Travis Barker of Blink-182 on Road To Recovery After Pancreatitis Scare

Punk rock drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame recently checked into the hospital after a pancreatitis scare threatened his life.

“Travis is doing much better — well enough that he got to get out of the house for the 4th of July and spend time with the kids,” an insider told Us Weekly of Barker, 46. “They had a nice relaxing holiday at the beach.”

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, a flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes that help digestion, as well as hormones that help regulate the way the body processes glucose.

Pancreatitis can occur as acute pancreatitis — meaning it appears suddenly and lasts for days. In such cases doctors will sometimes surgically remove the pancreas. Some patients, however, develop chronic pancreatitis, which is a condition that occurs over many years.

Mild cases of pancreatitis improve with treatment. But severe cases can cause life-threatening complications and generally require removal. After surgery, many patients report differences in the way their bodies metabolize food, especially denser foods like red meat.

Travis Barker took an ambulance to Cedars-Sinai in LA to seek treatment for the pancreatitis

“Travis is following doctors’ orders and is taking it easy until he’s fully recovered,” the source adds of the musician. “Kourtney [Kardashian] is there for him 100 percent and is truly the best supportive wife.”

Barker was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on June 28 after developing “excruciating” pain following dinner the same evening. He revealed that his pancreatitis actually stemmed from a mistake during a polyp procedure.

“I went in for an endoscopy Monday feeling great. But, after dinner, I developed excruciating pain. And have been hospitalized ever since,” Barker wrote via Instagram on Saturday, July 2. “During the endoscopy, I had a very small polyp removed right in a very sensitive area, usually handled by specialists, which unfortunately damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube. This resulted in severe, life-threatening pancreatitis. I am so very, very grateful that with intensive treatment I am currently much better.”

His wife Kortney, for her part, said it had been “a scary and emotional week” for the family.

“Our health is everything and sometimes we take for granted how quickly it can change,” she wrote via Instagram on Saturday. “I am so grateful to God for healing my husband, for all of your prayers for him and for us, for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support.”