Julie Bowen thought she was ‘gonna die' after learning she needed a pacemaker at 29
The 'Modern Family' alum, 55, told Michael Rosenbaum on Tuesday's episode of his 'Inside of You' podcast that she has sick sinus syndrome, a type of rhythm disorder that affects the heart's natural pacemaker, per the Mayo Clinic.
Bowen's condition is called hypervagotonia, which is increased activity in the vagus nerve, according to the National Institute of Health.
7 Julie Bowen on 'Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum' podcast.
Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum/YouTube
'I have a low resting heart rate,' she explained, noting that her pacemaker is 'set so that it can't go below 45.'
Before the pacemaker, Bowen's resting heart rate was in the 30s, when the 'normal' resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute for women.
7 Julie Bowen, Tom Cavanagh in the NBC series 'Ed.'
The 'Hysteria!' star's sister diagnosed her condition while the two were on a getaway.
Bowen shared that her sibling, Annie Luetkemeyer, had just graduated from medical school and 'was at that time in her life when she, I guess, she always carried around a stethoscope. And we were on vacation, and she was like, 'I wanna listen to this.''
'She was like, 'That is not what they've been telling you, and it's not runner's heart or whatever. That means you need to go to a cardiologist,'' the 'Happy Gilmore' vet remembered.
7 Julie Bowen in 2002.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
'I was like, 'I'm fine,'' the actress shared, adding that her sister 'would not let it go.'
A month later, Bowen shot the pilot for the NBC series 'Ed' alongside Tom Cavanagh. The comedy/drama ran from 2000 to 2004.
'I shot the pilot of 'Ed' and immediately had to go get a pacemaker afterwards,' Bowen said. 'I was like, 'Oh my God. My life is over. This is so weird. I'm gonna die.' I don't know what I thought it was, because I was 29.'
'You're lucky you didn't die before that,' Rosenbaum, 52, responded.
7 'Modern Family' stars Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy, Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy, Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy and Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy.
ABC
'They said I wouldn't probably die of it, but I'd start passing out,' Bowen clarified. 'There was a vague feeling … whenever I was relaxed, really relaxed, I'd be, like, watching TV or movie.'
The 'Hubie Halloween' star described it felt like she'd 'been holding my breath for a while, that feeling of, like, lightheadedness. And they said, 'You're gonna be driving a car, and you're gonna pass out, and you're gonna kill somebody.' And I was like, 'Oh, well, then give me the Goddamn pacemaker.''
Bowen has had the batteries replaced three times; however, she admitted, 'I forget about it all the time.'
7 Julie Bowen in 'Happy Gilmore.'
Joseph Lederer/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock
These days, the 'Boston Legal' alum hasn't let her condition slow her down one bit. In fact, she's starring in the upcoming sequel to the beloved 1996 sports comedy 'Happy Gilmore.'
Bowen is reprising her role as Virginia Venit, the love interest of Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore, but didn't know if she'd be asked back for round two.
'I thought, 'Well I won't be in it,'' Bowen told The Hollywood Reporter in June.
7 Julie Bowen during GQ Celebrates September Issue.
FilmMagic
'And that was OK — it was like Virginia Venit, it's been 30 years, he's got a hottie. He's got some little bitty on the side, like a cart girl,' she continued. 'As a matter of fact my children told me, before I was even told officially that there was a 'Happy Gilmore' sequel, my now 18-year-old said, 'Mom, I hear they're doing a sequel and he's with Sydney Sweeney as a cart girl.''
Bowen teased, 'I went, I'm hurt and I so respect that move. Of course, why wouldn't you? So when I got the call that I was actually in it, I was like, 'Are you sure? Come on.''
Although Sweeney, 27, isn't in the film, the sequel is set to have a slew of new faces, including Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, Benny Safdie, Travis Kelce, Kym Whitley and Eminem.
7 Julie Bowen attends Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event.
WireImage
'Seeing Bad Bunny on set I was just like, 'Oh, I can't actually look you in the eye, I'm going to have to walk away,' and I did,' Bowen recalled. 'I think he was offended and I had to circle back and now I made it worse. I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to meet her heroes because I think I'm just going to be a jackass.'
'Happy Gilmore 2' hits Netflix on July 25.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
‘Modern Family' star Julie Bowen thought she was ‘gonna die' after learning she needed a pacemaker at age 29
At age 29, Julie Bowen got a pacemaker. The "Modern Family" alum made the revelation to host Michael Rosenbaum during a recent appearance on his podcast, "Inside of You." The 55-year-old shared that she struggles with sick sinus syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder that, according to Mayo Clinic, causes "slow heartbeats, pauses or irregular heartbeats." "I have a low resting heart rate," the actress said on the podcast, noting her pacemaker is "set so that it can't go below 45." Bowen told Rosenbaum that, before receiving a pacemaker, her resting heart rate was in the 30s. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average heart rate for adult women is 78 to 82 beats per minute. The "normal" range is between 60 to 100 beats per minute, it noted. According to the outlet, multiple factors, such as hormones, exercise and other lifestyle choices can affect your heart rate. "I was a runner all throughout high school," Bowen explained. "And then I was really a competitive runner. And I always had a really low heart rate. And my sister was in med school. So, I guess I had just gotten out of college maybe. … At that time in her life, I guess she always carried around a stethoscope. "We were on vacation, and she was like, 'I want to listen to this,'" Bowen recalled. "And she listened to my heart, and she was like, 'That is not what they've been telling you. And it's not runner's heart or whatever. … You need to go to a cardiologist immediately.'" Bowen's sister, Annie Luetkemeyer, had just graduated from medical school. She refused to give up on the issue. Still, Bowen would insist to her concerned sibling that "I'm fine." A month later, Bowen shot the pilot episode of the TV series "Ed," which premiered in 2000. "I shot the pilot of 'Ed' and immediately had to go get a pacemaker afterwards," said Bowen. "I was like, 'Oh my God. My life is over. This is so weird. I'm gonna die.' I don't know what I thought it was because I was 29." "You're lucky you didn't die before that," said Rosenbaum. "They said I wouldn't probably die of it, but I'd start passing out," she explained. "There was a vague feeling … whenever I was relaxed, really relaxed, I'd be, like, watching TV or [a] movie. It felt like I'd been holding my breath for a while, that feeling of, like, lightheadedness. "And they said, 'You're gonna be driving a car, and you're gonna pass out, and you're gonna kill somebody.' And I was like, 'Oh, well, then give me the g-----n pacemaker.'" According to Bowen, surgeons went in through her armpit. Over the years, she has had to replace the batteries about three times. "I forget about it all the time," Bowen said of having a pacemaker.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
The 1 Thing You Should Never, Ever Do If You Get A Mosquito Bite
Every summer, I get eaten alive by mosquitoes. My arms and legs get covered in bites that I scratch until they become bloody bruises that scab over and take weeks to heal. I know I'm treating my mosquito bites all wrong because, well, I have the scars to show it. Most mosquito bites go away within a week or so ― unless you don't take proper care of them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when you get bit by a mosquito, the bug injects saliva into your body via its proboscis, the little needle-like body part that sucks up your blood. That saliva contains an anticoagulant that keeps your blood flowing so the bug can get a hearty meal to lay its eggs. The toxins in that saliva are thought to be what makes their bites feel warm and itchy. Dr. Bobbi Pritt, the director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic and a spokesperson for the College of American Pathologists, said this is because your body mounts an immune response to the saliva and releases a wave of histamines and leukotrienes. This reaction varies from person to person, and bug to bug, which is why some people develop significant swelling and soreness while others just get a mildly itchy bump. Regardless of how you react to mosquito bites, doctors agree there's one thing you shouldn't do when you get a bite: scratch it. It can be tempting to scratch mosquito bites given how incredibly itchy they can get, but you really want to avoid doing so, Pritt said. The main reason: There are many different types of bacteria that live on our skin and our bodies — like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus — that, for the most part, are harmless, according to Pritt. 'But if you have an open wound, like if you scratch really hard, you could actually rub the bacteria from your skin into that little wound and get an infection.' These infections, like cellulitis and impetigo, can cause redness, swelling, a blister, tenderness around the bite along with swollen lymph nodes and yellow discharge. They can be treated with antibiotics, but, in rare cases, an infected bite can lead to serious complications like sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis. The second reason you don't want to scratch: The more you itch, the more histamine cells your body will release, making the bite even itchier. 'Scratching can send mild pain signals to the brain, which can release serotonin and increase the sensation of itching,' said Pamela Frable, an associate professor at TCU's Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Of course, not scratching isn't the only way to speed up your recovery, and there are a few other steps you want to take to prevent infection and make sure your bite gets better. The very first thing you want to do after you get bit is wash the bite out with soap and water. This will help remove bacteria near the bite that could cause an infection. A mosquito bite is technically a small wound, said Frable, and 'it's generally a good idea to wash all wounds gently with soap and water.' Then, you want to apply ice to the bite, ideally for about 10 minutes or so, Pritt explained. Ice can drastically reduce the itching along with inflammation, pain and swelling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Next up: Cover the bite with an anti-itch or antihistamine cream, such as calamine lotion or hydrocortisone. These products can drastically reduce itchiness and, most importantly, prevent you from scratching the bite and break the scratch-itch cycle, Pritt said. If you don't have these items in your medicine cabinet or aren't able to get to a pharmacy, you can whip up an anti-itch paste at home. Simply combine a tablespoon of baking soda with a splash of water to create a thick paste. Then, rub the mixture over the bite, wait 10 minutes, and wash it off. This DIY concoction reduces itch, according to the Mayo Clinic, but, better yet, it prevents you from scratching the bite and making things even worse. Finally, you want to keep an eye on the bite and pay attention to any symptoms you develop over the next week or two. It's fairly common to develop a fever or even swollen lymph nodes immediately after the bite, so don't panic if you experience these symptoms right away, Pritt said. Not all mosquitoes carry disease, but some spread Zika, dengue and West Nile virus, all of which can cause severe illnesses and health complications. You can't tell if a mosquito carried a pathogen by simply looking at the bite, according to Frable, which is why it's crucial to pay attention to any symptoms. So, if you get a fever, a rash, severe headache, or confusion a week or two after the bite, check in with a physician. They can run diagnostics tests to determine if you contracted a mosquito-borne disease and administer supportive care to help you recover. Fortunately, most mosquito bites resolve without any issues. But the less you itch and the better you take care of it, the sooner it'll clear up … until the next mosquito comes along. So THAT'S Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others How To Tell If A Bug Bite Needs Medical Attention The Definitive Answer On Whether Bug Spray Is Bad For You
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
The 1 Thing You Should Never, Ever Do If You Get A Mosquito Bite
Every summer, I get eaten alive by mosquitoes. My arms and legs get covered in bites that I scratch until they become bloody bruises that scab over and take weeks to heal. I know I'm treating my mosquito bites all wrong because, well, I have the scars to show it. Most mosquito bites go away within a week or so ― unless you don't take proper care of them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when you get bit by a mosquito, the bug injects saliva into your body via its proboscis, the little needle-like body part that sucks up your blood. That saliva contains an anticoagulant that keeps your blood flowing so the bug can get a hearty meal to lay its eggs. The toxins in that saliva are thought to be what makes their bites feel warm and itchy. Dr. Bobbi Pritt, the director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic and a spokesperson for the College of American Pathologists, said this is because your body mounts an immune response to the saliva and releases a wave of histamines and leukotrienes. This reaction varies from person to person, and bug to bug, which is why some people develop significant swelling and soreness while others just get a mildly itchy bump. Regardless of how you react to mosquito bites, doctors agree there's one thing you shouldn't do when you get a bite: scratch it. It can be tempting to scratch mosquito bites given how incredibly itchy they can get, but you really want to avoid doing so, Pritt said. The main reason: There are many different types of bacteria that live on our skin and our bodies — like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus — that, for the most part, are harmless, according to Pritt. 'But if you have an open wound, like if you scratch really hard, you could actually rub the bacteria from your skin into that little wound and get an infection.' These infections, like cellulitis and impetigo, can cause redness, swelling, a blister, tenderness around the bite along with swollen lymph nodes and yellow discharge. They can be treated with antibiotics, but, in rare cases, an infected bite can lead to serious complications like sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis. The second reason you don't want to scratch: The more you itch, the more histamine cells your body will release, making the bite even itchier. 'Scratching can send mild pain signals to the brain, which can release serotonin and increase the sensation of itching,' said Pamela Frable, an associate professor at TCU's Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Of course, not scratching isn't the only way to speed up your recovery, and there are a few other steps you want to take to prevent infection and make sure your bite gets better. The very first thing you want to do after you get bit is wash the bite out with soap and water. This will help remove bacteria near the bite that could cause an infection. A mosquito bite is technically a small wound, said Frable, and 'it's generally a good idea to wash all wounds gently with soap and water.' Then, you want to apply ice to the bite, ideally for about 10 minutes or so, Pritt explained. Ice can drastically reduce the itching along with inflammation, pain and swelling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Next up: Cover the bite with an anti-itch or antihistamine cream, such as calamine lotion or hydrocortisone. These products can drastically reduce itchiness and, most importantly, prevent you from scratching the bite and break the scratch-itch cycle, Pritt said. If you don't have these items in your medicine cabinet or aren't able to get to a pharmacy, you can whip up an anti-itch paste at home. Simply combine a tablespoon of baking soda with a splash of water to create a thick paste. Then, rub the mixture over the bite, wait 10 minutes, and wash it off. This DIY concoction reduces itch, according to the Mayo Clinic, but, better yet, it prevents you from scratching the bite and making things even worse. Finally, you want to keep an eye on the bite and pay attention to any symptoms you develop over the next week or two. It's fairly common to develop a fever or even swollen lymph nodes immediately after the bite, so don't panic if you experience these symptoms right away, Pritt said. Not all mosquitoes carry disease, but some spread Zika, dengue and West Nile virus, all of which can cause severe illnesses and health complications. You can't tell if a mosquito carried a pathogen by simply looking at the bite, according to Frable, which is why it's crucial to pay attention to any symptoms. So, if you get a fever, a rash, severe headache, or confusion a week or two after the bite, check in with a physician. They can run diagnostics tests to determine if you contracted a mosquito-borne disease and administer supportive care to help you recover. Fortunately, most mosquito bites resolve without any issues. But the less you itch and the better you take care of it, the sooner it'll clear up … until the next mosquito comes along. So THAT'S Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others How To Tell If A Bug Bite Needs Medical Attention The Definitive Answer On Whether Bug Spray Is Bad For You
