<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Aretha Franklin is on the mend.\r\nIn a phone interview with Jet magazine -- her first since her serious health scare -- the Grammy-winning singer, 68, says, &amp;quot;I feel great. The doctors say I can do whatever I feel like I am up to do. Of course, that doesn&amp;#x2019;t mean any concerts or anything like that. But I can do things around the house, and today I am just piddling around the house.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nThe &amp;quot;R.E.S.P.E.C.T.&amp;quot; chanteuse declined to detail the reason behind her recent surgery and hospitalization; many sources have said Franklin is suffering from pancreatic cancer.\r\n&amp;quot;I am putting Aretha together first,&amp;quot; she tells Jet. &amp;quot;This is Aretha time to do whatever it is that I need to do. But I will talk more later.&amp;#x201D;\r\n&amp;quot;It is good to sit up, too,&amp;quot; Franklin added. &amp;quot;I also might make one or two business calls. &amp;#xA0;Not too much, just a teeny bit.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;My family and friends who brought me home are taking great care of me,&amp;quot; the star said. &amp;quot;I also have a private nurse who visits on a daily basis.&amp;quot;\r\nFranklin noted that she has received well-wishes from many famous friends, including Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;They know that I am a lot more than the girl in the Pink Cadillac on the Freeway of Love who also sings about Respect,&amp;#x201D; she said of her pals. &amp;quot;They pray without ceasing for me.&amp;quot;\r\n&amp;quot;God has given me the greatest gift already for the holidays,&amp;quot; Franklin gushed of her improved health. &amp;quot;I am so grateful.&amp;quot;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-body/news/aretha-franklin-speaks-out-i-am-so-grateful-to-be-alive-20101612>