Pete Doherty’s health has been a cause for concern in recent months, after the musician was warned that he risked having his toes amputated if he didn’t change his ways
A bandmate of Pete Doherty has opened up on his health status, after alarming reports a few months back that the rocker was on the brink of having his toes amputated.
Pete, 46, discussed his type-2 diabetes diagnosis last year and had previously been candid about the dietary warnings he received. Earlier this year, he faced the scare of losing his toes after they turned black but has since reported they’re “on the mend” thanks to a diet overhaul.
Gary Powell, 55, a fellow member of The Libertines, told the Sun: “Pete’s health is great. Mentally, he’s in a really good place. Physically, he’s getting fitter and stronger as the days go by.”
The drummer said that Pete is “happier now” than he’s been in ages. Gary remarked that his mate’s fortunes have “changed,” noting that Pete is now living in France with his wife Katia de Vidas and their one-year-old Billie-May.
Gary added that Pete now has a “much happier demeanour” which shines through in both his music and his character, reports the Mirror.
He said that Pete – whom he’s known for more than 20 years – is “completely positive”. Gary added that his pal isn’t bending over backwards to fit the “misconceptions” of what he should be as a music industry artist anymore.
Back in February at a German gig, Pete alarmed fans by declaring: “I saw the doctor today and he said you need to stay off your feet as much as you can otherwise you’ll lose your toes.”
On the Happy Place podcast with Fearne Cotton, Pete later discussed his battle, leading him to wearing orthopaedic footwear. He confided: “I’ve got a bit of a feet thing going on at the moment. Diabetes toes. So the toes went really wrong. […] They went all black and then they were gonna have to come off, so I had to amend my diet and stop drinking. They’re kind of on the mend now.”
In a more recent Sunday Times interview published this month, Pete admitted it was nearly a coin toss over keeping his toes, having lost sensation in his ‘extremities’ and failing to notice sores until his toes turned black in January. His comment to the publication was: “It was a real wake-up call.”
Plus, he revealed: “Now I allow myself a gin and tonic once a week but I’ve basically not been drinking and have got my blood sugar to a good level, so my toes are healing.”
However, Pete acknowledged that smoking is part of his problem, conceding: “If the inflammation gets too bad, you can lose your foot.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
