Bella Hadid opens up about Lyme disease: "One day after another"
Supermodel Bella Hadid, 29, revealed that she faced a severe bout of Lyme disease this week and moved her followers by recounting the limitations she faces as a result of living with the condition. In an outburst on social media, the American reported that she was out of breath just walking to the kitchen and said that taking a shower without fainting became a great achievement.
Bella was diagnosed with the disease in 2012. The disease, caused by bacteria transmitted by tick bites, is relatively common in countries in North America and Europe, but considered rare in Brazil.
On Thursday (25), the influencer published a sequence of messages on Instagram to report the ups and downs of the treatment. "I couldn't get rid of this crisis... I slept 11 hours. Again... I take a nap every day. I followed all the protocols of all the doctors I saw. And still, nothing is helping. Anyone who goes through this understands."
Bella even considered that she could be facing other health problems amid her worsening condition.
"I've self-diagnosed myself with 12 other illnesses, so everything is normal. And today is not the day to tell me to write a diary. And yes, I drank water. And no, I didn't go for a walk because I got out of breath just walking to the kitchen."
She continued: "I managed to take a shower without fainting... Then again, only passers-by know... That felt like a huge accomplishment for me today. Maybe someone could send me a cookie or something."
A few hours later, the model returned to social media to reassure her followers and apologized for worrying them.
"I'm sorry if I worried anyone. I know this all seems scary, but honestly, this is my reality and today, I can deal with it one way or another. I'm sorry if I scared anyone. For 15 years my life has been made up of these ups and downs."
Bella explained that the outburst came from the frustration of not being able to complete simple everyday tasks.
"I was overwhelmed by the feeling of not being able to do the things that my mind believes it can do, but that my body cannot keep up with." At the end of the message, the star thanked his fans for their support.
"One day after another, and tomorrow, God willing, I hope it will be better. I love you so much. Thank you for all your support. I didn't expect this, but I am truly grateful. I love you so much."
The disease usually responds to treatment with antibiotics when diagnosed early. However, some patients continue to experience symptoms for months or even years after the infection is controlled.
Some common symptoms are fatigue, muscle and joint pain, cognitive changes, sleep disturbances and exhaustion. The causes of the persistence of these symptoms are still the subject of debate in the scientific community.
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Source: CNN