LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sufjan Stevens shocked his fans by revealing his recent diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disorder that has left him hospitalized and unable to walk, reports ET.
The 48-year-old artist took to Instagram to post a selfie of himself sitting in a wheelchair and shared his journey towards recovery.
He also expressed his apologies for being unable to take part in events promoting 'Javelin', his upcoming album.
Sufjan Stevens recalls the day he was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder
In the Instagram post shared on Wednesday, September 20, Stevens recalled the day he was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder.
"Last month, I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms, and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility," the singer recalled.
"My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests — MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc. — the neurologists diagnosed me with an autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome," he added.
What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the rare neurological disorder, is characterized by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body's nervous system leading to temporary paralysis from muscle weakness.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the exact cause remains unknown, but most cases emerge from a viral respiratory or gastrointestinal infection.
The severity of the disease can vary from person to person and affects about one in 100,000 people a year. The treatment often involves high-dose immunoglobulin therapy (IVIg).
Sufjan Stevens opens up on challenging recovery
Stevens explained his recovery journey in the social media post as he wrote, "Luckily there’s treatment for this — they administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain."
"Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition. I owe them my life," he continued.
Speaking about undergoing physical therapy to learn to walk again, the songwriter said, "On September 8, I was transferred to acute rehab, where I am now undergoing intensive physical therapy/occupational therapy, strength building etc. to get my body back in shape and to learn to walk again."
"It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work," he continued and shared that he is "hopeful."
He further revealed that his second week of rehabilitation is "going really well."
"I am working really hard to get back on my feet. I’m committed to getting better, I’m in good spirits, and I’m surrounded by a really great team. I want to be well!", said Stevens who is maintaining a positive attitude about his recovery.
“I’ll keep you posted as I progress. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers," Stevens told his fans.
"A huge shout out to all the incredible caretakers of the world working night and day to help us heal. They are living saints. Be well, be joyful, stay sane, stay safe. I love you. Yours truly from a wheelchair XOXOXO," he ended the post.
