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On Sunday, Bella Hadid shared some big news with her followers as she celebrated over 100 days of serious medical treatment for Lyme disease. The images shows her in hospital beds, linked to machines, getting blood drawn, and other harrowing moments in her journey to health.
She also shared more about the process of diagnosis and treatment, both of which can be difficult to get.
Hadid began, “the little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself.”
She thanked her mother for “keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me , never leaving my side, protecting, supporting , but most of all, believing me through all of this.”
Being believed is often a challenge for people with chronic Lyme, and she went on to share how being disbelieved exhausted her.
“Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I can’t really explain,” Hadid wrote. “To be that sad and sick with the most blessings/ privilege/ opportunity/ love around me was quite possibly the most confusing thing ever.”
She goes on to add that all of these challenges made her who she is today, and she’d go through all of them again to get to the same place.
“The universe works in the most painful and beautiful ways but I need to say that if you are struggling- it will get better,” Hadid promised her followers. “I promise. take a step away, stay strong, have faith in your path, walk in your truth and the clouds will start to clear up. I have so much gratitude for and perspective on life , this 100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease , co infection treatment, almost 15 years of invisible suffering, was all worth it if I’m able to, God willing, have a lifetime of spreading love from a full cup, and being able to truly be myself, For the first time ever.”
Both Hadid and her brother Anwar were diagnosed with Lyme in 2013, and one of the images she shared included a letter from 2014 outlining her serious symptoms.
She also shared a second carousel of pictures from her treatment with a special thank you to her dog.
“And God Bless my Angel Glizzy P. Beans aka Petunia aka Beans,” she wrote. “For never leaving my side not for one second.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.