David Lynch says he will ‘never retire,’ despite emphysema diagnosis

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN

(CNN) — Filmmaker David Lynch has reassured his fans that he is not planning on retiring, despite revealing that he is suffering from a chronic lung disease.

The 78-year-old screenwriter and director, whose credits include “Twin Peaks,” “The Elephant Man” and “Blue Velvet,” told Sight and Sound, the magazine of the British Film Institute (BFI), that he had been diagnosed with emphysema.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not… And now, because of Covid, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” he told the magazine, Reuters reported.

After the article was published, Lynch took to social media on Monday to reassure his fans that he has no plans to quit the film industry.

Addressing his followers as “ladies and gentlemen,” he wrote: “Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking.

“I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them – but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema.

“I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”

He ended by saying, “I really appreciate your concern,” signing off: “Love, David.”

One of the lung disorders classified as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema is caused by damage to the air sacs in the lungs, which reduces the body’s ability to pick up oxygen from the air.

More than 3 million people are living with the condition in the US, according to the American Lung Association.

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