Yolanda Hadid went from being a multi-tasking superwoman, a mother of three and a star on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to spending her days and nights suffering from severe migraines, brain fog, joint pain, exhaustion, insomnia and anxiety.

Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease, published by St. Martin's Press, is a compelling read by the former Housewife

The former model feared she was losing her mind and believed something was growing in her brain.

'Too many nights I found myself lying naked on the bathroom floor, the only relief being the cold tiles on my bare skin, wondering how much more pain I could take and how many more days, months, and years I could suffer,' she said.

'There were plenty of times when I thought that I wouldn't make it through the night alive, and others where I wished and prayed that I would die.'

She reveals details of her debilitating chronic illness in her provocative and compelling memoir, Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease, co-authored with Michele Bender and soon to be published by St. Martin's Press. September 12.

The Dutch-American reality TV star, now 53, opens up about her struggles with her illness that included not only the treatments but criticism from both her ex husband David Foster and her co-stars on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in her eye-opening upcoming autobiography.

After years of seeking out every conceivable medical treatment around the globe, Yolanda, known as 'Yo', was finally diagnosed at a Belgian clinic with chronic neurological Lyme disease in 2012.

Support team: Hadid calls her daughters Gigi and Bella and son Anwar her 'everything'

Fighting: The 53-year-old former model and Real Housewife revealed at times she 'wished and prayed' she'd die because she did not think she could make it through

She hoped the 90-day course of IV antibiotics would deliver a cure, but that was false hope for anyone in the late stages of chronic Lyme.

The years ahead proved to be the toughest but with the support of her three children, models Gigi, 22, Bella, 20, and Anwar, 18, she vowed to take her story public and fight passionately for others who cannot afford the many high-cost and exotic treatments she sought out in her search for a cure.

Growing up a little farm girl in the small village of Papendrecht, Holland, in the early 60s, it was horses that got Yolanda's heart racing, not fashionable clothes.

Her father was a men's shirt designer, her mother a hairdresser. When her father died in a car accident while buying fabric in Hong Kong, her mother, Ans Groenenberg, raised Yolanda and her brother Leo.

She wasn't into boys and had her heart set on becoming an Olympic equestrian in dressage. She worked in a Chinese restaurant washing dishes and silverware to pay for a new saddle and bridle.

The life of the little Dutch girl changed forever when a friend needed a model for a fashion show in Amsterdam and asked Yolanda to fill in.

She went straight from the barn to the catwalk and modeling offers came in from all over Europe. After signing with Eileen Ford agency, Yolanda walked down runways all over the world, lived like a gypsy and never returned to live in Holland.

During a photo shoot in Aspen, Colorado in 1993, she met real estate developer Mohamed Hadid on a gondola ride up Ajax Mountain.

They fell in love, married and settled in Los Angeles.

Within five years they had three children, Gigi, Bella and Anwar, but the marriage was short-lived and by 2000, they had separated.

'He's a good human being and provider for his children'... he had two girls from a previous marriage...', Yolanda writes.

'But unfortunately for me, he's not a faithful husband.'

F*** you all', Yolanda writes. 'I'm going to find a cure for this disease and nothing and nobody is going to stop me. I will not allow anyone to shut me up or shame me into silence, and I'm not going to rot away behind closed doors'

Model behavior: She went straight from a Dutch farm to the catwalk after signing with Eileen Ford agency, Yolanda walked down runways all over the world, lived like a gypsy and never returned to live in Holland

'It's a big blow to my ego. I thought I was a pretty good catch: financially independent...and loving my home life and roles as wife and mother'.

Wanting to stay far away from Gucci and Chanel on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Yolanda decided to reside up the California coast in Montecito just outside of Santa Barbara. In Montecito, Yolanda returned to horseback riding and passed along the passion to her three children.

She met 16 Grammy-winning music producer David Foster, 15 years her senior. at a dinner party given by her ex husband. When the couple got engaged, Yolanda decided to build a house in Malibu and move down from Montecito.

However, the commute was exhausting and she was experiencing more 'brain fog,' she writes in her book.

Yolanda said ex-husband Mohamed Hadid is 'a good human being and provider for his children'..'But unfortunately for me, he's not a faithful husband.' The two were married from 1994 to 2000

Second marriage: Hadid remarried in 2011 to David Foster, who she called a 'diamond in the rough', she reveals she helped turn his life around however, he did not give back the same care during her illness

'My migraines become much more severe, lasting three to four days...I experienced severe hair loss but I fixed that with hair extensions.'

She had only confessed these disturbing changes to her friend, Tom Hahn, her modeling agent twenty-five years earlier. 'I feel like something's eating my brain,' she said.

David's internist, Dr. Lawrence Piro, suggested she take her activities down a notch.

She was planning a wedding and working on a series Dutch Hollywood Women, a show about four socialites in America.

But the doctor's advice didn't resonate with Yolanda who now noticed the right side of her face drooping with a strange numbness. She suspected the Botox injections she had received.

Her handwriting was turning to scribble and her photographic memory failing her.

'I'm scared that I'm losing my mind. Something is growing in my brain. I can feel it.,' she writes. 'Plus I have so many crazy symptoms like joint pain, cramps in my toes and fingers, exhaustion, insomnia and anxiety – all of it is overwhelming my entire system', she told Dr. Piro who sent her to a neurologist.

The doctor then prescribed Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and antidepressants.

She tried the medications briefly, but eventually started down that long, expensive, road

She made it through the wedding but life at the end of 2012 was 'a roller coaster of good and bad days' with her failing brain function and losing the ability to be social.

She had always actively participated in her children's lives but she couldn't keep up with Bella's horseback riding shows and Gigi's riding practice. She had never missed one of her daughters' horse shows in 14 years ...until now.

Finding a cure: Hadid turned to alternative forms of medicine such as ozone therapy - in 2015 she shared a photo saying: Rise up and attack each day with courage, thank you Mexico for being open to ancient medicine'

Fighting through: She shared a photo on Instagram while undergoing treatment in hospital

Yolanda's youngest daughter Bella, was also diagnosed with Lyme disease as well as her son Anwar

Bella, herself, started experiencing severe pain along her spine, extreme fatigue and had difficulty with schoolwork.

She was diagnosed with mononucleosis but had other symptoms unrelated to mono.

During this chaotic time, Alex Baskin, a producer on the reality TV show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, called to offer Yolanda a job and suggested she view the gig from a business perspective.

He was aware that she had a line of candles, greeting cards, and a flower service she wanted to promote.

I'm going to find a cure for this disease and nothing and nobody is going to stop me. I will not allow anyone to shut me up or shame me into silence, and I'm not going to rot away behind closed doors.

Foster suggested it was a good way to 'remain financially independent'.

'Gigi, Bella and Anwar weren't thrilled at the idea of having cameras in the home but supported their mother's motive.

Yolanda decided not to watch previous shows and form a preconceived opinion of any of the other Housewives.

'I'm stunned when I learn how argumentative they are and feel as if I've been thrown into the shark tank and forced to swim'.

At the same time, Yolanda writes that are symptoms are becoming more severe.

'My fatigue is so severe that it's hard to walk from my bed to the bathroom. My migraines are unbearable, and I now have explainable night sweats and fever'.

Yolanda (pictured with Brandi Glanville) joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2012 after then-husband David Foster suggested it was a good way to 'remain financially independent'

Going on the reality series made her feel like she had 'been thrown into the shark tank and forced to swim' she said - her co-stars also claimed she had Munchausen Syndrome - a disorder in which someone feigns illness for pity

Her long journey to uncover the truth of her condition began with a 12-day rest at Cedars-Sinai Hospital where they did an endoscopy, colonoscopy, upper panendoscopy with biopsy, PET scan, EEG, MRI of her brain, spinal tap and many blood tests.

'Despite this army of top health experts, no one can give me a proper diagnosis or a cause for my pain and symptoms.

'We have access to the best medical minds out there, but it doesn't mean anything if they don't have the right diagnostic tools or knowledge'.

An infectious disease doctor at Cedars suggested her symptoms seem like Lyme disease, but the test results were negative.

She was sent home with a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome and no idea how to regain her health.

The brightest moment in her day was when Bella, Gigi and Anwar visited her in her bedroom. 'They are my everything'.

'Never give up' The mother-of-three has vowed to continue on her quest to find a cure for the chronic illness

This was the beginning of her journey around the world in search of a doctor who could find a cure for her illness.

David was too busy to go with her most of the time and didn't understand why she wasn't satisfied with the chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis.

When she met David five years earlier, he was a 'diamond in the rough'.

'He needed polishing'.

'I put him on a healthy diet, helped him lose twenty-five pounds, redid his wardrobe, and never missed one of his doctors' appointments'.

But he didn't give back the same care.

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE? Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash called erythema migrans. The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics. But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and ultimately cause death. Lyme disease is diagnosed through the symptoms, physical findings - such as rash - and the likelihood of exposure to infected ticks. To prevent Lyme disease, it is recommended that people use insect repellent, remove ticks promptly, apply pesticides and reduce tick habitat. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE INFECTED? During the first three to 30 days of infection, these symptoms may occur: Fever

Chills

Headache

Fatigue

Muscle and joint aches

Swollen lymph nodes

Erythema migrans (EM) rash The rash occurs in approximately 80 per cent of infected people. It can expand to up to 12 inches (30 cm), eventually clearing and giving off the appearance of a target or a 'bull's-eye'. Later symptoms of Lyme disease include: Severe headaches and neck stiffness

Additional EM rashes

Arthritis with joint pain and swelling

Facial or Bell's Palsy

Heart palpitations

Problems with short-term memory

Nerve pain Source: CDC Advertisement

Alone she went to Belgium and doctors found high levels of heavy metals in her blood and an active infection in her brain as well as co-infections.

She learned that the Lyme tests in the US weren't sensitive enough to pick up chronic Lyme.

Ninety days of IV antibiotics was a start but made her so sick she felt she was going to die.

Back at home, Gigi was accepted by IMG modeling agency in New York as well as accepted at the New School to study criminal psychology.

From the age of five, Gigi loved crime shows on TV, hard-core murder mysteries, and longed to know what motivated murderers.

Gigi was the one who really liked the many photo shoots that Yolanda set up for the children, obsessively dressing and styling them to photograph on different locations. She knew Gigi would be a fashion model.

Yolanda's next trip to the doctor's came from a tip from Susanne Somers who suggested a clinic in Florida, Sponaugle Wellness Institute. She signed up for it after already battling severe toxic reactions for eighty days, spending twelve days in the hospital and three trips to the emergency room.

At Sponaugle, treatments included IV drips to pull out the debris of dead bugs, ozone treatments, colonics, coffee enemas and more.

'I can tell you that as much as I hate having a tube up my a**, I'm pretty sure that these colonics are one of my lifesavers', Yo writes.

Anwar tested positive to Lyme – just to add to life's horrors.

Still involved with Real Housewives, Yolanda couldn't quit despite the negativity and the flack they gave her for leaving parties early.

'Without cameras rolling, I clearly feel the lack of compassion of this group of women --- although it may seem more glamorous and interesting, is no different from a job at a bank'.

If she shared anything personal with them, it might end up on national TV.

Gigi became sick in New York and Yolanda knew she had to visit her. She revealed David was furious that she went right before their wedding anniversary and gave her the silent treatment for two days.

He visited New York while she was there and ignored her.

They never discussed the incident but he traveled with her to Switzerland on her next medical exploration where she had ozone therapy directly into the vein, acupuncture, hypothermia where an IV was in the arm and a thermometer in her butt and her head wrapped in silver foil blankets – all while being in a closed device to elevate the body temperature to 103 degrees.

Even this wasn't a magic bullet to cure Lyme.

'There is very little magic in the world of the chronically ill'.

Still, she remains determined. 'F*** you all', she writes. 'I'm going to find a cure for this disease and nothing and nobody is going to stop me. I will not allow anyone to shut me up or shame me into silence, and I'm not going to rot away behind closed doors'.

Yolanda went to Bali without David to do mushrooms and ride elephants. David never called or responded to a text.

She did embryonic stem cell treatments in Tijuana and signed on for a third season of Housewives to help pay the bills.

Bella was in New York to attend Parsons School of Design and study photography and fashion when she was asked to sign with IMG modeling agency.

Family Time: Yolanda quit RHOBH in 2016 to write her memoir, and to spend time with Bella who was battling her own Lyme disease as well as Anwar (The family pictured in 2015)

She fell off the rails briefly with a DUI. Her license was suspended for a year and she was put on six months probation, community service and had to attend AA meetings. Yolanda sold Bella's car, made her pay her own legal fees and took away her phone for a month. Bella cleaned up her act and thanked her mother.

Yolanda moved on to more doctors: a holistic health practitioner who used a high frequency healing device out of his garage in Malibu; an Australian doctor practicing in Mexico who came to her hotel room at 10pm to give her intramuscular injections of holistic remedies; a stem cell specialist in Korea.

More treatments included a hyperbaric chamber, colonics, coffee enemas, Epsom salt baths, lymphatic drainage massage.

A full body scan revealed free-floating silicone in her body from broken breast implants. They needed to come out.

She visited a shaman in Peru who used a hot stick to burn holes on the inside of her ankles into which he pasted frog venom.

About to start her fourth season on Housewives, 'I am starting to feel the very toxic energy that has entered my atmosphere, mainly from being on the Housewives and probably my children's visibility in the world', Yolanda writes.

She also felt her marriage slipping away and David's longing 'for his life outside our house'.

Bravo wanted to follow her to medical appointments and she agreed because of the paycheck that represented independence to her.

The Housewives weren't silent about Yo's prolonged illness and were calling her 'Munchausen', a mental disorder in which a person acts as if they have a physical or mental illness while not really sick.

Yolanda went to a birthday lunch for Housewife Lisa Vanderpump and immediately felt a swell of negative energy.

She wrote Kyle an email criticizing her lack of compassion and for being so critical of her simply for good TV.

'Clearly Kyle is angry I haven't shown up for filming more often...if I could be there I would be.

'I kind of expected the women to have my back while filming in the same way I've protected them throughout difficult times in their personal lives on the show. I have a lot of factual information in the vault that could discredit them and their lives, but I've chosen to work with integrity and point out their strengths instead of their weaknesses'.

The Housewives weren't the only critics. David was calling it quits on his fourth marriage and when he came by the apartment to pick up some clothes told her: 'Your sick card is up'.

He had moved on and out to a hotel in Beverly Hills. He didn't feel there was anything more to discuss.

He did say something to her that she won’t repeat - and won’t forget. She received an official separation notice from his lawyer.

In June 2016, Yolanda quit the Housewives to write her compelling book.

She also needed to spend time with Bella who was battling her own Lyme disease as well as Anwar.

And there were more doctors and TVAM surgery, a procedure where a catheter is threaded up through the groin into the jugular vein and both sides of the carotid artery in order to stretch them out.

Yolanda vows she will never abandon her mission to find a cure for Lyme that is affordable for all.