Billie Shepherd reveals 'most intense, awful pain'

Daily Record

a day ago

Billie Shepherd talked about her new show with sister Sam and her health battle that left her bedbound.
Billie Shepherd has revealed how she was left bedbound after a shock diagnosis with Lyme disease, describing the experience as 'horrendous'.
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The former TOWIE star, 35, who shares three children with her husband Greg, spoke candidly to the Mirror about the illness as she and her younger sister Samantha Faiers prepare for the launch of their new ITV series Sam and Billie: Sister Act, Mirror reports.
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'It has been a really, really tough time,' Billie admitted. 'I've been lucky in that I've never been challenged with health issues, I've never had to face that. And people are dealing with things 10 times worse, but it has been awful.'
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Billie began experiencing symptoms in January. 'One day I was fine, the next I woke up with really bad pains in my elbows and my arms,' she explained. 'I thought I must have slept funny. I tried to ignore it but as the days went on, the pain went all over my body to the point where I couldn't even get out of bed. It was horrendous.'
Her condition worsened as she developed red lumps on her legs, a rash on her back, and severe fatigue. 'But worst was the reactive arthritis — the most intense, awful pain in my joints,' she recalled.
'It was agony. My immune system was attacking the healthy tissue in my joints. I had so many blood tests but no one could figure it out. One doctor said she'd never seen anything like it. It was frustrating. This went on for about two months before we learnt it was Lyme's.'
Doctors believe Billie was bitten by an infected tick years ago, with the infection only surfacing after repeated bouts of tonsillitis weakened her immune system. Traditional medication, including antibiotics and steroids, offered little relief. 'My body wasn't responding to antibiotics any more,' she said.
'After the last course, I actually got worse. I was so unwell. It was only after Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around.'
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At the height of her illness, Billie relied heavily on Greg, her mum Suzanne, and sister Sam. 'Some mornings I couldn't even get out of bed. I would have to crawl,' she said.
'Going to the toilet, I was in bits, I was hysterical, crying, because I was in so much pain. It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without Greg helping me. It was so scary.'
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The biggest challenge was explaining her illness to herhttps://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/children
, Nelly, 11, Arthur, eight, and Margot, two. 'Kids are adaptable, but I was so poorly there's no way they wouldn't notice,' she said.
'I explained honestly why I wasn't very well. Nelly understands, she's on the ball and will ask if it's Lyme disease that's making me tired when I'm not feeling good. But equally I don't want them to ever feel worried about me.'
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Her struggles coincided with her children's own health scares. In the first episode of Sister Act , Billie breaks down recalling the terrifying moment Margot was rushed to hospital in January after suffering a seizure. 'That whole situation was really, really scary,' she said.
'As a parent, you never think it's going to happen to you — you wouldn't even want to imagine it. And when it does happen you go into fight or flight mode. I was petrified. Margot hasn't had a seizure since, so I'm praying and hoping she's grown out of them. But it was such a worrying time. It's made me realise how much stress can affect your body.'
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Arthur also endured repeated bouts of tonsillitis. While surgery was considered, Billie chose to delay the operation. 'My gut feeling was that it was all bad timing and Arthur really didn't want to go through that,' she said.
Instead, she turned to natural remedies. 'He'd had a lot of antibiotics, which isn't ideal, and the natural medicine really helped. Touch wood, he's not had any problems since.'
Although the holistic route has eased symptoms for Billie and her family, she is cautious about promoting it. 'When I got ill I felt like my whole life had changed overnight. I worried about how I was going to get through it,' she said.
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'Things had been getting worse and worse by the day, but within two weeks of taking the holistic approach I was feeling better. I'm not saying that would be the case for everyone, of course. But it was right for me.'
Today, Billie says she is much improved but still experiences fatigue, brain fog and occasional pain. She hopes sharing her story will raise awareness of Lyme disease, which affects thousands of people in the UK each year. 'People have it far worse than me,' she said.
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'But it's important, being on reality TV, to be honest and real. We all go through things. Being open about what we're going through is the only way to be. I'd never heard of Lyme disease before I got it. So now, if I can raise awareness and offer others comfort at the same time, I'll be happy.'
Despite the hardships, Sister Act also highlights happier moments, from family chaos to light-hearted cameos, including one from Amanda Holden. 'We've absolutely loved filming together again,' Billie said of working with Sam. 'It's so easy, so natural. We're so close anyway, so to do this together again has been brilliant.'
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And while Billie and Sam enjoy an unbreakable bond these days, the same cannot be said of Nelly and Arthur. 'Oh my God, they fight a lot,' Billie laughed.
'It's actually very stressful in our household. They chase each other around the kitchen as I'm trying to make dinner. Margot just watches and takes it all in. But that said, there will be a day when I miss all the crazy carnage in the house.'
As Nelly prepares to start secondary school, Billie is embracing the next stage of parenthood. 'I've noticed Nelly has really grown up in the last six months. We got her a phone for her birthday, her first one, and she walks around the house FaceTiming her little friends. That's all they do. It's hilarious.'
Through it all, Billie's resilience shines. 'When you're in the public eye it can be good to share things,' she said. 'It can be a comfort to other people who are going through similar situations.'