Not everyone who has talent can make it big in the biz, that’s why it is best to show the people what you got when you have the chance. When you finally get to the spot, it would be worthy of all your hard work, but what happens if you were forced to step out of the spotlight at the peak of your career?
It was exactly what Shania Twain had gone through when she had to take a rest for a while from the busy scene to tackle a health condition that greatly affected her.
Shania Twain’s Journey
It must have been hard to sit back and watch your career take a back seat, but the cause was not something that could wait for a little longer. The award-winning singer recently opened up about that challenging time after she contracted Lyme disease in 2003.
This had caused her to lose her voice for a couple of years, which sounds scary. To regain her voice, she had to undergo surgeries, specifically two open-throat operations.
The 53-year-old decided to withdrew from the limelight once her voice got affected and although she came back stronger in 2017, Shania admitted the journey had been tough on her, especially that she is a singer.
She also feared that she won’t be able to sing once again because of what happened but thankfully, she has rediscovered a new voice, learning that she just won’t be able to bring back what was lost.
While Shania has come into terms with the fact that the damage is permanent, that won’t stop her from having a positive disposition on her battle with Lyme disease. Furthermore, she said she is up to embracing the fact that you certainly don’t have to always be the same.
Lyme Disease
Losing your voice and intense surgery, these definitely sound harrowing. But what is Lyme disease, anyway? It is an infectious disease that is passed onto humans by infected blacklegged tick bites and is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Signs of which are fever, fatigue, headache, and skin rash.
Losing Voice
But was Lyme disease really the culprit behind the Canadian singer’s issue? According to Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security infectious disease expert Amesh Adalja, it was a rare incident as he had never seen this in patients he had handled.
It can also be that it was an underreported symptom because there probably aren’t as many patients who are closely monitoring their voice as her.
The expert also explained that there is a “biological plausibility” that losing her voice can be associated with the Lyme disease because patients could get a sore throat.
There are also studies that showed that those without vocal cord paralysis have lesser antibodies for Lyme disease than those who have it. Amesh explained that the condition can affect the nerves that control vocal cord muscles, so patients can actually lose their voice.
Treatment
The basic treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics that could run for three weeks. As for those with voice issues, Amesh said they are usually referred to another specialist. With Shania’s case, it was an extreme one that needed surgery.