"I've always had bronchitis. I've been administered the Sacrament of Death three times for it"

In this quote, Mercedes McCambridge is explaining her experience with bronchitis, a breathing disease that she has had for a very long time. She points out that she has actually been "administered the Sacrament of Death" three times for it, which is a dramatic method of saying that she has been close to death since of her health problem. This might imply that she has actually been hospitalized or received severe medical treatment in order to endure. By using this phrase, McCambridge is stressing the seriousness and effect of her bronchitis on her life. It likewise recommends that she has a strong will to survive and has conquered this lethal illness numerous times.