His appendix removed, Elton John is on the mend

In no time at all, the bitch will be back!

Elton John is now at his home in Nice, France, recovering after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix.

The 66-year-old star was forced to put a halt to his European concert tour last month after being diagnosed with an appendix abscess.

He told The Sun that he performed 10 shows ‘in agony’ before he sought medical attention. The surgery took place last Thursday at Monaco’s Princess Grace Hospital.

‘I was a ticking time bomb,’ Elton said. ‘I guess I could have died at any time. I feel so lucky and grateful to be alive.’

But he is expected to be well enough to go back out on tour this fall to promote his latest album The Diving Board due out Sept. 24.

He is grateful for the outpouring of support from fans during his illness and has posted a message for them on his website:

“I would like to thank the literally thousands of people who have sent me get well cards and messages over the past two weeks. Your well wishes have touched me deeply and will play a big part in my recovery.

I cannot wait to see you all and thank you in person when I resume my concert schedule later this year. In the meantime, please know that I consider myself a very blessed man to have such caring and considerate fans.