Julie Chrisley encountered a serious health scare shortly after she began serving her prison sentence. Savannah Chrisley recently started sharing her mom’s journal entries in a segment called “Prison Diaries” on her podcast, Unlocked.
In the second part of “Prison Diaries,” Savannah revealed that last year, her mom was faced with the terrifying possibility that her cancer had returned. Julie wrote on February 2, 2023, that she was pulled out of orientation to meet with the prison’s doctor.
Julie claimed the doctor told her that her HCG level was 10.2, which was higher than it should have been. She added that HCG is a pregnancy hormone. If her level had been any higher, she could have gotten a positive result on a pregnancy test.
However, Julie said there was no chance that she could be pregnant, which indicated a much more troubling possibility. Her doctor informed her that a high HCG level could also be a sign of a tumor.
Julie wrote that when she heard she might have cancer again, she “literally fell apart.” She confessed that while she waited for her lab work and a scan to be scheduled, she wondered how any of it could even be happening.
Julie Previously Had Breast Cancer
According to People magazine, Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. She had a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy within the next year. She announced in late 2013 that she was finally in remission.
Julie admitted in her journal that she was terrified and didn’t know if she was strong enough to go through her health issues without Todd by her side. Instead of sharing her cancer scare with family when they called or visited, she kept it completely to herself.
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A few days later, Julie wrote that her lab work had been done. She was “hoping and praying” that her HCG level hadn’t risen. In an entry, dated the following day, she explained that a correctional officer had driven her to a medical appointment.
The doctor told Julie that she suspected she might have a hernia instead of a tumor. But until the results of her lab work came back, she wouldn’t know for sure. If Julie had a hernia, the lab results would also help the doctor find the best way to treat it.
Though the news of a hernia might seem less serious than the possibility of a tumor, Julie was still overwhelmed. She wrote that navigating her “health journey all alone” was so scary.
Julie Wrote About the Lack of Health Care for Inmates
In a separate journal entry, Julie revealed that she had gone to a doctor’s appointment earlier in the day to get her flu vaccine. While she was there, she asked to have her blood pressure checked. She was surprised when the doctor denied her request.
Julie added that even if her blood pressure was fine, it was the principle that mattered the most to her. She wrote that it didn’t make sense to her why the doctor had refused to check it. In her other letters and journal entries, she brought up several other concerns.
Julie mentioned that there wasn’t a psychiatrist on staff and that some of her fellow inmates had been taken off their regular mental health medications without any warning. She also wrote that there wasn’t any Covid testing, even if an inmate was experiencing symptoms.
Savannah claimed that what her mom’s letters and journal entries revealed was “a perfect example of the lack of health care” that inmates receive in the prison system. She was frustrated that she hadn’t been notified of her mom’s cancer scare by anyone at the facility.
Savannah also admitted that it broke her heart to think about her mom being by herself while worrying about whether her cancer had returned. As for the other details on Julie’s potential hernia, we’ll have to wait and see if Savannah shares an update during the next segment of “Prison Diaries.”
