Avril Lavigne finally explains her mysterious health crisis, was bedridden for months

Months after sparking speculation by simply saying she was “having some health issues,” Avril Lavigne revealed she is dealing with Lyme disease — and explained it took a serious toll on her life.

“I was bedridden for five months,” the singer told People. “I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk and I couldn’t move… I thought I was dying.”

Avril explained she felt lethargic and lightheaded for most of the past summer, but wasn’t seriously concerned until a trip to Las Vegas for her 30th birthday in October when she couldn’t even muster up energy for pool time.

“I could barely eat, and when we went to the pool, I had to leave and go lie in bed,” she said. “My friends asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ I didn’t know.”

Shortly after that, doctors determined Avril had a severe case of Lyme disease, which is transmitted to humans by a tick bite. Unfortunately, the diagnosis didn’t immediately set her on the road to recovery. Instead, she spent the next months dependent on help from her mom and husband, Chad Kroeger.

“There were definitely times I couldn’t shower for a full week because I could barely stand,” Avril explained. “It felt like having all your life sucked out of you.”

In December, Avril told a fan account on Twitter that she wasn’t feeling well and asked for prayers. The messages went viral, leading to speculation she was pregnant, in rehab or various other things. Avril didn’t offer an explanation at the time, instead focusing her energy on getting better.

Now, she said she’s about “80 percent” recovered and plans to release a new single this month in support of the 2015 Special Olympics. Although she isn’t entirely back to feeling like herself, Avril said she’s learning a valuable lesson from her battle with Lyme disease.

“This was a wake-up call,” she said. “I really just want to enjoy life from here on out.”