‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ Sandra Lee Reveals She Suffered A Stroke While Filming ‘Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out’: “I Had A Part of My Brain That Died”

Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, who gained fame on social media as Dr. Pimple Popper for her graphic pimple-popping videos, revealed she suffered a stroke while filming the new season of her Lifetime series, Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out.

Speaking to People, Dr. Lee revealed the stroke occurred Nov. 20 when she was filming and seeing patients at her Upland, California office. Despite her growing list of symptoms, Lee shared she didn’t realize it was possibly a stroke until the next morning.

“I had what I thought was a hot flash. I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself,” she recounted. That evening, she stayed at her parents’ house, where she noticed she felt “very restless” and was experiencing “shooting pains” and trouble sleeping, in addition to “having a tough time walking down the stairs.”

Lee continued, “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?’”

Lee immediately went to the emergency room at her father’s suggestion, where an MRI revealed she suffered an ischemic stroke.

“It was just a shock,” she said. “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,” she said.

Lee underwent physical and occupational therapy for two months, putting a pause on filming for Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out Season 2.

The celebrity dermatologist shared she was particularly concerned about regaining control of her hands to perform surgery. “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,” she said.

But Lee notes she is “pretty much back to normal” now and has already returned to her practice. “It really makes you realize how precious life is,” she said.

After acknowledging that her blood pressure and cholesterol were “not under control” and she was experiencing “a lot of stress” at the time, Lee added, “In Asian cultures in particular they don’t tell people they’ve had a stroke because it can be seen as a sign of weakness. I want to get the word out that if you have symptoms like I had, make sure you see your doctor. Take care of yourself.”

Lee called the experience a “blessing in disguise,” adding, “It reminds you to take better care of yourself.”

Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out Season 2 premieres on Lifetime April 20.