Sufjan Stevens has revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening immune disorder that results in severe muscle weakness.
As Stevens explained in a post on his webste, “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. 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 auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barre Syndrome.”
“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,” Stevens continued. “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.”
“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. Most people who have GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so I am hopeful. I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and 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!”
Stevens promised to keep fans “posted as I progress.” He also gave “a huge shout out to all the incredible caretakers of the world working night and day to help us heal. They are living saints.”
Understandably, Stevens says he’s limited his abilities to promote the release of his new album, Javelin, which is due out on October 6th. He previously previewed the record by unveiling the song “So You Are Tired” and “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”.
