Cari Fletcher Postpones Her Tour Amid Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

The Gist:

• Following an absence from social media, singer Cari Fletcher gave fans a health update.
• Cari announced that she has been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
• As a result of her diagnosis and necessary treatment, she has postponed her shows in Australia and New Zealand until next year and has canceled her Mexico City leg

She may not currently be one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but Cari Fletcher, who is better known by her stage name Fletcher, has rapidly become a name worth watching in the music world. Following a recent quiet period on social media, though, Cari returned to announce to fans that she would have to postpone her upcoming tour because of health concerns.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Cari announced that she has Lyme disease, and that her condition is the reason she has been largely absent from social media. Naturally, many wanted to know more about the specifics of Cari's condition.

"Hi Fletch fam, writing to you with an update today, as you may have noticed, I've been pretty quiet on socials lately and wanted to share why," Cari's note began. "I have recently been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I started to become increasingly ill over the last couple years and just kept pushing even though I knew there was something deeper going on."

"For the last few months I've been receiving treatments, following the doctor's orders and doing my best to learn more about the invisible illness," she continued. "Lyme disease has affected me in a variety of ways and while it has not only taken a tremendous toll on my physical body, it has also cause concern for my voice as well. This has worn on my soul in a way that's hard to even put words to as singing is the thing I love most in this world and my voice is my vessel for expression."

Lyme disease is typically transmitted through infected ticks, and can cause a wide array of symptoms including fever, fatigue, headaches, and a distinctive skin rash. If it's left untreated, the infection can also spread to other parts of the body and become more serious. As a result of her diagnosis, Cari announced that she has postponed her shows in Australia and New Zealand until next year, and that she will have to cancel her Mexico City leg.

"You all know how much I love performing and seeing you on the road and I'm truly heartbroken to let you down," her post continued. "I debated whether or not I wanted to speak about this publicly, but I've always let into my world through the good, the bad and the ugly and I didn't want to stop sharing with you now."

"Unfortunately touring and singing every night just isn't something my body is capable of in this moment and I want to show up for you all 100 percent and give you the best show that I know that I have in me one that you deserve," the post read. "It's not lost on me how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to take time off to rest, and take care of my voice and body."

For now, anyway, it seems Cari is taking the time she needs to focus on her recovery.