Taking to Instagram to share her Lyme disease diagnosis with her “fletch fam,” Fletcher opened up about her current health battle that has forced her to put her career on pause.
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Alongside two photos of herself at the doctor's office, Fletcher wrote, “I have recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease. I started becoming increasingly ill over the last couple years and just kept pushing even though I knew there was something deeper going on. For the last few months I’ve been receiving treatments, following doctor’s orders and doing my best to learn more about this invisible illness.”
She continued, “Lyme has affected me in a variety of ways and while it has not only taken a tremendous toll on my physical body, it has also caused concern for my voice as well. This has worn on my soul in a way that’s hard to even put words to as singing is the thing I love most in this world and my voice is my vessel for expression.”
Fletcher also shared that in order to focus on her health, she’s decided to postpone her upcoming tours in Europe and Australia to next year. She also canceled her appearance at Corona Capital. All of which she noted has left her “truly heartbroken” to let her fans down.
“I debated whether or not I wanted to speak about this publicly, but I’ve always let you into my world through the good, the bad and the ugly and I didn’t want to stop sharing with you now,” she went on to say. “Unfortunately, touring and singing every night just isn’t something my body is capable of in this moment and I want to show up for you all 100% and give you the best show that I know that I have in me and one that you deserve.”
“It’s not lost on me how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to take time off to rest, heal and take care of my voice and body. I am extremely grateful and I can’t wait to perform for you bigger and better… and most importantly, stronger than every next year,” she expressed before concluding. “But for now, I want to thank you for listening and thank you for all of your endless love and support. I love you all so much. Please take good care of yourselves.”
A potentially debilitating infection, Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. In its early stage, Lyme symptoms include headaches, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, fatigue and sometimes a rash that has many different shapes including one which may look like a bullseye centered on the tick bite.
While late stage Lyme can include much harsher symptoms such as paralysis, agonizing joint pain, neurological problems, severe headaches, problems with memory, hearing, and vision, inflammation of the brain, and inflammation of the heart.
See Fletcher’s post below.