Missy Elliott Battling Graves’ Disease

Becky Bain | June 23, 2011 12:51 pm

If you feel like you’ve been waiting forever for Missy Elliott to release new music, there’s a reason it’s taken so long for the hip-hop star to hit the studio — the “Lose Control” artist revealed to People magazine that she has been battling Graves’ disease since 2008.

Graves’ is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid, and includes symptoms such as mood swings and weight loss. Elliott explains that the incurable disease hit her fast and strong three years ago. “I was [driving and] trying to put my foot on the brake, but my leg was jumping. I couldn’t keep the brake down and almost crashed,” Elliott said to the mag. “I couldn’t write because my nervous system was so bad — I couldn’t even use a pen.”

“I’m 30 pounds lighter because I’ve been exercising,” says Elliott, who has also been going through radiation to improve her condition. “My thyroid is functioning, so I haven’t had to take medication in about nine months. [But] you live with it for the rest of your life.”

Though the disease has clearly affected Missy’s life the past few years, she’s still planning to drop her long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s The Cookbook — which will be produced by none other than longtime friend and collaborator Timbaland — sometime this year.

Missy’s VH1 Behind The Music episode airs next Wednesday June 29.

[Via Billboard]