Toni Braxton divulged she is lucky to be alive, seven months after undergoing emergency heart surgery for a blocked coronary artery.
The singer, who has been transparent in her battle with autoimmune diease lupus erythematosus, shared she had fallen behind in her regimented precautionary care, which includes regular urine and blood tests. She was also experiencing chest pain.
After initially dismissing the pain, Braxton ultimately sought medical treatment.
"I kept putting it off thinking, 'Oh, I'm fine. I'll be okay.' But my doctor was persistent, and I went to get tested in the last week of September. I did a specialized test, and they looked at my heart and saw some abnormalities," Braxton revealed to People magazine. "I found out that I needed a coronary stent. My left main coronary artery was 80% blocked. The doctors told me I could've had a massive heart attack, I would not have survived."
TONI BRAXTON, 52, SAYS SHE'S 'BEACH BODY READY' BUT 'TOO SCARED TO GO' IN BIKINI SELFIE
"It was a traumatic moment for me. I was in shock," Braxton says of learning she had a more serious condition. "I remember that day because my chest was aching often, just hurting. And I thought I was just sad because unfortunately my sister [Traci Braxton] had just passed and I thought, 'Wow, I'm really aching in my heart for my sister.' And come to find out, of course I was sad about my sister, but I also had underlying health issues. It was my body talking to me, telling me something's not quite right."
The heart attack, known as a widowmaker, is one in "which you have a full blockage in your heart’s biggest artery. This artery, the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, sends oxygen-rich blood to your heart’s left ventricle," per the Cleveland Clinic.
"It was really a scary moment," Braxton told People. "Had I not gotten that test, my life would've been different."
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After the procedure, Braxton remained in the hospital. While appearing on "Today," Braxton revealed doctors had told her she was "touch and go" for a bit.
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The "Un-break My Heart" singer shared her goal is a "long life and old age," reinforcing the importance of regular screenings, which she does every three months.
"I look at it like it was a blessing in disguise for me because now, putting off tests? Oh no, I will not put off tests," she joked. "If all I have to do for my lupus and my kidney health is pee in a cup, I can pee in a cup. How many times do you need me to pee? If all I gotta do is get my arm pricked for some blood? Oh yes, I can do that. How many vials do you need?"
"I know we're all scared sometimes to go to the doctor. Especially for me having lupus, I was scared, I didn't want to know. But I find that knowing is empowering and it gets my doctors on top of my lupus and my kidney health. And that's the most important thing."
Admittedly, the Grammy-Award winner says not every day is perfect.
"There are good days and bad days," she shared. "I'm going to be honest, sometimes the bad days get me down. I'm not superwoman. I like to think I am. I like to feel like I'm that boss b---h all the time, but I'm also a human. When my body tells me to take it down and relax, I have to listen to it."
"I always try to be optimistic," the mother of two added. "The glass is always half full."
