Michael 'incredibly fortunate' to survive pneumonia - Edmonton Journal

A gaunt and breathless George Michael tearfully thanked his doctors and fans on Friday for seeing him through a "touch and go" battle with pneumonia.

A thin and visibly weak Michael told reporters outside his home in north London that he wasn't sup-posed to speak for very long and was still recovering from a tracheotomy.

"I got streptococca-something. ... It's a form of pneumonia and they spent three weeks keeping me alive basically," Michael, 48, said of the doctors in the Austrian hospital where the singer has been receiving treatment since he fell ill last month.

"I'm very weak but I feel amazing," he said in front of a lit-up Christmas tree.

The singer was taken ill in the Austrian capital and diagnosed with severe pneumonia last month.

"It was basically by far the worst month of my life, but I'm incredibly, incredibly fortunate to be here," he said. "If I wasn't spiritual enough before the last four, five weeks then I certainly am now."

British media reports said that members of his family had travelled to be by his side at Vienna General Hospital, but Michael said he had played down reports of his illness during his hospital stay for the sake of his fans.

Michael had been in the middle of a European tour when he be-came ill and was forced to cancel a string of dates, but speaking for the first time since he fell ill, he promised to play to every fan who had bought a ticket. He added that he also wanted to hold a special show for the Austrian doctors who treated him.

"I've spent the last 10 days since I woke up literally thanking people for saving my life, which is something I've never had to do before and never want to have to do again," he said, choking back the tears.

Asked if the experience had changed his life, he said: "Absolutely. I'm a new man."