How’s El Puma doing? The legendary singer gives an update on his health

Almost four months after  a double lung transplant, Venezuelan singer José Luis Rodríguez, aka “El Puma,” said on Wednesday that he feels  like he died and came back to life.

“I remember that my last appearance on stage was in Barranquilla, Colombia, and I felt that I was going to die,” Rodriguez, 75, said in a statement, according to El Nuevo Herald. “My heart was beating so fast without me understanding what was happening to me.”

The singer, who had been diagnosed in 2000 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, was admitted to the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), an affiliation of the Health System of the University of Miami Health and Jackson Hospital.

Doctors there determined that Rodriguez’s lung disease had progressed to the point that his only chance of survival was a double lung transplant.

Lucky man.

“Patients and their families should become familiar with this disease and recognize that treatment options are limited,” said Dr. Matthias Loebe, cardiothoracic surgeon at UHealth. “Early referral to a lung transplant program is the only way to prolong life and explore ways to improve the quality of life.”

Rodriguez was registered on the national waiting list in August 2017, reports ENH.

“This was God telling me to pause my life and take care of my health,” said the singer. “I have traveled for more than 50 years giving my fans with all my heart, but sometimes in life you have to put yourself first.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 6:04 AM with the headline "How’s El Puma doing? The legendary singer gives an update on his health."