Billy Joel doesn’t want his fans to worry about his health following the brain disorder diagnosis which caused him to take a step back from the music industry.
The “Uptown Girl” singer revealed his normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis in May. NPH affects his vision, hearing and balance, according to a statement Joel released on social media at the time.
Despite the “scary” diagnosis, Joel, 76, admitted he’s doing everything he can to work with the brain condition.
“I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I’m okay,” Joel told People magazine. “What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I’m doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.”
While he said the diagnosis was “disturbing,” he reassured fans not to be concerned about his health.
“It was scary, but I’m okay,” he said. “I just wanted to let people know, don’t worry about me being deathly ill or anything.”
BILLY JOEL’S WIFE REMAINS ‘HOPEFUL’ AS LEGENDARY MUSICIAN BATTLES BRAIN DISORDER
During a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Joel said his balance has been most affected by the diagnosis.
“I feel fine. My balance sucks. It’s like being a boat,” he told the former stand-up comedian. He noted that doctors have little understanding of the cause of NPH.
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“They don’t know … I thought it must be from drinking,” he told Maher. “I feel good. They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling,”
Joel, 76, announced his NPH diagnosis in May, and said that the condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”
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The statement at the time continued, “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
NPH is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This condition is most likely to occur in people over age 65. Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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Joel canceled all of his tour dates earlier this year to recover from a “recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors.”
The “We Didn’t Star the Fire” musician married his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick, during a surprise wedding on July 4, 2015. The couple has two daughters together.
