ing health with his ongoing medical treatments, especially the many
pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors.
Johnny was being chased by what I call the “Medical Devil.”
Sure, modern medicine had saved his life more than once. But at the
same time, Johnny’s health was being destroyed by legal prescription
drugs. Johnny was regularly taking more than 30 prescriptions, and
at the time of his death, that number had increased to more than 40.
Why? The philosophy behind this high-volume drug approach,
the same approach used to justify all other legal drug use, was that
there’s a drug to treat each sign or symptom. Over the years, supply-
ing a drug to cover or control various symptoms has become com-
monplace, not just with a person like Johnny Cash, but for anyone
who can afford it or who has health insurance. This problem has
become a serious one, especially in the elderly.
On one hand, Johnny had been convinced by his doctors that he
needed the many prescriptions he was given. On the other, he strong-
ly felt the need for better control and that he was taking too many
pharmaceuticals — something we discussed many times. It was an
ironic approach to health management, not unlike themes in his
songs.
Personally, and professionally, I am not opposed to the use of pre-
scription drugs when the necessity exists. However, as the number of
prescriptions increases, the possibility of drug interactions rises dra-
matically. This can significantly reduce quality of life, and can also be
potentially deadly. Needless to say, when a person is taking dozens of
prescriptions, we are beyond rationalizing drug interaction, as the
possibilities are so exponential that they would baffle even more
aggressive medical clinicians.
In my opinion, the case with Johnny was a serious breach of com-
mon medical sense and may also have played a role in his death.
After hearing my philosophy, Johnny continued to talk with me about
how he could reduce or eliminate many of these drugs.
So, while my work with Johnny Cash was a difficult task because
of the prescription drugs, his strong will and work ethic enabled him
to improve many aspects of his physical, chemical and mental health.
When I first saw Johnny, he was 71 and relegated to invalid sta-
tus. He had been sent to a wheelchair, given leg braces, and pre-
AGING GRACEFULLY • 345