Jeannie Mai returned to ‘The Real’ after having been absent since having to undergo emergency surgery on her throat in early November.
via: People
Jeannie Mai is back on The Real!
The TV personality, 41, was hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery on her throat earlier this month. Three weeks later, she couldn’t be happier to be at work again.
“You guys kept me company every single day. I’ve never really watched our show from the couch,” Mai told co-hosts Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love and Garcelle Beauvais during Tuesday’s episode. “So I was able to binge watch everything — I played along with the games with you guys, I loved glam everyday, it was so good.”
She continued, “Anybody out there who knows what it’s like to be sick, where you can’t do anything, you can’t talk, you can’t move, you can’t even raise your blood pressure — it’s the worst feeling ever. So I really thank you guys for holding it down and just keeping me company every day on The Real, and Real fam: I got all of your messages.”
Our girl @jeanniemai returns plus her Doctor, Shawn Nasseri gives us insight on her journey. Then Academy Award-winning director John Ridley drops by and R&B singer @queennaija is here to discuss her debut album, “Missunderstood.” pic.twitter.com/Oy4ZSJsL9M
— The Real (@TheRealDaytime) November 24, 2020
In early November, Mai suffered from a parapharyngeal abscess and was diagnosed with epiglottitis, 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,” according to Mayo Clinic.
The condition required the star to undergo surgery and withdraw from her spot on this season of Dancing with the Stars. Unable to talk, she also had to take a step back from The Real for the past several weeks, aside from one brief appearance in which she used cue cards to send a message to her fans and co-hosts.
During her return on Tuesday, Mai opened up about how she pushed herself too hard leading up to the moment where she needed emergency surgery.
“We already know how precious health is, but I am a workaholic, and I do prioritize my work more than my health and in this situation, I absolutely thought just taking a steroid shot or just taking Theraflu or DayQuil would help cover it, because I was in a competition and I was not going to let down.”
“I really took that too seriously more than my health,” she added. “And then God taught me a lesson. So getting sick wasn’t the upsetting part, it was actually just being depressed because I let myself get to this.”
“I have to thank The Real for being so understanding the entire step of the way,” Mai said prior to her Tuesday return. “The Real truly is my family and they were just so encouraging and held it down for me for our daily talk show that made me feel so warmed and loved every day that I watched the ladies.”
She also said she’s grateful for the unwavering support and “outpouring of love from friends and everyone I have worked with.”
“From phone calls, to messages, flowers to even soups, I was quickly on the mend because of the encouragement from wonderful people in my life,” Mai said. “I am so grateful.”
Glad to see Jeannie on the mend and getting back to work.
