The Bachelor alum Kelley Flanagan has revealed she's been diagnosed with Lyme disease in a teary-eyed Instagram video about her struggle.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kelley, who competed on Peter Weber's The Bachelor season last year and finished in fifth place, took to Instagram on Monday and posted an emotional three-minute video about the hardship she's currently going through.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
"Hi, I'm not having the best day today," Kelley, 29, cried in an Instagram video posted to her account on Monday.
"I'm pretty honest with you guys about what's going in my life... and I always talk about how I've just felt like my body has always been much more sensitive and super reactive to a bunch of things."
ADVERTISEMENT
"And I just got the results back and I tested positive for Lyme."
Kelley shared how two of her brothers "also have Lyme disease" and "a lot of their symptoms" sounded very similar to what Kelley has been going through.
"I've always had something off, since I've been young. I really, really had to take care of myself, and so it's just weird how I'm always so affected compared to my friends. Even my family, they got it recently. But I think it's maybe something I've had for a while, I'm not sure."
Kelley confirmed "it's not the end of the world," but she was visibly shaken and upset.
"It's definitely gonna be a lot of changes, and I guess I'm just gonna incorporate you guys in it," Kelley said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I didn't really know how else to do this, but I just wanted to say I tested positive for Lyme and I guess I'm taking on this journey of me figuring it out."
Kelly concluded her video by hoping her followers have a good day, adding that she's "trying to stay positive."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
In the caption of her post, Kelley shared more details on her unexpected diagnosis and "not so good news."
"I know I've shared so many of my health tips and tricks, have always told you that my body is super sensitive and I've always knew something was a little bit off," Kelley began in the caption.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When I would consistently see how my body would react to things compared to family/friends, I decided to finally get tested for [several] different things and tested positive for Lyme disease and several other co-infections."
The Bachelor Season 14 bachelorette revealed, "It's a blessing and a curse because now I can target why I feel off so often but also means several different lifestyle changes and extensive research on how to help/hopefully cure this!"
"I know this is going to be tough for me seeing what my brothers have gone through mentally and physically," she explained, "but I'm going to put so much of my time and energy into figuring this out and combatting this. Love all of you and let's take on this new journey."
Many of Kelley's friends in Bachelor Nation weighed in on her health crisis and offered encouraging and kind words.
"I'm so sorry Kelley!" Ashley Iaconetti wrote. "Sending you so much love."
ADVERTISEMENT
Raven Gates commented, "I'm so sorry love. Sending so much love and prayer your way."
Kendall Long, who will be appearing on Bachelor in Paradise's seventh season soon, wrote, "Love I'm so sorry! Must be a relief to finally have an answer to start off from! Know you are surrounded by so much support! You will only become stronger from this."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
And Victoria Fuller -- who competed against Kelley for Peter's heart on The Bachelor's 24th season, commented, "Love you so much Kell. You got this. Gods got this. so many prayers."
Peter eliminated Kelley before the women's round of hometown dates, but they reunited in Kelley's hometown of Chicago to quarantine together at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Peter and Kelley's time together sparked a romance and they went Instagram official in May 2020.
After eight months of dating, Kelley and Peter announced their split on New Year's Eve. However, the pair briefly reconciled and gave their relationship another shot, until Kelley and Peter's romance ended for good in mid-February.
The former couple's split turned nasty, with Peter and Kelley exchanging insults in the press while both living in New York City, where they originally planned to move together.
"Obviously there's two sides to every story, and yes, it's true that usually the truth lies a little bit, you know, in between both those sides," Peter said during a recent episode of the "Tea With Publyssity" podcast.
"But I said my piece, and, like, I have no desire to further that... I've moved on. I know she's moved on... I truly wish her nothing but the best."
On May 20, Kelley appeared on the "Chicks in the Office" podcast and said her relationship with Peter ended "really badly" in February because there were some "non-negotiables" in their relationship and the pair apparently lacked good communication.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Kelley admitted she would "just run" if she ever bumped into her ex in the streets of New York, where they both currently live.
Kelley also revealed on the podcast Peter has childlike-hobbies such as collecting Pokemon cards and playing video games.
Kelley recalled telling Peter to "get out of my life and lose my number," which she thought was fair to say at the time.
"I was drawing a healthy boundary that I needed," Kelley claimed.
Peter then addressed Kelley's biting remarks during the May 25 episode of his "Bachelors in the City" podcast, telling his listeners that Kelley seemed to be riding the fame wave and trying to push headlines with her "calculated and disingenuous" statements.
In late May, Kelley fired back at Peter for bashing her approach to speaking about their breakup.
Kelley said she had asked her manager multiple times to warn Peter to stop bringing up her name in the press but Peter never silenced himself.
"I will never let anyone create a narrative for me, so finally the bear was poked. There were a lot of things going on, even me being disrespected," Kelley said.
She added, "When you end badly with someone, you would think they would just try to respect you a little bit and just go their way instead of reaching out to my 'friends.'"
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!