Avril Lavigne Opens Up About Her Battle With Lyme Disease

After first hinting at health issues late last year in an exchange with a fan on social media, Avril Lavigne is opening up about what was ailing her. In the new issue of People, Lavigne confirms that she was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

In the lead up to the diagnosis, doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her even though she thinks she was bit by a tick in spring 2014. She found out she had Lyme disease after a birthday trip to Las Vegas last October during which she didn't feel like herself. "I had no idea a bug bite could do this," she says in the issue. "I was bedridden for five months."

She has since been recovering at her home in Ontario. Her mom and husband Chad Kroeger (when not touring with Nickelback) have been caring for her. She now says she's 80 percent better, but it hasn't been easy for her.

"There were definitely times I couldn't shower for a full week because I could barely stand," she explains. "It felt like having all your life sucked out of you."

Back in December, Lavigne thanked her fans for sending her well-wishes following her exchange with the fan during which she first shared she was sick. And, it was her fans that have helped her through this recovery process."The get-well messages and videos they sent touched me so deeply."