Country singer Clay Walker admits to worsening MS symptoms nearly 30 years after diagnosis
After nearly three decades of living with multiple sclerosis country music star Clay Walker says his vitality has taken a turn The She Won t Be Lonely Long singer says has tested his strength like never before as he faces a new wave of challenges from the condition he has battled since his finding I m definitely going through a rough patch right now Walker admitted to People in an interview At the beginning of the year I noticed I was having a lot of difficulty with balance and walking and it really started to worry me I knew I had to do something TIM MCGRAW NEARLY WALKED AWAY FROM HIS CAREER AFTER SERIOUS FITNESS STRUGGLESWalker underwent surgery in March to implant a baclofen pump a device that delivers anti-spasticity medication directly into the spinal fluid to help relax muscles and ease stiffness according to the Cleveland Clinic The surgery gave me a lot of hope he stated But so far you know it s not great It hasn t done what I demanded it to Balance has been an issue lately Doctors believe physical therapy will dial it in properly yet Walker admitted recovery has been slower than he d hoped LIKE WHAT YOU RE READING CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Am I walking perfect No Am I walking better Absolutely he announced I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep from falling and I walked five minutes That is progress Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in and has spent decades defying its prognosis The ailment damages the protective covering around nerves in the central nervous system leading to markers like muscle weakness numbness vision changes and mobility issues When Walker was first diagnosed with MS doctors gave him a grim forecast I was communicated that I wouldn't be around very long and that I'd be in a wheelchair and that I would be dead pretty hurriedly because of the amount of lesions that I had on my spinal cord and brainstem and brain he recalled SELMA BLAIR EXPOSES HOW DOCTORS MISSED HER MS FOR DECADES DESPITE CLEAR WARNING SIGNSWalker defied those odds and now nearly three decades later he s still performing still writing and still fighting We turned everything upside down he stated We already won the battle you know We ve got that to celebrate In Walker will reach a milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for years He admitted fans have seen the effects of his condition up close during live shows something he revealed hasn t been easy for him to accept CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to get off stage Yes it does he declared But my band is very in tune with me and they know if I m struggling or not All it takes is a glance They are dependably there especially my bass competitor Curt Walsh I m like Dude if you see me falling fall in front of me so I don t get hurt This Sunday Walker will headline the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time a milestone that carries even more weight given his journey Despite the physical toll Walker s passion for performing keeps him going My ecstasy comes from being on stage he revealed I mean there is a rush of ability and endorphins that has no comparison I don't think there's any drug that has that big of an effect It's crazy The country singer booked a lineup of concert dates and stated his story is far from over MS has been a journey and certain of it has been pretty rough but I ve started to turn the corner Walker continued to tell People I m not giving up I m like a pit bull You can swing me off a cliff and I ain t letting go So a great number of people have so countless different crosses they have to carry or bear and this is mine Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Walker
