Celine Dion is giving fans an honest look at her life with stiff person syndrome.
In a new documentary, the famous singer experiences a scary medical crisis during a physical therapy session, and it’s all caught on camera.
In 2022, Dion revealed she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. In the documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” she shares that she had been dealing with symptoms of this rare, progressive neurological disorder for 17 years.
“I need my instrument. And my instrument was not working. So we started to elevate the medicine,” Dion, 56, said after struggling to hit certain notes during her 2018 and 2019 tours.
Though she completed her 2018 tour, Dion had to postpone several dates from her 2019 tour due to the “common cold” before the pandemic shut it down.
Her tour resumed in 2022, but she had to keep canceling and rescheduling shows. It wasn’t until she announced her diagnosis that she officially canceled the rest of her appearances.
“I can’t lie anymore,” Dion says in the documentary. “From a sinus infection to an ear infection to whatever. Sometimes I would point my microphone toward the audience, and I would make them sing it. There are moments where I cheated and I tapped on the microphone like it was the microphone’s fault.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Celine Dion performs live at Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Hyde Park at Hyde Park on July 05, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Redferns)
In the documentary, there’s a part where Dion shows a very personal moment. She’s lying on a massage table doing exercises for her physical therapy when her foot suddenly starts to cramp. Soon after, her whole body tightens up and she can’t move or talk to the people around her.
The camera keeps recording as another person from her medical team rushes in with a nasal spray called benzodiazepine. They give it to Dion, who’s in so much pain that she’s crying, even though she can’t move. It’s really hard to watch this part of the video.
Once the spasms have subsided – they typically last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour – Dion is able to sit up and speak.
“Every time something like this happens, it makes me feel so embarrassed,” she says. “I don’t know how to express it, you know, to not have control over yourself.”
Her physical therapist speculates the attack was brought on by being “overstimulated” from an earlier singing session.
“If I can’t get stimulated by what I love, then I’m going to go on stage, and you’re going to put the pulse oximeter on me and turn me on my back?” she wonders.
Dion hopes that one day soon she’ll be able to return to the stage.
BRILLIANT WIFE!! (FUNNY STORY)
A wife finds a note from her husband on the fridge one morning..
My dear wife,
You will surely understand that I have certain needs that you, being 57 years old can no longer satisfy. I am very happy with you and I value you as a good wife. Therefore, after reading this letter, I hope that you will not wrongfully interpret the fact that I will be spending the evening with my 19 year old secretary at the comfort inn hotel.
Please don’t be upset – I shall be home before midnight. When the man came home late that night, he found the following note on the dining table…
My dear husband,
I received your letter and thank you for your honesty about me being 57 years old. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are also 57 years old.
As you know I am a maths teacher at our local college. I would like to inform you that while you read this, I will be at the Hotel Fiesta with Michael, one of my students, who is also the assistant tennis coach. He is young virile and, like your secretary, is 19 years old.
As a successful businessman who has an excellent knowledge of maths, you will understand that we are in the same situation, although with one small difference – 19 goes into 57 more times than 57 goes into 19. Therefore, I will not be home until sometime tomorrow.
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