Singer Annie Lennox opened up about her “excruciating nerve pain” in a powerful Instagram post Thursday, detailing her current health condition.
The 64-year-old shared a photo of herself alongside a long caption about the pain she still feels after having a back operation over 10 years ago. The result of the surgery was nerve pain, which she has been feeling since 2018 became 2019.
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“GRATITUDE… We are but human… Things happen to our bodies as we traverse through life,” Lennox wrote. “Over a decade ago I had to have a back operation and a lot of things changed after that. Long story.. but I occasionally suffer from excruciating nerve pain, which comes in with vengeance when I least expect it. It hit over New Year and I’m hoping it will settle down as I go into the 3rd day.”
The “Walking On Broken Glass” singer continued, “It has given me an insight as to what others have to deal with.. far more or less than this. My gratitude when it dies down is immeasurable. Fingers and toes crossed this too shall pass.”
Thousands of fans liked the post and added messages of support in the comments section.
“I feel your pain..my daughter had back operation two months ago and nerve pain is still horrible,” one fan wrote.
“May the love and support for you from around the world carry you through those moments dear Annie,” added another.
“Sending you positive vibes and good energy for your healing process. Get well soon,” another fan wrote. “This to shall pass.”
On Friday, Lennox shared a photo from Sting’s 2004 Sacred Love tour, in which she joined the fellow legend on stage. “I can’t really tour any more as I have such physical challenges… but I was still ‘on my game’ in this photo,” she wrote in the caption, alongside her fond memories of the tour.
Lennox needed back surgery after experiencing back pain at a 2008 AIDS conference in Mexico, The Scotsman notes. She was forced to postpone a tour and the release of her 2009 greatest hits album The Annie Lennox Collection, and feared she would be permanently disabled.
“I’m walking with an almost imperceptible limp, but that ain’t bad considering I didn’t know if I was going to be permanently disabled a couple of weeks ago,” the former Eurythmics singer said at the time. “Now I’m empathising with anyone I see on the street who walks with a cane or a disability. Not that I didn’t before, but now I feel like we’ve got a lot in common. If we all could get a sense of walking in someone else’s shoes, then we’d understand each other so much better.”
In spite of the physical challenges, Lennox continues to record and became the first female chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in 2018.
Lennox was also nominated for a Golden Globe this year for her song “Requiem for A Private War” from the Rosamund Pike movie A Private War. She previously won a Golden Globe and Oscar for “Into The West” from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Photo credit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic/Getty Images