Billy Joel’s spouse, Alexis Roderick Joel, is talking out about her journey with endometriosis.
Alexis, who has been married to the 75-year-old rock legend since 2015, struggled with debilitating signs, misdiagnoses and failed surgical procedures for years earlier than later discovering that she was affected by the incessantly misunderstood situation wherein tissue just like the liner of the uterus grows outdoors the uterus.
In the course of the time wherein Alexis was battling her then-unknown illness and experiencing power ache, she was additionally elevating her two younger kids and accompanying Billy whereas he carried out at live shows world wide.
Whereas talking with Fox Information Digital, Alexis admitted that being on tour with Billy and her kids whereas coping with the signs of endometriosis had been “really rough.”
“I was doing it, but I was not doing it very well,” she mentioned.
Alexis continued, “So, particularly with children, in case you’ve ever traveled with kids and completed a time zone change, that alone is an insane state of affairs. So, in case you add in additionally having a husband, that requires time and a focus — you understand, he’s working, we’re not vacationing. And me going by way of what I’m going by way of, it was actually tough.
“Luckily, when he’s touring, we have a lot of support, which was really helpful,” And it was big. So I’m fortunate in that I do have folks to assist me. And it’s a must to, since you attain your restrict. I imply, there’s nothing you are able to do.”
Alexis and the “Piano Man’ singer share daughters Della, 9, and Remy, 7.
Billy can also be father to daughter Alexa Ray Joel, 39, whom he shares together with his ex-wife Christie Brinkley, 71.
Alexis defined that it was an particularly difficult time as a result of neither she nor Billy knew what was the reason for her signs.
“We all entered this not knowing anything about it, I think as most of us do,” she defined. “And it’s difficult because I know that I didn’t feel well.”
“And I also know I didn’t want him to tell me that I didn’t feel well,” Alexis continued with amusing. “Your fuse is very short at that point when you’re dealing with two little kids traveling the world and you’re in excruciating pain. And every day, you don’t know what your day is going to be like, so it’s difficult to plan.”
“But as time has gone on, he’s extremely supportive,” she added. “So picking up where I leave off and covering my deficits during that time was huge. We’re just always researching — he’ll email me articles like ‘Did you know that this happens with endometriosis?’”
“Never in a million years would I think that he would be sending me that kind of stuff, but when you’re watching someone suffer, you pick up. You have to. It’s what we do, we’re a family.”
Over the previous few months, Billy has been scuffling with well being challenges of his personal.
In March, the five-time Grammy Award winner shared an announcement on social media wherein it was introduced that he was suspending eight tour dates because of a “medical condition.”
“The current tour will be postponed for four months to allow him to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors,” the assertion learn.
“Joel is expected to make a full recovery. The tour will resume at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5, 2025.”
Billy shared a private remark as properly, writing, “While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first. I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.”
Throughout her interview with Fox Information Digital, Alexis shared an replace on her husband’s well being.
“He’s doing well,” she mentioned. “It’s funny, I was just having this conversation the other day. He’s going to be 76. And I don’t think of him that way. People don’t think of him in that way, but he is. And he’s been doing this job nonstop for 15 years — just this recent run.”
“With the exception of COVID, he’s been working every two weeks for 15-plus years,” Alexis continued. “And it’s a lot. At 75, 76, there comes a time where you can’t always plan out everything you need to do a year and a half in advance, you know? And that’s how long these schedules are. That’s when you’re booking things. You’re booking it that long prior.”
“So, sometimes your health has to take priority, and things have to get postponed,” she famous. “But really, in the grand scheme of things, he’s a healthy person, and he’s well and working on himself, trying to get better and do what he has to do medically. So it’s important, you know, we need him around so he has to do what he has to do. I had to do what I had to do. Now he has to do what he has to do.”
“But at least I’m able to pick up his deficits now, so it’s OK.”
Alexis, who often stays out of the highlight, first went public together with her well being battle in a publish shared on Billy’s Instagram web page throughout Endometriosis Consciousness Month in March.
She posted a photograph of herself posing with Dr. Tamer Seckin, who she described within the caption as her “earth angel.” Seckin is a New York-based gynecologist, laparoscopic surgeon and endometriosis specialist who co-founded the Endometriosis Basis of America (EndoFound) with superstar chef Padma Lakshmi in 2009. In her publish, Alexis recalled how she had discovered Seckin and the way he had been in a position to deal with her situation.
“We all have war stories, and I am no different: years of pain, misdiagnosis, failed surgeries, followed by internal bleeding, and most importantly, Doctor after Doctor telling me I was fine,” Alexis wrote. “I ran the gamut from ‘It’s all in your head’ to ‘Just get a hysterectomy.’”
She continued, “I had gone to my third ER out of excruciating pain. I was non-functional. This was the moment I just started researching specialists and everything pointed me to him.”
“One surgery later, 27 lesions removed, one less appendix and my entire abdominal cavity rid of this horrible disease. I am forever grateful,” Alexis added.
“The work he does with The Endometriosis Foundation of America is so important to this battle. They work to raise awareness, implement teaching in schools, and continue his research for the next generation. Our family has privately supported this work, but in honor of March being Endometriosis Awareness Month, I wanted to do my part to help others who are unheard. It is a tough road, but believe in yourself and find your earth angel – they are out there!”
On Could 1, Billy joined Alexis as she spoke at a press convention to announce the grand opening of the Seckin Endometriosis Middle for Ladies’s Well being at Chilly Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). EndoFound and CSHL partnered to determine the middle, which was named after Seckin.
Based on a press launch, it’s the first devoted endometriosis analysis heart inside a number one US fundamental science establishment.
Billy later posted photographs from the occasion on his Instagram web page, noting within the caption that the Joel Basis, which he co-founded with Alexis, helps the work of EndoFound.
