The Serious Medical Condition Lady Gaga Lives With
You may know Lady Gaga from her pop hits like "Poker Face" or "Bad Romance," or maybe you know her from starring in some of the biggest films like "A Star Is Born" and "House of Gucci." Regardless, there is no way that you haven't heard her name.
Gaga first rose to fame in 2009 when she released the pop single "Just Dance." The catchy tune was all anyone wanted to hear, and the musician followed it up with hit after hit. By 2010 Gaga was a household name in the entertainment industry. Her music and outlandish outfits had people watching her every move as she paved her own way in the industry. Beyond just her persona on stage, Gaga has been a huge advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and many more causes. Her career has since transcended past music as she dove into acting. Her guest performance in "American Horror Story" landed the musician her first Golden Globe. Gaga's career can be defined as her being the ultimate triple threat.
The "Born This Way" singer seems to be living the ultimate dream, but it hasn't come without its challenges. Throughout her career, she has been criticized for the person that she is. Beyond that, the musician has also struggled with a serious medical condition that has affected the way she has lived her life. Just like her music, Gaga has opened up to fans about what it is like to live with this serious medical condition.
Lady Gaga canceled tour dates due to fibromyalgia
Lady Gaga's busy lifestyle has had the musician on a never-ending journey. From the tour to the studio to film sets, the "Poker Face" singer hardly ever has time to rest. While it's clear that the musician loves the work that she does, it all had to come to an abrupt stop in 2018.
The Grammy winner shared a tweet revealing she would have to cancel the last 10 shows of her Joanne World Tour. The statement shared, "Last night, with strong support from her medical team, Lady Gaga made the tough decision to immediately come off the road." Gaga expressed her sincerest apologies to her fans, but there was no need for an apology. Fan's biggest concern was the musician herself. Although the tweet never revealed what medical condition Gaga was dealing with, it was later revealed she had been suffering from fibromyalgia.
According to the CDC, fibromyalgia "is a condition that causes pain all over the body." The condition is fairly uncommon, only affecting about 2% of adults, but is difficult to live with nonetheless. Those with fibromyalgia have a heightened pain sensitivity, thus making it more challenging to do everyday tasks, let alone a world tour. According to CNBC, common symptoms of fibromyalgia include "achiness," "difficulty sleeping," and "fatigue." Fibromyalgia is sure to be difficult for anyone living with the condition, and even big pop stars like Gaga have to be sure to get the right treatment and rest.
Lady Gaga believes people should be more compassionate about fibromyalgia
Lady Gaga has been incredibly open about her journey with fibromyalgia. In 2017, the musician released her Netflix documentary "Gaga: Five Foot Two," which showcased her life with the medical condition, per Elle. The "Rain on Me" singer hoped that by allowing people a behind-the-scenes look into her life with the condition, they would be more understanding. While many people have been, there have also been those who don't take fibromyalgia as seriously, and Gaga is over it.
The musician opened up to Vogue about how she finds it disrespectful that people continue to criticize and disregard her condition of fibromyalgia. She said, "I get so irritated with people who don't believe fibromyalgia is real ... it's really a cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder, all of which sends the nervous system into overdrive, and then you have nerve pain as a result." Gaga's life is made much more difficult by her medical condition, and the lack of empathy for the musician only makes it worse. The Grammy winner even had some advice for those who judge the pop star. She said, "People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke. And it's every day waking up not knowing how you're going to feel." Gaga ended the interview on a high note as she shared that each day, with the help of medical staff, she is getting better at managing and treating the pain from fibromyalgia.