Carly Simon, the 83-year-old singer-songwriter behind hits such as ‘You’re So Vain’, has disclosed that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Her health troubles began with arthritis in both knees and one hip, and after all three joints were replaced she assumed that her persistent difficulty walking was part of the surgical recovery. When she reached the point of being unable to walk without considerable help, her family urged further investigation. An extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic identified the neurological condition.

The initial confusion with arthritis is a recognised diagnostic pitfall. Dr. Guy Schwartz, a neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, told Fox News that the two conditions can be mistaken for each other because both produce walking impediments, stiffness and changes in gait. The overlap is especially tricky in older adults, among whom arthritis and Parkinson’s can co-occur.

Simon said she needed time to come to terms with the diagnosis. ‘Some days I am so tired I cannot even begin the day,’ she stated. ‘On others, it gives me a little more space to move, think, work and feel like myself.’ She also revealed that she underwent surgery for a basal cell carcinoma on her face; while the cancer was removed, the procedure altered her appearance and left her feeling more insecure about being seen in public.

Throughout her illness Simon turned to music, describing it as a balm. She will release a new album, ‘Comes in Waves’, on 14 August – her first collection of original songs since 2008. The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates that around 10 million people worldwide live with the progressive disease, which has no cure.