Sufjan Stevens reveals Guillain-Barre Syndrome diagnosis

Sufjan Stevens has shared a post on his website detailing his diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. The singer-songwriter says that he is currently in hospital and is expected to recover.

“Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk,” Stevens writes. “My hands, arms, and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.” He received his diagnosis after being driven to the emergency room by his brother and was quickly treated. “They administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart, and brain,” Stevens wrote. “Very scary, but it worked.”

Stevens spent two weeks in medical-surgery nursing and received a transfer on September 8 to acute rehab. “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,” he says. “It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work.”

He continues: “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 ends with a promise of additional updates from recovery and by thanking “all the incredible caretakers of the world working night and day to help us heal.” His next album, Javelin, is due out October 6 and features the songs “So You Are Tired“ and “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”