The 55-year-old singer Toni Braxton appeared on the show recently to talk about a recent health crisis she had. The singer, who has been quite public about her diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), said that she almost had a heart attἀck because of it.
To prevent a heart attἀck, Braxton needed a coronary stent, a device implanted in coronary arteries. When her sister Traci passed away from cancer last year, this was going on in the background.
The performer said, “It (was) put in at a really, really scary moment.” As an exclamation point, she said that it all felt “surreal.”
After going to the doctor for an appointment, Braxton learned that she needed a stent. She had been experiencing chest trouble, so she scheduled a time to leave. The ex-TV star almost missed her appointment because she didn’t think she needed to, attributing her agony to sadness over the death of her sister.
I assumed that was sadness,” Braxton remarked on air. “I should have known it was more serious, but I chose to ignore the warnings instead… and many people have this habit.
The doctor examined the celebrity and said stent placement was necessary “immediately.”
Check out the below tweet about Toni Braxton’s heart surgery:
Toni Braxton Reveals She Underwent Emergency Heart Surgery Due To Lupus Complication: ‘The Doctors Told Me I Could’ve Had A Massive Heart Attack, I Would Not Have Survived’ https://t.co/cpLTTMQMyI pic.twitter.com/uJxraTkY11
— theJasmineBRAND (@thejasminebrand) April 25, 2023
“A couple of days after they did the procedure they told me that it was touch and go,” she said to Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. The singer continued by saying that she would have suffered a “widowmaker heart attἀck,” which occurs when the main coronary artery is clogged, had she not gone to the hospital.
A big heart attἀck would have rendered her lifeless, she claimed.
Braxton’s story is mostly defined by his triumph against physical adversity. She was diagnosed with lupus in 2008 but didn’t publicly disclose it until 2010. Since being diagnosed, she has worked as a spokesperson for the Get Uncomfortable campaign, launched by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals to encourage people with lupus to get regular testing to detect kidney impairment early.
Braxton said on the TODAY show that she hid her lupus diagnosis at first because she was embarrassed by it. She claims that she previously would have been too ashamed to talk about her problem, but that support from others has given her the confidence to do so.
When others with lupus hear that she has been able to help them, “it’s so empowering,” she adds. Braxton can’t quite keep up with the pace she used to because of the effects of lupus. She’s open to one-off performances but refuses to commit to anything regular.
Check out other celebrities who have gone through heart surgery:
It’s difficult for me because I know I’ll never be able to do a show for seven days in a row again,” the Grammy winner admitted. Despite this, she is excited about this new chapter and says she is “proud of herself” since she gave herself “tough self-love” from the beginning of her career, which has helped her persevere through the highs and lows.
She also emphasized the importance of getting medical help for those who have ongoing health issues. She insisted that you “do those screenings” immediately. “It’s crucial,” they said.
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