Artie Lange has been logging some hospital time this week.
The former Howard Stern sidekick took to Twitter on Thursday to alert fans that he had recently checked into the hospital to deal with high blood pressure and blood-sugar issues, and would be heading back in.
“Too Fat to Fish” author Lange added that a doctor told him that he’s “in danger of a stroke unless I change everything I do,” which left him “insanely scared.”
While Lange said that he “will be fine,” the comedian, who has been open about his struggles with substance abuse — most notably heroin — added: “I’m payin [sic] for an unhealthy life.”
“I went in the hospital to get my blood sugar under control. I’m out to go to work,” Lange tweeted. “I missed too many days & I insisted. My blood pressure is way up. So I have to go back in tonight til it’s down. I’m payin for an unhealthy life. When the medication is right I will be fine.”
Lange added, “So don’t worry. But when a doctor says I’m in danger of a stroke unless I change everything I do I get insanely scared. I hate the hospital but they said if I don’t go back they’d refuse to treat me. I will do this guys. I ain’t ready to check out yet.”
While Lange noted that he was attempting to keep at least some of his professional obligations, there was one date he wasn’t able to make on Friday. NJ.com reports that Lange’s sentencing on drug charges would need to be rescheduled.
“Artie had to go back in the hospital this week because of his diabetes and I just told the court that,” the comedian’s attorney Frank Arleo said.
News of Lange’s hospitalization has a slight life-imitates-art-imitating-life aspect. The latest episode of the HBO series “Crashing” tackled Lange’s addiction issues, depicting him bailing on a benefit for another comedian in order to score heroin.
Worth noting that the latest episode of “Crashing” (please don’t hold me to this but I’m 99 percent sure it aired Sunday) is all about his struggles with addiction. In the episode, he flakes on a benefit for a fellow comedian because he’s out scoring heroin. It’s a really good, sad episode.
I went in the hospital to get my blood sugar under control. I’m out to go to work. I missed too many days & I insisted. My blood pressure is way up. So I have to go back in tonight til it’s down. I’m payin for an unhealthy life. When the medication is right I will be fine
— Artie Lange (@artiequitter) February 22, 2018
So don’t worry. But when a doctor says I’m in danger of a stroke unless I change everything I do I get insanely scared. I hate the hospital but they said if I don’t go back they’d refuse to treat me. I will do this guys. I ain’t ready to check out yet
— Artie Lange (@artiequitter) February 22, 2018