Willie Nelson, 93, has recalled the battle he faced when he contracted COVID in 2022. The legendary country star recounted the battle for his new book, The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity - And My Longest Love Affair.
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"Annie and I were sleeping in the bus when it hit me. The distance from the bed to the bathroom is less than 5 feet. But I couldn't get there. I couldn't breathe. Annie remembers. It was May 4," Nelson wrote in his book, with the excerpt shared by PEOPLE.
Nelson's book then continues from his wife Annie's point of view, with her recalling how the situation unfolded.
"I had the nebulizer on you, and a Q-tip up your nose to test for COVID-19. I got the oxygen going to keep you breathing, but it wasn't working. You still couldn't breathe," Annie recalled. "The COVID-19 test came up positive. I knew not to panic, but I also knew this was bad."
Annie admitted that she had been planning on how to deal with Willie should he catch COVID, as she believed there was a high chance he would eventually contract the virus.
"...I'd worked all this out for months," said Annie. "I knew there was a good chance you'd catch it. I knew I needed to be ready. I also knew that taking you to a hospital was not an option. You'd have no chance of privacy, and hospitals are hotbeds of deadly viruses."
As Willie Nelson Got Sicker, He Asked His Wife To Let Him Die
Later in the excerpt, Willie recalls that during the height of his symptoms, he asked Annie to let him die on two occasions.
"All I can remember is feeling excruciating pain in every cell of my body. Am I right in remembering that I said, 'Annie, you need to let me go'?"
Annie reminded him of what her reply was.
"What I actually said was, 'Willie, if you die, I'll kill you.' And you said, 'Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute,'" Annie shared. "You were thinking about reincarnation, but I didn't want to hear about reincarnation. I wanted you to understand that I was not about to let you go."
Later in the passage is when Annie confirmed that Willie had asked to be left to die twice.
"Did I ask you to let me die?" Willie asked, before Annie responded, "Yup, twice. The whole thing was a nightmare."
COVID was a torrid time for everyone. People lost loved ones, developed mental health issues, and the world economy still hasn't recovered from the impact the pandemic had. Sadly, Willie suffered through what sounds like an excruciating ordeal. The only bright side is that he made a full recovery. Now, the whole world will get a chance to read his latest book and relive some of his life experiences.
