Highlights
- Kimya Dawson experienced a severe health crisis beginning in March 2020, struggling with eating and swallowing.
- After months of medical investigations, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
- Dawson has been open about her battles with chronic pain, mental illness, and past addiction.
- Recent updates show her making progress and adapting to her health challenges, including using mobility aids to reconnect with nature.
Indie folk artist Kimya Dawson openly shares her struggle with chronic illness, revealing how it’s shaped her journey.
A Year Of Struggle And Discovery
On March 3, 2021, Dawson shared a detailed health update on social media, marking a year since their initial symptoms began. She recounted:
“A year ago today, I emailed my doctor and told her I couldn’t swallow. That was the beginning of 2 months of eating 0-200 calories a day and being sicker than I have ever been in my life.”
The severity of her condition led to hospitalization when Kimya could no longer drink.
Following extensive testing, a rheumatologist diagnosed Dawson with fibromyalgia, attributing the severe flare-up to a combination of physical and emotional stressors, including complications from hand surgery and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Road To Recovery
A year after the initial crisis, Dawson reported significant improvements, though challenges remain. She shared:
“I’m still in a lot of pain and I’m still so tired and I still have foods I react to and days it’s hard to eat and I have to supplement with protein drinks but I’m so much better than I was.”
Dawson has had to make significant dietary changes, including eliminating dairy, but has found joy in rediscovering foods she can tolerate.
Adapting To Chronic Pain
In a more recent update, Kimya Dawson discussed her ongoing battle with chronic pain, attributed to osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and hypermobility.
She shared a breakthrough in their ability to enjoy nature again:
“Last week I bought a rollator because sometimes my whole body hurts so bad that I have to sit right where I am and sometimes my ankles and knees buckle and roll and I need to catch myself. I can’t even believe how helpful it has been and I’m kicking myself for not getting one sooner.”
This adaptation has allowed Dawson to reconnect with the outdoors, a passion she had been forced to put on hold due to her health issues.
A History Of Health Struggles
Dawson’s recent health journey is part of a longer history of medical challenges.
In April 2020, the singer shared frustrations about emergency room visits and misdiagnoses.
Kimya has also been open about her struggles with mental illness and past addiction, stating in 2014 that while these issues are part of her life, they don’t define them.
A particularly harrowing incident occurred on Christmas Day 1998, when Dawson accidentally overdosed, resulting in a brief coma.
Nonetheless, the artist has continued to inspire her fans and followers, which has helped them in their own struggles.
Just So You Know
- Kimya Dawson married musician Angelo Spencer in 2006 and gave birth to a child named Panda the same year.
- The family moved to Olympia, Washington, in November 2006.
- In late 2019, the musician opened up about experiencing gender dysphoria and updated her pronouns to “she/they/grandpa.”
