The 64-year-old had to postpone her world tour after being rushed to hospital last month, but was able to go home after a few days.

Posting on Instagram, she said she'd had time to "reflect" on how much her children and friends had done for her during her health scare.

One of the pictures shows the pop icon with her arms around son David, and another with daughter Lourdes.

"When the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference," she wrote.

"So did the love and support from my friends."

Madonna also shared an image of herself holding a framed Polaroid; she explained it was taken by Andy Warhol and shows fellow pop art legend Keith Haring wearing a jacket with Michael Jackson's face on.

"I sobbed when I opened this gift because I realised how lucky I am to be alive," she wrote.

"And how fortunate I am to have known these people and so many others who are also gone."

She added: "Thank you to all my angels who protected me and let me stay to finish doing my work."

The star plans to reschedule the North American leg of her 40th anniversary tour - which was due to start in Vancouver on 15 July - and instead kick things off in Europe in October.

That means she's set to begin with four sold-out shows at London's O2 Arena.

Madonna has had a number of previous health scares.

In 2019 and 2020, she cancelled some dates on her Madame X tour on doctors' orders after suffering "overwhelming pain".