good’ and ‘You gotta get this out,'” Ford tells People. “They wanted me to go see a cornea specialist, Dr. Uyen Tran, in Nashville, and that’s when I started getting really nervous.”
His doctor came back with a diagnosis of eye cancer and a grim warning.
“The doctor told me I was a week to 10 days from having to go on full chemo,” Ford shares.
The country artist underwent eye surgery in April and shared the news of his diagnosis with fans online shortly before the procedure.
He tells People he had surgery on a Tuesday, and he was back on stage playing a live show that Friday. He is currently treating his eye with drops, and he says “they will really need to watch” his condition going forward — but he’s also managed to find somewhat of a silver lining in the situation.
“I had so many friends asking, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?'” Ford relates. “But I just thought everyone was dealing with so much stuff and stress … I didn’t want to put that burden on anyone else. But it did feel good to have so many people reach out to me. It reminded me that it’s not always about the music. They actually care about me — the person.”
Ford admits he was already struggling with the restrictions of the COVID-19 lockdown prior to his difficult diagnosis, to the point where he had been on antidepressants during much of the shutdown.
“I’m a happy guy and I love being with people and playing my music for people, so lockdown was just brutal for me,” he states. “I did what I could to pay my band and such, but it just hurt me that I couldn’t do more.”
Ford is returning to work with the impending May 28 release of his new single, “When Country Comes Back,” and he kicked off his When Country Comes Back Tour on May 7. The road trek runs through mid-November.
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