Botched star Terry Dubrow experienced a “terrifying” medical emergency last week — but luckily, his wife and Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow was there to “save” his life.
It all started when the longtime married couple went out to dinner in Beverly Hills with their 19-year-old son Nicholas on Aug. 3, Terry told TMZ, which first reported the news. According to the Bravolebrity, he began slurring his speech — which happened for less than a minute before Heather advised their son to call 911, leaving Terry frustrated because he felt fine.
After paramedics arrived and gave Terry the all-clear, Heather insisted that they take him to the hospital. Still embarrassed, he ended up getting out of the ambulance and calling an Uber to take him home instead. In the meantime, Heather informed his doctor friends of what had happened — and their advice prompted him to stop at the hospital, after all.
A series of tests revealed that he had experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) — which is described by The Mayo Clinic as a “temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.” Plus, doctors discovered that the plastic surgeon had a patent foramen ovale (PFO) — which is a hole in the heart that didn’t close properly when he was born. TMZ reports that if he hadn’t been diagnosed with and treated for the PFO, he could have had a full stroke.
Fortunately, the star is doing just fine since the medical scare. In fact, he opened up to E! News about what he’s learned since the “terrifying experience.”
“One: If you or anyone around you shows possible signs of a stroke, time is critical, you have five hours to get to a hospital to save your life,” he said. “Two: If you have traveled recently, make sure you move frequently to keep blood flowing to prevent clots. Three: PFO is more common (20-30%) than people realize and TIAs and strokes can occur in anyone at any age.”
Terry also praised his wife for insisting that he get checked — and credited her for saving his life.
“Listen to your partner. If they are concerned about something, don’t argue, don’t ignore and get it checked out right away,” he told E! News. “What they see may be very different than what you perceive. Be grateful for those who love you. I love my wife, thank god for Heather and her persistence and insistence. She truly saved my life.”