Bella Hadid has given fans an emotional, candid update on her ongoing “painful” battle with Lyme disease, revealing that she has been struggling through another “exhausting” flare-up that she says she “hasn’t been able to shake off.”
The 29-year-old model shared a series of candid Instagram Stories and tearful photos describing the physical and mental toll of the “long and intense” chronic illness. She revealed she has been sleeping for 11 hours at a time, taking daily naps, and was even “out of breath walking to the kitchen,” before later apologizing to fans for worrying them with her candid posts.
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Bella Hadid Gets Candid About Her Lyme Disease On Instagram
Bella was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 at the age of 16. She has spoken openly about living with the tick-borne illness for years, as have her mom, Yolanda Hadid, and younger brother, Anwar Hadid, who have also been diagnosed with the disease.
In a series of Instagram Stories posted on Thursday, June 25th, the Beauty actress said: "I wish it wasn't so intimidating and difficult to explain the pain/exhaustion/fatigue/anxiety/brain fog/insecurities that come with chronic illness/co-infections/mental health trauma etc."
She went on to describe the emotional cycle of living with a chronic illness, explaining how even periods of improvement can quickly be followed by another setback. "You demand answers that no one can find. You fight. You finally have a few good days. You think you've found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment... and then a flare-up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again," she told fans.
In another Story, Hadid shared a tearful selfie and admitted: "Haven't been able to shake off this flare-up." She went on: "Slept 11 hours. Again... Nap every day. Took every protocol from any and every doctor I've seen. Still nothing helping." She then joked: "Now I've diagnosed myself with 12 other things so that's good."
As she continued detailing her symptoms, Hadid also revealed that she was "out of breath walking to the kitchen," adding: "I don't think there's a singular brain cell in there working and my last two are beefing with each other. I took a shower without fainting tho... so again, if you know you know... that felt like a really big accomplishment for me today."
Bella Hadid Apologizes For Worrying Fans
Hadid followed up on Friday, June 26th by apologizing to anyone she may have worried with her vulnerable posts. She wrote: "I know it sounds jarring, but in full truth it's my reality, so it's something I'm able to cope with to a capacity now."
"I'm sorry if I startled anyone," she went on. "This truly is an everyday ebb and flow for me for the past 15 years. I just had an overwhelming amount of emotion over not being able to do the things my mind is capable of setting, but my body is not capable of doing."
"Every day is a new day and tomorrow I'm hoping for, God willing, a better one," she continued, before thanking her friends and followers for their love and support. She concluded: "Thank you for all of your support. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm truly grateful. I love you guys so much."
