Leah McSweeney Says She's ‘Shook’ After Lyme Disease Diagnosis - NhungD

Leah McSweeney has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. On Thursday, May 16, the Real Housewives of New York City alum, 41, shared an Instagram Story post that featured the results of a blood test.

Leah McSweeney in 2023. 

PHOTO: DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY

"[I'M] SHOOK," she wrote alongside the test results, noting that this was a new infection and not a "chronic" infection, per Page Six.

"Please send success stories of healing from Lyme," she added. "It's a new infection not chronic."

"Apologies to all my friends who I've canceled on in the past couple months cus I was feeling like s---," she finished.

In another post, McSweeney shared a photo of over a dozen vials of what seemed to be her blood, joking in the caption: "Everything is great" with a laughing emoji.

RHONY cast, including Tinsley Mortimer, Dorinda Medley, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer and Leah McSweeney. 

SOPHY HOLLAND/BRAVO/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY

According to the Mayo Clinic, Lyme disease is an illness caused by a bite from a tick carrying the borrelia bacteria. The disease first manifests as a skin rash or fever, but other, more severe symptoms, including pain in the joints, a loss of vision, immune system activity that can cause irregular heart beats and arthritis.

The clinic recommends that anyone who thinks they may have been bitten by a tick visit a doctor, but also notes that "many symptoms of Lyme disease relate to other conditions."

Ticks carrying the disease are usually found in the Midwestern and northeastern regions of the U.S. as well as southeastern Canada, and are most active in wooded or grassy outdoor areas in the spring, summer and fall, the Mayo Clinic adds.

McSweeney's diagnosis comes amid a busy time for the reality TV star — earlier this year, she made headlines when she sued Andy Cohen along with Bravo Media, NBC Universal Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, and several other production companies and producers.

The civil lawsuit, filed in February in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Cohen and the other defendants promoted a "rotted" culture for many of its reality TV stars in which they were pressured to drink alcohol. The suit also claims that they did not maintain a safe working environment or accommodate her disabilities, including "alcohol use disorder" and "mental health disorders."

"As hard as it is to be going up against a very powerful entity, and for people to maybe also just not agree with me or, you know, come at me and get blowback and all the things, I don't care, because this is the truth." McSweeney shared of the suit on a March episode of the American Addiction Center's talk show Addiction Talk. "I have it on my side and my intentions are really good."

Bravo later opened an investigation into McSweeney's claims, later closing it in May 2024. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the network wrote: "The outside investigation into the recent allegations made by Brandi Glanville and Leah McSweeney against Andy Cohen has now been completed, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated."