Toni Braxton Had To Visit ‘At Least’ Six Doctors Before Being Properly Diagnosed w/ Lupus: ‘No One Could Figure Out What Was Wrong’

Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton Had To Visit ‘At Least’ Six Doctors Before Being Properly Diagnosed w/ Lupus: ‘No One Could Figure Out What Was Wrong’

R&B songstress Toni Braxton is opening up about her long journey with lupus.

The 56-year-old recently shared that she had to make several visits to at least 6 different doctors before being diagnosed with the disease and spoke to how it’s affected her life and career.

Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2008 after collapsing on stage during two different performances, spoke about the matter during a recent podcast interview. Sharing how she was misdiagnosed for a long time before actually getting the right help, she stated:

“Lupus can be very challenging and difficult to diagnose because everything has to line up; it’s almost like an eclipse…And no one could find out what was wrong with me.”

Toni Braxton

After revealing that she visited “at least” six doctors prior to meeting Dr. Daniel Jeffrey Wallace, who ultimately diagnosed and has been helping the singer manage her lupus over the years, Toni Braxton continued:

“It took me 10 years to get a diagnosis…I felt like a hypochondriac…Like I’m just telling people, ‘I don’t feel well,’ and no one’s listening….And lupus doesn’t have a look to it. Not to say that other things do, but we always try to fake that we’re feeling great or don’t want to worry anyone. As mothers and women, we tend to do that anyway.” 

In case you’re unfamiliar, lupus is an autoimmune disease that typically has symptoms similar to other conditions like chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, leading to regular misdiagnosis. During the interview, Braxton went on to state that she first thought her ailments, specifically her tightness of breath, were due to her breast implants and had them removed. However, the “Unbreak My Heart” singer said she continued to feel sick and extremely fatigued and grew even more concerned after collapsing on stage again years after the first time it happened.

Toni Braxton

Once she was able to get the right diagnosis, Braxton admitted that things didn’t necessarily get easier. The musician opened up about having to terminate her third pregnancy due to risks stemming from the lupus. Additionally, she stated that her career was also in jeopardy because the entertainment industry isn’t fond of “sick celebrities.” Explaining how work-life shifted after the diagnosis, Braxton stated:

“People get scared around sick celebrities. I couldn’t get insured. You would not get work, because the second I was told I had it, I didn’t get work at first,”

However, Braxton shared that she’s since learned to navigate her health and career, insisting that she’s being heavily supported by Cedric The Entertainer ahead of their coming Las Vegas Residency together.

[VIA]

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