Celine Dion announces 'I'm back' following health issues.
As the sun sets behind the mountains in an upscale neighborhood 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, I hear a familiar voice singing behind a closed door.
"Is that Celine?" I ask.
Her security guard at the hotel suite nods.
I'm about to interview a musical megastar, and she appears to be in a good mood.
However, the iconic voice I hear casually singing along is one that fans believed they'd never hear again.
"I've been dealing with health issues for a long time," she explained in an Instagram video in December 2022.
"I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder.
Following that terrible announcement, Celine Dion canceled the rest of her world tour and has been seldom seen in public since.
Signs of Trouble
Her little-known illness is known as Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a neurological condition characterized by muscle spasms.
As we converse, Celine explains that it stayed undiagnosed for years.
The 56-year-old explains how distressed she felt as a performer when she noticed changes in her voice while on tour.
"It was just feeling strange, like a little spasm," the Canadian star admits.
"My voice was struggling, I was starting to push a little bit."
She illustrates the small shift by singing the first few bars of her 1993 song The Power of Love, demonstrating how she had to force her voice to hold notes that used to come more effortlessly.
She occasionally asked the conductor of her backup musicians to lower the key of particular songs for a few appearances.
"I needed to find a way to be onstage," she says.
She hoped singing somewhat lower would allow her voice to recover.
Audiences would never have heard about her struggles behind the scenes.
However, Celine claims that taking time off felt unattainable at the moment.
"These events were sold out for a year and a half, traveling throughout the world.
"And I'm going to ask folks, 'Excuse me for my spasm? "Excuse me for my je ne sais quoi?"
She put a lot of pressure on herself to keep the program going, despite not knowing what was causing her problems.
But everything became too much.
Her ultimate diagnosis revealed that this was not tour tiredness. It was permanent.
SPS is an autoimmune disorder that can be severe. There is no recognized cure.
It is caused by improper nerve-muscle communication.
The spasms can be so painful that she is unable to move.
However, now that she has been correctly diagnosed, she has a better understanding of the problem and how it may be controlled.
"My goal is to contribute funds and raise awareness in order to find a cure. "That would be amazing," she says.
During her time away from performing, Celine has learned to adjust through medicine, physical therapy, and the guidance of professionals like as Dr Amanda Piquet.
"Now this disease is gaining public awareness, it's in the public eye," says Dr. Piquet.
Dr. Piquet has treated some patients who had previously gone undetected for years.
Celine believes that the notoriety she received for speaking out about her disease will benefit others.
"We need to diagnose this disease better," says Dr. Piquet. "When we do, that's going to lead to more clinical trials, and more treatments that are approved."
She claims that, while Celine will live with this ailment for the rest of her life, the therapy she is receiving to reduce muscle spasms will allow her to sing on stage again.
"My voice will be rebuilt," Celine explains. "I mean, that started a while ago. "My voice is currently being rebuilt as we speak."
In the upcoming documentary I Am: Celine Dion, fans will learn how the singer's health challenges have impacted her life.
She can now see a way back into performance and is planning for a new show in Las Vegas.
"We have been working so hard to put this show together, because I'm back," she says with a big smile.
She has clearly missed an opportunity to perform well.
"I will be on stage. I'm not sure when, but trust me, I'll scream it out loud.
"I can't wait."
