Dr. Pimple Popper’s Sandra Lee revealed in November last year that she suffered a stroke while filming Season 2 of Dr. Pimple Popper: Breakout.
“I had what I thought were hot flashes. I was sweating so much that I didn’t feel like myself,” the reality star recalled to People magazine in an interview published Tuesday.
Lee told the outlet that after the camera went off, he left his practice facility in Upland, Calif., and headed straight to his parents’ house. That night, the dermatologist’s symptoms worsened and by morning she was headed to the emergency room.
According to Stroke.org, after undergoing an MRI scan, Lee was found to have suffered an ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when blood vessels supplying blood to the brain become blocked.
“Essentially what happened was part of my brain died. I was just in shock,” the Lifetime star admitted.
“As a doctor, I couldn’t deny that he had slurred speech and weakness on one side, but I thought, ‘Well, this is a dream, right?'” More like a living nightmare. ”
Filming was eventually halted, and doctors spent two months undergoing physical and occupational therapy to regain balance and movement.
“I don’t like that I don’t have full control of my left hand and that my grip strength isn’t as strong,” she elaborated. “It’s very scary when you feel like you’re not at your best.”
Looking back, Lee knows there were aspects of her life where she didn’t take care of her health.
“My blood pressure and cholesterol weren’t under control. I have a lot of stress in my life, dealing with patients and working on the show,” she confessed, adding that now, “I like to think of it as a blessing in disguise, because it reminds me to take better care of myself.”
But sharing her experience with the world was also harrowing.
“It’s very stressful to open up,” Lee told People. “Surgeons in particular always want to show that they’re coming from a field of expertise.”
According to dermatologists, the same is true in Asian cultures.
“They don’t tell people they’ve had a stroke because it could be seen as a sign of weakness,” she revealed. “If you have symptoms similar to mine, please be sure to seek medical attention. Please take care of yourself.”
The medical professional also noticed that she could no longer “speak quite the same way” as she used to.
In her words, “I find myself really embarrassed to talk about it.”
Despite his change in statements, Mr Lee returned to work in January, which he admitted was a “very frightening” experience.
“It happened while I was filming the show, so I have quite a bit of PTSD,” she explained, noting that she is now “almost back to normal” aside from taking blood thinners and continuing physical therapy. “It makes me realize how precious life is.”
Season 2 of “Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out” premieres April 20 at 9pm ET on Lifetime.
