Madonna Ends Silence on Hospitalization: I'll Be Back

Madonna has spoken out for the first time since she was hospitalized last month with a "serious bacterial infection"

In an Instagram post, the 64-year-old Queen of Pop thanked fans for their support while assuring that she would return to the stage as soon as possible.

"I have felt your love. I'm on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life," she wrote. "My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappointment [sic] anyone who bought tickets for my tour. I also didn't want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone."

Earlier this month sources revealed to People that Madonna continued with tour rehearsals despite feeling "rundown" and ignoring signs of illness. After her hospitalization, she was forced to "pause" all commitments, including her highly anticipated Celebration tour, which was set to kick off later this month.

"She ignored some symptoms of illness for quite a while because she thought they would go away," one music insider told People.

"But she didn't want to take time away from rehearsals," the source added. "She was rundown and not feeling 100% for a while in anticipation of her tour."

Another insider claimed Madonna had been very busy and was "not taking care of herself."

Page Six meanwhile cited a source saying that Madonna had been "strenuously rehearsing" in preparation for her now-postponed tour in the days leading up to her hospitalization.

"She had been putting in 12-hour days," the insider shared.

In her post, Madonna revealed her upcoming plans, including for the tour.

"My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you, I'll be back with you as soon as I can!" she explained. "The current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour and to begin in October in Europe. I couldn't be more grateful for your care and support. Love, M."