Toni Braxton has spoken up about her “traumatic” heart surgery, which was judged essential by medical professionals as a result of lupus problems. She was diagnosed with the disease in 2008.
The singer of “Un-Break My Heart” stated in a recent interview with People that she underwent surgery in September 2022 after learning that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common kind of lupus, had blocked 80% of the major artery in her heart.
Even though the diva is generally good about looking after herself, she acknowledged that last year she made a few mistakes.
“I kept postponing it because I thought, ‘Oh, I’m good. I’ll be OK. But my doctor persisted, so in the final week of September, I went in for testing. I underwent a specialist test, and when they examined my heart, they discovered some anomalies,” Braxton said to the publication. “I learned that a coronary stent was necessary. It was 80% obstructed in my left major coronary artery. The physicians warned me that if I had suffered a severe heart attack, I would not have lived.
“It was a terrifying experience for me. I was stunned,” she remembered. “I recall that day because my chest was frequently aching and simply hurting. And I believed I was just depressed because my sister Traci Braxton had recently passed away, but I soon realized how much my heart was hurting for her. And as it turned out, I had underlying health difficulties in addition to being upset about my sister. It was my body speaking to me and alerting me to a problem.
Two days following the screening, doctors performed the emergency surgery on Braxton, during which they placed the coronary stent to keep the artery open. She recovered for “a few days”.
Overall, the R&B singer was grateful that the illness was discovered before it had a worse outcome.
“It was really a scary moment,” she acknowledged. “My life would have been different if I hadn’t taken that test. I see it as a blessing in disguise for me since, now, why would I put off exams? Oh no, I won’t postpone exams.
“If all I have to do to take care of my lupus and kidney health is urinate in a cup, I can urinate in a cup,” she continued. How often do you want me to urinate? If all I have to do is get my arm poked to draw blood, why bother? Oh, sure, I’m up for it. How many vials are required?
Braxton also urged women to obtain frequent checkups, noting that Black and Asian women have a fourfold increased risk of developing lupus nephritis.
Simple things like getting such screenings are crucial, she argued. “A long life and old age are the objectives here. I am aware that sometimes visiting the doctor makes us all anxious. In particular, because I have lupus, I was afraid and wished I didn’t know. However, I believe that being informed empowers me and helps my doctors stay on top of my kidney and lupus health. And that’s the most crucial factor.
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