Dr. Pimple Popper Sandra Lee Details PTSD Symptoms After Stroke

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Dr. Sandra Lee is on the road to recovery.

The star of Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out shared that she’s still experiencing effects from a stroke she had last November. During the stroke, part of her brain was damaged, and it was a very serious health issue.

Lee shared with TopMob News’ Erin Lim Rhodes that her recovery has been frightening, even causing some symptoms of PTSD. She explained that returning to the filming location brought back vivid memories of the incident, including specific locations and times of day when things happened.

As a big fan, it was heartbreaking to learn that when Lee had her medical scare during filming of season two, going back to work actually brought back all the trauma from what happened. It really triggered her PTSD, and you could tell it was a difficult time for her.

The show is incredibly stressful for me, because the patients rely on me and often travel long distances, seeing me as their final chance for help. However, everyone at Lifetime was wonderful and very supportive.

Additionally, Dr. Lee’s flexible work schedule allowed her plenty of time to heal after her stroke, which affected her movement and speech.

The founder of SLMD Skincare shared that having some time to recover was really helpful, allowing her to regain her confidence. She explained that it’s crucial for her to treat patients as she always has, and she needed to feel ready and comfortable before returning to work. If she felt hesitant or unsure, she knew she needed to prioritize her well-being first.

Lee is now managing her blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as these were key contributors to the brain clot she experienced.

I’ve started taking new medications,” she said. “I’m also going to a lot of different doctors and working on improving my diet, and I really need to exercise more.

Lee is working to improve her brain’s ability to adapt and change, which she explains as teaching her brain how to communicate effectively with her body.

She explained that your brain isn’t sending the right signals to your arm to perform the desired action. Therefore, you need to practice the movement repeatedly to help your brain relearn how to control it.

Although recovering hasn’t been easy, Lee is now doing very well and surprisingly sees the difficult experience as having a positive side.

I discovered this problem quickly and I’m confident I can recover and improve,” she explained to TopMob. “I want to raise awareness about this and let people know it can affect anyone, and it’s increasingly happening to younger people.”

Lee added that the goal is simply to encourage people to prioritize their health. Even getting someone to commit to scheduling a routine checkup with a doctor would be a positive step.

Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

Keep reading for more stars who have detailed their health scares.

Nikki Bella, known from Total Bellas, shared that one of her breast implants moved after being hit during an elbow strike from wrestler Piper Niven in a match back in July 2025.

She reassured her sister, Bella Garcia, that they would eventually get the issue resolved. She explained to the doctor that as soon as she finished her current commitment, she’d return to address the problem and make everything look perfect, because she planned to use them again and they needed to be in good condition.

Lupita Nyong’o, known for her role in 12 Years a Slave, received a diagnosis of uterine fibroids—non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus—in 2014, the same year she won an Academy Award for her performance in the film.

I was so moved when she finally shared what she’d been going through. For over ten years, she’d kept it hidden, suffering privately, and then in 2025 she bravely opened up on Instagram, letting us know she hadn’t been okay.

She explained that growing up, she was taught to expect periods to be painful, and to accept that pain as a normal part of womanhood. This often leaves people feeling like they’re dealing with a difficult experience on their own, when it’s something many women face.

 

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this, but Riley Keough – Riley Keough! – had to be hospitalized! Apparently, she got a hernia – which is like, a gap in your muscles, usually in your stomach or groin – because… get this… she was wearing tight pants! I mean, can you even? She’s perfect no matter what, but still! It’s just… a hernia from jeans! I’m so worried about her, but also, it’s just so Riley to have something this quirky happen. I hope she’s okay and resting up!

She messaged Suki on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “You haven’t tweeted in ages!” Then, jokingly, she added, “Have you ever thought maybe I wore pants so tight six months ago that I got a hernia and I’ve been too afraid to mention it?”

The former star of Beverly Hills, 90210 shared in April 2025 that he was recovering from surgery for a nearly ruptured appendix.

Brian shared in an Instagram video that he recently experienced stomach pain which led him to the emergency room. He explained he had a perforated appendix – it hadn’t fully burst, but was very close to it.

He added, “I’m on the road to recovery. It’s not an easy process. This is my first major surgery.”

A Racing Louisville midfielder fell to the ground shortly after the start of her team’s game against Seattle Reign on September 14th at Lumen Field in Seattle.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Women’s National Team player was seen slowly sitting down on the field with a teammate supporting her, just before collapsing. Trainers were immediately called to assess her condition.

After receiving initial medical attention on the field, Savannah was taken to a nearby hospital for more tests, the National Women’s Soccer League announced on X. They reported that she is currently in stable condition and fully conscious.

I was so shocked to hear that Adam Devine is still dealing with the effects of being hit by a cement truck when he was just eleven years old! It’s incredible how something that happened so long ago can continue to impact someone’s health, and I really feel for him.

I was absolutely devastated hearing Devine talk about it on Graham Bensinger’s podcast in 2025. He said it’s been a total nightmare, and honestly, it broke my heart. He described having these awful spasms all over, and the worst part? The doctors actually told him he was dying – like, seriously, within the last year! I couldn’t believe it. It’s just…so scary to think about what he’s been through.

He explained that his pain is intermittent, saying, “My body has a few quirks and isn’t quite working perfectly.”

A former contestant on The Bachelor went to the hospital because of severe back pain. He described being in so much pain that he had to crawl on his hands and knees, and the pain got worse during a road trip with a friend.

He described a strange tingling sensation that still lingered in his legs as of March 2025, sharing this on his Trading Secrets podcast. He explained that just a few weeks or a month prior, he was able to squat 295 pounds, but now he can’t even do a basic squat or stand on one leg without falling. He compared the feeling to having had a stroke.

But with the help of a back specialist and some steroids, he added, “We’re on the mend.”

Gina Kirschenheiter, from The Real Housewives of Orange County, revealed that her ex-husband, Matt Kirschenheiter, had a heart attack in March 2025, but he is now doing okay.

In March 2025, the actor from 30 Rock experienced a medical issue at a New York Knicks game and had to be helped out of Madison Square Garden.

The comedian later posted an update online, explaining he had food poisoning but was starting to feel better.

In February 2025, the former Even Stevens star revealed she was shot in the face during a birthday celebration for her husband, Brendan Rooney. They were on a trip to go clay pigeon shooting when the incident occurred.

In an Instagram post, she explained that she was accidentally shot in the face by someone at a party who fired a gun unsafely. Brendan Rooney quickly helped her, evaluated her injuries, and drove her to the hospital. She was hit five times, and one bullet came dangerously close to her right eye – less than an inch away.

The Kim Possible actress explained that a small piece of something got stuck behind her eye. Doctors have advised against removing it with surgery right now, and they’ll keep monitoring her vision, which is currently normal.

As someone who’s spent years observing what truly matters, I’ve learned life is precious, and recently, a dear friend reminded me just how much. She shared that going through a difficult experience really made her appreciate everything – her family, her husband, her kids, all her loved ones. She said she literally saw her life flash before her eyes, and it was a powerful reminder for all of us: don’t take a single moment for granted. Seriously, hug the people you care about whenever you can. Things can change so quickly, and those connections are what really count.

Amy Schumer is grateful for the internet, despite its often negative side, because it helped her discover a health issue. After noticing she looked “puffier” and receiving critical comments online, doctors began commenting on interviews, suggesting she might have Cushing syndrome, a condition potentially caused by high cortisol levels or steroid injections. This prompted Amy to realize she’d been receiving steroid injections after a breast reduction and C-section. She later learned she had a form of Cushing syndrome that would resolve on its own, and she’s relieved to be healthy. She shared this positive news in a February 2024 newsletter, expressing how grateful she was to learn she was okay.

During a game in December 2024, an AHL player was accidentally cut in the face by another player’s skate and needed 25 stitches to close the wound. After his son made a full recovery, New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald told ESPN how relieved they were, saying, “We feel very lucky, and I wouldn’t want any parent to go through that.”

In March 2022, Hailey Bieber experienced a frightening health scare while having breakfast with her husband, Justin Bieber. She suddenly started having stroke-like symptoms, struggling to speak and noticing her face drooping. Although her symptoms briefly subsided, she went to the hospital for evaluation. Doctors discovered she’d had a small blood clot travel to her brain, which they identified as a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack). Further testing at UCLA revealed Hailey had a hole in her heart, called a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The blood clot had passed through this hole and reached her brain, causing the TIA. Hailey has since undergone a successful procedure to close the hole in her heart and is now doing well.

The same year Hailey faced a health issue, Justin also experienced one. In June 2022, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a condition that caused temporary paralysis on one side of his face. This forced him to cancel the remaining dates of his Justice World Tour.

In a video posted to Instagram, Justin explained that the virus attacks nerves in the ear and face, making it impossible for him to blink, smile, or move his nostril on the affected side. He also shared that it had become increasingly difficult to eat.

Fortunately, the paralysis eventually went away. Hailey shared on Good Morning America that Justin was recovering well, stating it had been a frightening and unexpected situation, but he was going to be okay and she was grateful he was fine.

Jamie Foxx initially kept the details of his April 2023 health crisis private, but he later shared what happened. He explained that while in Atlanta, he experienced a severe headache and asked for aspirin. Before he could take it, he lost consciousness and doesn’t remember the next 20 days.

Initially, a doctor gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home. However, his sister, Deidra Dixon, was worried and took him to the hospital, where doctors discovered he had a brain bleed that led to a stroke.

After surgery, twenty days later, on May 4th, Jamie woke up in a wheelchair unable to walk. He then went to Chicago for rehabilitation and therapy. He expressed his gratitude for the prayers he received, saying, “I needed every prayer.”

The reality TV star shared that she briefly stopped breathing while running a mile during the first challenge on the NBC competition show.

As I’ve learned from speaking with people about deeply personal experiences, memories can be incredibly fragmented during traumatic events. This woman, sharing her story on Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, described it as a very surreal experience. She recalled hearing a helicopter, then feeling like she was floating, almost detached. She said her grandfather appeared to her, followed by darkness, but then a light – and in that moment, she knew she had died. It’s a powerful testament to how our minds process extreme situations, and how even in those moments, there can be a sense of peace or clarity.

She explained that her organs were failing. She hadn’t known she had rhabdomyolysis, a condition where the body essentially begins to shut down.

Emilia Clarke, known for her role in Game of Thrones, revealed a harrowing health battle in a 2019 essay for The New Yorker. While filming the series, she experienced a sudden and severe headache while at the gym. She described collapsing and being violently ill, realizing something was seriously wrong with her brain.

A hospital scan quickly revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage – a life-threatening stroke caused by bleeding around the brain. She had suffered an aneurysm, a rupture in an artery. Immediate surgery was performed to repair it, but the pain was excruciating. During her recovery, she experienced aphasia, struggling to speak coherently.

After a week, her speech recovered, and she was discharged from the hospital a month later. However, a 2013 scan revealed the growth had doubled in size, requiring a second surgery. This procedure initially failed, leading to a massive bleed and a critical situation. Doctors had to perform a more invasive surgery, accessing her brain directly through her skull.

Fortunately, Emilia is now fully recovered and says she is “at a hundred per cent.”

Cori Broadus, Snoop Dogg’s daughter, recently shared her gratitude for her family’s support during a health crisis. In January 2024, she suffered a stroke and immediately reached out to her loved ones, sending a text and photo to let them know what happened. She told TopMob News that everyone quickly came to her aid.

Cori ended up staying in the hospital longer than expected due to other health issues. While she could have gone home after the stroke, she was also dealing with complications from lupus and kidney problems.

Thankfully, Cori is now recovering well. She says she’s doing great and is regaining her motor skills, and is otherwise feeling fine.

Shailene Woodley struggled with her health throughout her early twenties. In a September 2024 podcast interview, she explained that she experienced hearing loss, extreme fatigue, and digestive issues. She saw many doctors who offered different diagnoses, leaving her feeling confused.

Because she comes from a holistic background and studies herbalism, Shailene decided to combine traditional medical care with alternative healing methods in her search for answers. This journey lasted for ten years.

The physical discomfort led to emotional challenges, including fear of food and struggles with body image, identity, and feeling comfortable in her own body.

Ultimately, Shailene was able to resolve her health issues and is now feeling very well. She’s grateful to be in a healthy place both physically and mentally.

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2026-04-24 22:51