Jenna Jameson reflects on her 'rough year' after being unable to walk due to still-undiagnosed condition
Former adult entertainment star and media personality Jenna Jameson is regaining strength after battling a condition that thus far has no diagnosis.
In February 2022, Jameson took to Instagram to share that she was finally home after a nearly two-month stint in the hospital. Her symptoms included vomiting for weeks on end, and eventually being unable to walk. Though it was initially suspected she had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, that has since been ruled out.
In a March 2022 Instagram post, she told followers that doctors believe there is something "off" with her "femoral nerve," which is affecting the strength in her legs. She later shared a photo of herself in July 2022 in front of an MRI machine, revealing that she was using a walker to get around. "Tired, but still fighting," Jameson captioned the Instagram post.
Now, Jameson is back on her feet. In a recent social media post, Jameson also declared she is off all medication.
Yet the last year has been the most challenging of Jameson’s life. Here’s what she had to say about her health battle, and where she is now.
How are you feeling now? And what’s the latest that you can tell us about your health journey?
"It’s been a pretty rough year for me. I spent nine months in the hospital being poked and prodded and diagnosed with many different things. And then those diagnoses being retracted and, above all else, it was an emotional rollercoaster. You know, when the doctors come in and tell you you have six months to live, you just are never prepared for that. So I just took everything into my own hands, and I put myself in a wheelchair, and I busted out of the hospital. I knew that if I only had six months to live, I was gonna do everything in my power to try to heal myself naturally. So I moved back to Vegas and one of my very best friends runs an amazing health center with hyperbaric chambers … and I’m doing all these beautiful, natural, holistic things. And I am back on my feet. I’m working out three times a week. And I just feel really good. It’s been rough, but I’m no stranger to adversity."
You talked last about not being able to walk. What was the hardest part of that?
"I think, as adults, we take it for granted. We don’t realize how important mobility is, and, you know, just being able to get from my bed to the bathroom was a struggle. And being able to bathe and make myself food. Things like that, I took it for granted for so long, and I had to relearn everything. I mean, I was absolutely immobile. And slowly but surely, with enough physical therapy and treatments, I’m learning to walk again. My poor little legs are really skinny, but my muscle is building again and I feel like my system is starting to work again. I had extreme peripheral neuropathy, so that means the outer quadrants of my body were completely numb, and now I can feel when someone touches my leg. It feels so nice mentally to know that all of the hard work is starting to pay off."
Why do you think it’s been so hard for you to get a diagnosis?
"I wish I had more medical knowledge but I kind of immersed myself after this into looking up all my issues and seeing how they apply to different things. I think a lot of people out there take your mental state for granted, and sadness plays a huge role in our physical wellbeing. So I think once I started really healing my mind and my heart, it gave me the power to heal my body."
