Carly Simon reveals Parkinson's disease diagnosis

James Bond theme singer Carly Simon has revealed that she's living with Parkinson's disease and cancer.

The 83-year-old said her recent absence from the spotlight was due to her ongoing health problems.

"So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing", she said.

"The truth is, I've been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease.

"It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, adjust to it and 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".

Carly said her health problems began with arthritis in both knees and one hip. She eventually had all three joints replaced with "delicate bouquets of metal and plastic".

After three operations, she thought her difficulty walking was "an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process".

However, her mobility continued to worsen.

"I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm. Overstuffed furniture became my enemy.

"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.

"Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help. My family and I knew that something more was going on.

"After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's".

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative condition. It causes parts of the brain to become progressively damaged over time.

Around 166,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with the condition, according to the charity Parkinson's UK.

That figure is expected to reach 173,000 by 2030 as the population grows and ages.

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