Vicki Gunvalson is opening up after a recent serious health scare.
On Monday, Aug. 26, the Real Housewives of Orange County star, 62, and her partner Michael Smith joined My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast, where she detailed her experience in and out of the hospital — at least what she remembers.
The Coto Insurance founder and CEO said she was with a client last Thursday, Aug. 22, when she began “talking gibberish.”
The individual happened to be a retired physican and alerted Smith’s daughter Olivia, who works in the office, that Gunvalson was “possibly having a stroke.”
“I don’t remember anything and [Olivia] took me to the hospital,” Gunvalson said.
Vicki Gunvalson/Instagram
Gunvalson said doctors at the hospital told her that her symptoms were simply a sinus infection and sent her home that same night.
Smith was in Scottdale, Ariz. at the time and Olivia called him and told him to return home.
After he caught the first flight back and got home, Smith found Gunvalson “pretty much passed out” in a bathtub, which he called “one of the scariest” moments he’s ever experienced.
“I grabbed her, pulled her out of the water, put her in bed. The doctor said she just needed to sleep, so I put her in bed and she slept literally 13, 14 hours straight,” he recalled.
When he tried to get her out of bed, Smith said Gunvalson seemed “discombobulated” and couldn’t walk so he took her back to the hospital.
“She had a massive infection… it was actually sepsis but it was pneumonia,” Smith said. “The way [the doctors] explained it is that when your body is fighting that big of an infection… your whole body attacks it what affects the brain and everything else in your body because your body sends everything it has to fight it.”
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
“It was dangerous. It was scary,” Smith added.
“I don’t remember much and that’s the trauma of the brain,” Gunvalson explained. “It’s very similar to a stroke or PTSD where the brain just goes into quiet mode, it just won’t remember to protect you.”
Gunvalson said that she’s “okay” now but her energy level is “super low” as she recovers. The reality television star also praised an “incredible” Smith for “giving me my medicines ‘cause I can’t remember when I’m taking them” as well as his daughter Olivia’s help.
“I’m sleeping enough — probably too much, but I can’t get the energy to walk right now. But it is very similar, it mimics a stroke, and I just have a blank three days,” the RHOC star added.
PEOPLE reached out to Gunvalson’s rep for an update on her condition.
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On Monday, Gunvalson’s RHOC costar Shannon Beador sent well wishes via social media.
“Love you my friend! ?? You are one of the strongest women that I know and you are going to continue to get stronger every day!” she captioned an Instagram photo of the two of them smiling together for a selfie.
“Nothing can knock you down! You are always in my prayers! I love you mi Aries Amiga!!! ???,” she concluded.
