CELINE Dion has revealed she was hospitalized for four years while dealing with stiff person syndrome.
The singer explained that she didn’t leave the house after canceling her shows for fear that fans would think she wasn’t “that sick.”
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Celine, 56, reflected on her stiff person syndrome diagnosis during an appearance on Hoda Kotb’s show Creating Spaces podcast, which aired on Wednesday.
She began experiencing symptoms of the disorder during her Taking Chances world tour in 2008.
“The burden was very heavy,” said the pop star.
“I was like, ‘I need to do what I need to do, but I also need to tell the world what’s going on.’ I had proof of what was happening to me.
“I can’t go watch my kids play golf. What if these people had seen me on stage two years ago and thought, ‘But how come she’s watching her son and canceling shows? .’
“So I didn’t want people to see me, because if they saw me, I should be fine,” Celine continued.
“If I go out, I must be on stage. So I stayed inside. Four years inside.”
Hoda gasped and repeated, “Four years?”
“Yes. Four years,” Celine confirmed.
She added that she “insisted” on living with her children.
“Sometimes I think about it: I would feel very lonely and it would be more difficult if I didn’t have children,” she said.
Celine has three children with her late husband, René Angélil – René-Charles, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13.
RARE DISEASE
She was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune and neurological syndrome in 2022 – six years after René died of throat cancer.
The progressive condition causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms and is incurable, but medications and physical treatment can make the disorder easier to live with.
The singer recently spoke about how she told her children about her diagnosis.
She said People that her children “started to notice” that she “could barely walk.”
What is stiff person syndrome?
Celine Dion stepped out of the spotlight after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease
Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that progresses over time.
The condition causes pain and muscle spasms that worsen over the years.
According to Contact A Family, the condition is characterized by “progressive stiffness and painful spasms in the back and limbs, which are often triggered by touch, noise, or anxiety, and exacerbated by movement.”
There is currently no cure, but death from the disease is rare.
Severe chest spasms can sometimes cause difficulty breathing.
“I was like, ‘Okay, they already lost one of their parents. I don’t want them to be afraid”, recalled the singer.
Celine told them, “You lost your father, [but] Mom has a condition and it’s different. I will not die. It’s something I’m going to learn to live with.”
She first revealed her condition in a tearful Instagram video in December 2021.
The Canadian musician was forced to cancel her global tour due to health concerns.
She reflects on her health issues in her new documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, which will be released on Prime Video on June 25.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
