Toni Braxton Reveals She Underwent Emergency Heart Surgery Due To Lupus Complication: ‘The Doctors Told Me I Could’ve Had A Massive Heart Attack, I Would Not Have Survived’

April 25, 2023 by Ariel Whitely in Music with 0 Comments

Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton Reveals She Underwent Emergency Heart Surgery Due To Lupus Complication: ‘The Doctors Told Me I Could’ve Had A Massive Heart Attack, I Would Not Have Survived’

Toni Braxton is opening up about overcoming a life-threatening health scare that occurred as a result of her living with lupus.

According to reports, R&B singer Toni Braxton, 55, was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 2008. Back in September, she underwent a procedure after 80% of the main artery in her heart was blocked.

Toni Braxton

For those unaware, lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakes healthy tissues as foreign invaders and attacks them rather than targeting the bad bacteria and viruses. It causes inflammation that can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs.

In a new interview, Toni Braxton admitted that although she’s been hospitalized from the disease numerous times, she didn’t stay on top of her routine urine and blood tests to assess how the lupus is affecting her organs. She recalled,

“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. 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

Toni continued,

“It was a traumatic moment for me. I was in shock. 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.”

Reportedly, Toni had emergency surgery two days after her screenings. A stent (a tube that helps keep the passageway open) was inserted in her heart. The singer was hospitalized for a few days as she recovered.

Despite the scary circumstances, Toni shared she’s ultimately grateful the issue didn’t lead to a fatal heart attack.

“It was really a scary moment. Had I not gotten that test, my life would’ve been different.”

Toni Braxton

The Grammy-winning artist said,

“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. 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?”

Toni added,

“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.”

Following the eye-opening health scare, the music star noted that she now gets tested every three months. Toni is also dedicated to paying it forward with her advocacy work aimed at raising awareness about lupus.

Now six months after getting the stent placed in her heart, Toni is feeling good and taking her health journey day by day. She admitted,

“There are good days and bad days. 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— 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. But I always try to be optimistic. The glass is always half full.”