Travis Barker never expected a doctor’s warning to change his smoking habits, but a precancer diagnosis made him rethink his lifestyle.
The Blink-182 drummer made a recent appearance on the Big Bro with Kid Cudi podcast on Wednesday and opened up about the precancer diagnosis of the esophagus and how it led him to quit smoking.
The 50-year-old musician said, “I only quit because I got diagnosed with precancer of the esophagus. I loved blunts and I would smoke too much.”
Barker also recalled inquiring his doctor if the condition was “serious.”
“He’s like, ‘This is your warning shot. Don’t f*** around. You’ve got to stop smoking,’” he shared.
If Barker had not received the diagnosis, he admitted he might have never quit smoking.
“I thought I could be like Willie Nelson and smoke to the day I die,” he remarked.
This came just days after Barker shared her underwent surgery for a nerve problem.
Updating on his health last month, he revealed that his “arm, hand and fingers have been numb” since he performed at a show.
“I did a nerve test Monday after my show and turns out I needed a cubital tunnel release to fix the nerve,” he shared on his socials.
And, Barker revealed, he wanted to do it as soon as possible so he could get back on stage.
“I wanted to get ahead of it and get it over with so that I can keep playing the way I play for a long, long time,” he shared.
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