Dr Sandra Lee, known as Dr Pimple Popper, has revealed she suffered a stroke last November while filming the second season of her Lifetime series, Dr Pimple Popper: Breaking Out.
The 55-year-old dermatologist told People magazine that she initially dismissed her symptoms as a hot flash. She became sweaty and felt unwell, but finished filming and drove to her parents' home. There, she experienced shooting pains in one leg and difficulty walking downstairs.
The next morning, she woke to find the left side of her body incapacitated. Her hand would collapse when held out, and she struggled to speak clearly. Her father insisted she go to hospital, where an MRI confirmed she had suffered an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot cutting off oxygen to the brain.
Lee said it was a shock to realise she had slurred speech and weakness on one side, adding that part of her brain had died. Filming was halted for two months while she underwent physical and occupational therapy to regain balance and motor function.
She admitted to experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the stroke, and said she finds it scary not having full control of her left hand. Lee returned to work in January, and the new season premieres on April 20 on Lifetime.
