Billy Joel Cancels All Concerts After Brain Disorder Diagnosis

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Rolling Stone

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,” Joel says in a statement after revealing normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis

By Andy Greene

May 23

Billy Joel is canceling every concert on his itinerary, 17 shows in total booked at stadiums across North America and England, due to a recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” reads a statement from Joel’s team. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,” Joel says in a statement, “and thank you for understanding.”

Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain disorder where excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles. “[It] can affect several brain-related abilities, including thinking and concentrating, memory, movement and more,” reads an explainer on the Cleveland Clinic’s website. “The symptoms of NPH look very much like those of dementia, but NPH is sometimes reversible.”


Myrna Suarez*

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/billy-joel-cancels-tour-normal-pressure-hydrocephalus-1235346714/

[Faux pas]

1. Sending Billy

the best healing vibes

[Bayard]

2. Best wishes, Billy

[Jacson6]

3. I know the suffering he is having. (Music Video Rolling Stones)

[TomSlick]

4. My mom was diagnosed with NPH years ago.

I had a hard time convincing the MDs that the the symptoms were not dementia - the onset was too sudden. I'm no MD but I know that dementia is slowly progressive and takes time to develop.

Fortunately, a hospitalist listened to me. She did a diagnostic spinal tap which immediately relieved the symptoms. Mom soon had a shunt installed in the brain which is essentially a pop-off valve that moves excess spinal fluid into the abdomen to be absorbed.

The hospitalist bucked the other doctors (all male, or course) and saved my mother from spending her days in a nursing home until the NPH finally killed her.

Good luck to Joel. I'm a great fan.

[Cheezoholic]

5. Same here with my mother. Fortunately she had a great neurologist who tests for this in all of her patients

that show rather quickened or more sudden signs of dementia like symptoms. My mother also received a shunt and has been back to her usual cantankerous self as opposed to an abnormal state of "cantekerosity" for may many years. Good well trained medical practitioners save lives period.

[Botany]

6. You're My Home. Thanx Billy

[LudwigPastorius]

7. This could be due to his past drinking.

I think he's been sober for a little while now, but he hit it pretty hard for years. Fortunately, it sounds treatable.

Wishing the Piano Man the best.

[C Moon]

8. He'd also been involved in several car accidents and a motorcycle accident.