Céline Dion has revealed her 17-year-long battle with stiff-person syndrome (SPS). But fear not, because Dion is taking it all in stride with a pinch of gratitude and a whole lot of humor.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 56-year-old songstress spills the beans on her wild health journey, which reads like a script straight out of a medical drama. Picture this: muscle spasms, breathing struggles (cue the gasps!), and to top it all off, “crisis” episodes where her body decided to play the ultimate game of freeze tag, leaving her in agony.
The saga began back in the mid-2000s, when Dion was strutting her stuff on tour in Germany. Just imagine her, sipping her morning coffee, when suddenly, bam! Spasm time. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, her vocal exercises made it worse. Talk about a morning routine gone wrong.
Desperate for relief, Dion tried everything from steamy showers to popping pills like they were candy. She even made the rounds to every specialist under the sun, from ear, nose, and throat docs to eye experts, but alas, no luck.
As her symptoms cranked up the drama, Dion found herself downing prescription meds faster than a contestant on a game show grabbing for the buzzer. Valium became her new best friend, or maybe more like a frenemy, as she chased the elusive promise of relief. But here’s the kicker: at one point, she was gobbling up so much Valium that she could’ve given a horse a run for its money in the tranquilizer department. Yikes! Luckily, Dion managed to dodge that bullet, but talk about living life on the edge.
Fast forward to today, and Dion is feeling more zen than ever. With a newfound appreciation for life’s rollercoaster ride, she’s spreading her wisdom like confetti at a party.
But wait, there’s more! Dion isn’t just sitting pretty and sipping herbal tea. Oh no, she’s diving headfirst into a treatment plan that makes your average gym session look like child’s play. From medication to immune therapy to vocal exercises that would make a Broadway star break a sweat, Dion is tackling SPS like a boss. And guess what? She’s loving every minute of it. Who knew therapy could be so exhilarating?
Dr. Amanda Piquet, the brains behind Dion’s diagnosis, is singing praises louder than any of Dion’s high notes. With treatments that sound like a full-time job, it’s no wonder Dion’s feeling like a superhero in stilettos.
And as for the future? Well, let’s just say Dion’s not ready to hang up her microphone just yet. With her eyes set on the stage, she’s proving that nothing, not even stiff-person syndrome, can silence her voice.
So here’s to Céline Dion, the queen of resilience, the goddess of grace, and the ultimate diva who’s showing us all how to laugh in the face of adversity. Bravo! 🎤
