Avril Lavigne: Sick with Lyme Disease
Lavigne, 30, said it took time for a diagnosis to be made as doctors said her lack of energy and the fact she did not feel well for a prolonged period was likely a result of the touring she had been doing.
She had to fight to get comprehensive tests done and last fall results showed she had a severe case of Lyme Disease. It is caused by a bacteria transmitted by ticks and causes the symptoms Lavigne had, including joint pain, fatigue, swelling, even inability to move about.
“I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk and I couldn’t move. I thought I was dying,” Lavigne told People magazine. “I had no idea a bug bite could do this. I was bedridden for five months.”
Fans message their support
She spent that time in her home in Ontario being cared for by her mom and, when not touring, her husband, Nickleback singer Chad Kroeger. Now “80 percent recovered,” the experience left the “Sk8er Boi” singer appreciating the simple things in life even more than she had.
“I’ve never been more clear about what I want in my life.” she said. “Health, family, love and happiness,”
She also told People magazine her fans were a huge part of helping her get through the ordeal, referencing a tweet she’d sent that alluded to her illness without revealing what it was. That tweet went viral and got her messages, and more, from loyal and caring fans.
“They were asking about me since I was MIA, so I mentioned to one fan directly that I wasn’t feeling good,” she said. “The get-well messages and videos they sent touched me so deeply.”
Lavigne is getting back into her career only now and has a new single, “Fly,” in support of the Special Olympics, due out this month.