Music icon Carly Simon announced she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer.
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In a lengthy statement to PEOPLE, the “You’re So Vain” hitmaker revealed she recently underwent surgery for basal cell carcinoma, which is a form of skin cancer. She also spoke out about her battle with Parkinson’s.
“It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it,” she explained. “And to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly. Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”
Simon said she began experiencing her health woes when she experienced arthritis in both her knees and one hip.
“I eventually had all three joints replaced, out with the old and in with delicate bouquets of metal and plastic,” she recalled. “After three replacement surgeries, I assumed my difficulty walking was simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process.”
However, Simon stated that her mobility continued to worsen. She was having trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches and needed someone to help her.
“Overstuffed furniture became my enemy,” she declared. “Once seated, I could feel as though I had been swallowed by the chair and might remain there permanently, like a guest who had badly overstayed her welcome.”
The Parkinson’s Diagnosis Occurred Following Simon’s Cancer-Removal Procedure
As her mobility struggles continued, Simon and her family decided to get an evaluation at the Mayo Clinic. That was when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“I began treatment, including taking medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms,” she said. “There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have.”
During the same period, Simon was being treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face. Although the cancer was removed, the surgery impacted her appearance, making her feel self-conscious about being seen in public.
“I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written ‘You’re So Vain’),” she continued. “And this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material.
Amidst her health woes, Simons withdrew from public view. However, she stated she has not stopped living nor has she stopped working.
“In the middle of all this, I began recording a new album, Comes in Waves,” she shared. “That still feels mysterious to me. Music has always known when to arrive. It has rescued me more times that I can count. It is like a cat or dog that quietly appears beside you when it senses you are not quite yourself.”
The album will feature songs and fragments of songs that have been “waiting for her” for years.
“I do not consider Parkinson’s a gift or a blessing. It is neither,” she added. “It is difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening. I am still learning how to live with it and how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential.”