Carly Simon reveals Parkinson's diagnosis

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Carly Simon was one of the quintessential singer-songwriters of the 1970s and 80s By Mark Savage Music correspondent Published 16 minutes ago The singer-songwriter Carly Simon says she has been diagnosed with Parkinson's and is "learning how to live" with the "sometimes frightening" condition. In a statement provided to the BBC, the 83-year-old described the "unpredictable" progress of the disease, saying: "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. "But I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working," said the singer, best known for songs like You're So Vain, Why, and Coming Around Again. Simon added that she had recently received surgery to remove a cancerous growth on her face that had "affected my appearance". The surgery "made me more self-conscious about being seen in public," she added. "I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written You're So Vain), and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material." Parkinson's is a progressive disorder that affects the brain, nervous system, and muscle control. It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, with about 153,000 people in the UK living with the condition. Image caption, The singer performed a special one-off concert for BBC Radio 2 in 2010 Simon said her problems began with arthritis in both knees and one of her hips. However, her mobility failed to improve after three replacement surgeries. "I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm," she said. "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." The musician has been receiving medication and treatment; but says the condition also comes with episodes of anxiety, depression, and apathy. "The apathy is particularly strange," she observed. "You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all. "That has been one of the hardest things to explain. It is not simply sadness or laziness. It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list." New album due in August Simon said she had decided to speak about her diagnosis after she received letters, "kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing." Despite h