Kris Jenner Fears for Kim Kardashian’s Health But Hides Her Worry

Kris Jenner says Kim Kardashian’s esophagitis diagnosis is “very worrisome” — but she refuses to tell her daughter how scared she really is.

The admission came during the November 5 episode of The Kardashians on Hulu.

Kris, 70, accompanied Kim, 46, to a follow-up doctor’s appointment for her ongoing esophageal treatment.

Kim explained on the show: “We’re here to see if the esophagitis has gotten worse or better with the medication they gave me.”

At the appointment, the doctor said they are examining her for any “pre-cancerous condition.”

That word — cancer — hangs over the entire Kardashian family.

Kim’s father, Robert Kardashian, died of esophageal cancer in 2003 at age 59.

He was diagnosed and gone in just eight weeks.

Robert had GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Kim revealed in the episode that her father had GERD.

The doctor explained at her appointment that GERD is the most common cause of esophageal cancer.

Kim first revealed her esophagitis diagnosis earlier this season.

Esophagitis is a swelling and irritation of the tissues that line the esophagus, according to the Mayo Clinic.

GERD is a leading cause, but the condition can also be triggered by a buildup of white blood cells in the esophagus or by certain medications.

Kim underwent an initial endoscopy that detected an “irregular area” in her esophagus.

She had a second endoscopy as a follow-up.

In a confessional on the episode, Kim described the moment she heard the news.

“I went in for an endoscopy and the doctor said my esophagus has these irregularities and I have to have them cut out,” she said.

“And I was like, ‘Oh come on, we’re not repeating this.’ It’s the same thing my dad had. I’m like, nope, we’re not doing this.”

Kim said she is hopeful but realistic about the options.

“They’re either gonna say, ‘Hey, the irregularities have not gone away from the medication and you need to have a piece of your esophagus removed,’” she said.

“Or, they’re gonna say, ‘The medication worked and you don’t need the procedure and just continue on this medication.’”

Kim said plainly: “Obviously, I don’t want surgery, but I’ll do whatever’s necessary.”

Kris, watching from the side, carries a different weight.

She lived through Robert’s rapid decline.

She knows what the worst-case scenario looks like.

In a confessional of her own, Kris admitted: “So of course I’m scared. I don’t want to tell her I’m scared, but it’s very worrisome. We just pray for the best.”

That single sentence — “I don’t want to tell her I’m scared” — reveals the tension at the center of this story.

Kris is the matriarch.

She is the one everyone leans on.

She is not supposed to crack.

But the fear is real.

Kim’s health crisis is “really stressful” for Kris, she said, especially because of the timeline with Robert.

There is another layer of irony that Kim herself pointed out.

In 2019, Kim and her sister Khloé Kardashian founded the UCLA Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health.

The center provides resources for groundbreaking research, patient care, education and training, and support for efforts in esophageal health.

It was built in honor of their father.

Kim never imagined she would become a patient there.

“Because of my dad’s experience, my sisters and I have opened the Robert Kardashian Oesophageal Health Center at UCLA,” she said in a confessional.

“The irony of this all — the fact that I helped to put together this building, never knowing that I would need it.”

The same building she helped fund is now where she goes for scans.

The same disease that killed her father is the one the doctors are checking for.

The preview for the next episode shows Kim talking with her doctor again, and the tone appears grim.