Dolly Parton is sharing an update on her health one day after her sister activated the superstar’s fanbase by asking for their prayers.
“I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am,” Parton said in a video posted to Instagram Wednesday, captioning the post, “I ain’t dead yet!”
“Do I look sick to you?” Parton said in the video. “I’m working hard here!”
Parton, who noted she was filming the video on Oct. 8 in between working on commercials, said she wanted to “put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned.” She assured fans she is “OK” but said she has “some problems” to deal with and is undergoing “a few treatments.”
The singer went on to share that after her husband, Carl Dean, died earlier this year, she “didn’t take care of myself” and “let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.”
“When I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that,” she explained. “Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home.”
But Parton added, “I wanted you to know that I’m not dying!” She concluded, “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working.”
The 79-year-old’s comments come on the heels of Freida Parton calling upon fellow “prayer warriors” on her sister’s behalf.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Parton wrote in an Oct. 7 Facebook post. “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been (led) to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.”
The post concluded, “She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you! ❤️”
Dolly Parton previously opened up about her health issues in a Sept. 28 social media post announcing the postponement of her Las Vegas concerts.
“As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” she said. “I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
Though her condition will still allow her to “work on all of my projects from here in Nashville,” Parton said: “I just need a little time to get show ready.”
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
(This story was updated to add a video.)