Following the recent cancellation of more concerts, Dolly Parton opens up about her health.
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In a recent Instagram post, the country music icon gave an update about her life since the passing of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in early 2025.
“First, it’s concerning my health — and I have some good news and a little bad news,” she explained. “But the good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments, and I’m improving every day. Now, the bad news is that it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say.”
Parton further shared that she couldn’t be “dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels.”
“And you know I’m gonna be wearing them. Not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair and my…big uh personality. That would make anybody swimmy-headed,” she declared.
The “9 to 5” hitmaker then spoke out about her kidney stone issues.
“I’ve told you before that I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones,” she pointed out. “Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tenn. But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding their strength.”
She went on to joke about not wanting her lower lip to fall off “on top of everything else,” comparing it to “losing a hub cap.”
“Anyway, I know I’m being silly,” she noted. “But I’m just tryin’ to keep everything light and airy.”
Parton noted that her Las Vegas residency has been canceled.
Parton Spoke About Her First Year Without Her Late Husband
Meanwhile, Parton reflected on her first year without Dean.
“A lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that,” she said. “But after going through a year of firsts, I mean the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary, and the date of his death, March. 3, that was hard for me.”
Parton then spoke about her home life. “Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers, and my den looked like the post office with all the cards and letters.”
Thanking her fans, Parton added, “So, yes, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you; you have been a big part of my healing.”