Dr. Sandra Lee, known as Dr. Pimple Popper, is sharing details about her recovery after suffering a severe ischemic stroke last November. In an exclusive interview, the dermatologist and reality TV star revealed that the traumatic event has left her with PTSD, which was triggered when she returned to work.
"It is scary, there's actually some PTSD that comes along with it," Lee said. "When I went back up to start filming, I would remember, ‘This is where I was when this happened. This was the time of day when this happened.'"
The stroke occurred while filming season two of her Lifetime series, "Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out." The stress of returning to set brought back vivid memories of the incident. Lee noted that her medical practice gave her time to recover physically and mentally, including regaining mobility and speech.
She is now taking new medications and closely monitoring her blood pressure and cholesterol, which contributed to the blood clot. Lee is also working on neuroplasticity—retraining her brain to communicate with her body.
"Your brain is not communicating and telling your arm to do the thing that you want it to," she explained. "So, you have to retrain it by really doing these things over and over again."
Despite the challenges, Lee describes the experience as "a blessing in disguise," hoping it raises awareness about stroke risks, especially at younger ages.
"Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.