Billy Joel Speaks Up About Brain Disorder For The First Time
The 'Piano Man' singer assured everyone he was doing his best in a People magazine interview published Monday, about two months since he announced he had been diagnosed with a neurological condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus.
'I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I'm OK,' he told the magazine. 'What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I'm doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.'
Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a treatable brain condition caused by a buildup of excess cerebrospinal fluid. The condition can cause pressure inside the head and on brain tissue, leading to neurological complications that affect hearing, vision and balance.
For Joel, it was balance issues that first alerted him something was off.
'It was like being on a boat all the time,' he said.
While the singer-songwriter called his diagnosis 'disturbing,' he emphasized he wasn't dealing with anything life-threatening.
'It was scary, but I'm OK,' Joel said. 'I just wanted to let people know, don't worry about me being deathly ill or anything.'
The 'Uptown Girl' crooner struck a similarly optimistic tone while appearing on Monday's episode of the 'Club Random' podcast, where he told host Bill Maher, 'I feel good. They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I'm feeling.'
Back in May, Joel's team announced he was canceling all upcoming concert dates on the advice of his doctors but shared he was 'undergoing specific physical therapy' for his health issue.
'Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage,' the statement went on.
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