Jeannie Mai had to undergo surgery this week for epiglottitis, and now she’s giving fans an update on her recovery.
Epiglottitis can be dangerous. The Mayo Clinic explains, “Epiglottitis is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the epiglottis — a small cartilage ‘lid’ that covers your windpipe — swells, blocking the flow of air into your lungs.”
The co-host of “The Real” shared a mirror selfie on Instagram Stories, sporting a “Vote Jeannie” T-shirt.
She wrote on the photo, “4 DAYS POST SURGERY,” adding, “No speaking, No chewing, No bad tshirts.”
The health issue forced Mai to exit “Dancing with the Stars” early. In a pre-recorded video, she opened up to fans about her condition on Monday night, saying she was “absolutely devastated” to leave the show.
“I found out that I have a throat abscess, where my tonsils and my throat had gotten so infected that it started permeating to the rest of the areas behind my neck and my ears that I had to get emergency surgery, which is why I’m here now,” she said.
The surgery went well, but doctors told her, “If you would have waited one more day, your throat would have closed up.”
Afterward, Johnny Weir shared a heartfelt message to Jeannie via “Extra.” Watch!