Dr. Sandra Lee – AKA Dr. Pimple Popper – has revealed that she suffered a terrifying stroke while filming her latest series

‘It happened while I was filming the show. I had what I thought was a hot flash. I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself. I just felt very restless. In one leg I kept feeling shooting pains. I noticed that I was having a tough time walking down the stairs.’

Then the following day she began noticing some even more odd symptoms that led her to seeking medical help.

Dr. Lee explained: ‘I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse. I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating. I thought, “Am I having a stroke?”‘

Her father, who is also a dermatologist, told her that she needed to go to the emergency room immediately, an MRI revealed that she had suffered an ischemic stroke.

According to Cleveland Clinic, an ischemic stroke, which can be fatal, is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain.

Dr. Lee said of the diagnosis: ‘It was just a shock. As a physician I couldn’t deny that I had slurred speech, that I was having weakness on one side, but I was like, “Well, this is a dream, right?”

‘What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died.’

Dr. Lee explained what led to the stroke.

She said: ‘My blood pressure and my cholesterol were not under control, and I have a lot of stress in my life, dealing with my patients and the show.

Dr. Lee said that back in November she was filming Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out when she started noticing something felt off

The season 2 trailer for her reality series showed someone in her office calling 911 before an ambulance drives to the medical facility

The staff were informed on the severity of the situation as Dr. Lee is shown tearing up in a talking head interview

‘I want to think about it as a blessing in disguise. Because it reminds you to take better care of yourself.’

The TLC star talked honestly about the medical emergency’s long-term effect on her life.

She said: ‘I don’t like that I don’t have total control of my left hand or the grip wasn’t as strong. If I feel like I’m not at my best—it’s very scary.’

Dr. Lee starred on TLC reality series Dr. Pimple Popper from 2018 to 2023 which came after she grew a major following by posting online video content.

Of the stroke, Dr. Lee told People magazine: ‘I notice it right now that I don’t speak exactly the way I used to. You’re really embarrassed to speak because you notice it. It is very stressful to open yourself up. Especially as a surgeon, you always want to show yourself coming from an area of strength’

She began uploading videos onto YouTube in 2010 and started doing it more regularly in 2015 when she noticed that clips of her skin extractions were becoming increasingly popular on Instagram.

Her new series Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out is on Lifetime as the first season aired last year.

Dr. Lee is married to fellow dermatologist Jeff Rebish as they share two sons together.

Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out season 2 premieres on Sunday, April 20 at 9pm on Lifetime.