CHART-topping star Marina Diamandis has announced that she has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME.
The Brynmawr-born singer, 37, who attended Monmouth School for Girls, confirmed the news via her social media, after "seven years of health issues."
Marina, who also lived in Ross-on-Wye where she worked in a petrol station before making it big with Marina and the Diamonds, said: "I’ve had symptoms like deep fatigue, numbness, tingling, low appetite, brain fog, rashes, insomnia and a feeling of being ‘poisoned’ for so long it’s been hard to remember what healthy feels like."
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a long-term condition that can make day-to-day activities very difficult, which could have a knock-on affect on one's mental and emotional health.
Marina went on to say that she is in the process of recovery and coming to grips with the illness.
"Recovery started 2 months ago after an unusually bad flare up that involved shooting pains and burning sensations all over my hands, legs and back," she posted.
"After seeing countless doctors, I started working with a functional medicine practitioner to find the root cause of the symptoms.
"After a lot of reading, I now understand that these symptoms are a result of a hypersensitive nervous system, developed in response to chronic stress. My body has felt stuck in “fight or flight” mode and there were many warning signs it gave me before the worst symptoms set in."
Although she described the healing as "demanding" and her "energy levels are around 65 - 70% most days", she went on to say that she is "feeling better today than I have in a long time."
"I worked for the first time in a while yesterday and it felt so good" Marina wrote, "I am very grateful for the lessons this experience has given me and I KNOW it’s going to change my life for the better! I feel like I have been given the opportunity to rebuild my life from scratch, exactly how I want it to be."
Marina was born in Brynmawr to her Welsh mother and Greek father in 1985; and raised near Abergavenny.
She went onto achieve massive success as 'Marina and the Diamonds'; achieving a number one with her album 'Electra Heart'.