Taking to social media Carly Simon confirmed that she’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Revealing that she’s been living with both Parkinson’s and skin cancer, in a statement obtained by People on Monday (7.27,) the two-time Grammy award winning musician explained that after years away from the spotlight, she felt ready to speak publicly about her health struggles, adding:
“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing.” “The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease.” “It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly.” “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days, I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”
Reflecting on how her health issues first emerged, the 83-year old songstress explained that they began with “arthritis in both knees and one hip,” and she underwent three joint replacements, her “mobility continued to worsen”. “Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help.” “My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”
Concurrent with Parkinson’s, the superstar singer/songwriter revealed that around the same time, she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, on her face, stating “The cancer was removed, but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public.” Because of her health challenges, “withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction”.
Insisting, however, that she’s “not stopped living” and is preparing to release her first album in 18 years, Comes in Waves, the legendary musician shared “In the middle of all this, I began recording a new album, Comes in Waves.” “That still feels mysterious to me. Music has always known when to arrive. It has rescued me more times that I can count.”
Comes in Waves is due for release on August 14.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Alan Light → https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-light/210255316/