Selling Sunset star Amanza Smith has revealed that she's been hospitalized with a blood infection, an "excruciating" painful condition that started over a month ago and required surgery.
ADVERTISEMENT
Amanza, 46, shared her health crisis with her 1.1 million Instagram followers in a video posted on Sunday, June 11.
Alongside a video montage of her experience in the hospital set to "Titanium" by David Guetta and Sia, Amanza explained in the caption, "Over a month ago and all of this started, I thought that I had a bulging disk or a slipped disk or something wrong with my lower back that was regular."
Amanza recalled being laid out "in pain" at home for "several days," when she "cried" and "took Tylenol."
"I went to urgent care. I didn't know what it was, but after over a month of excruciating pain, I finally started to get some answers," Amanza wrote.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I got an MRI and a CT scan and then was told that I need to go to Cedar Sinai. I came to Cedar Sinai last Friday [June 2] thinking that I was going to get another scan on my back and then go home. Instead, I was admitted and they immediately started testing me for things in my blood."
Doctors apparently discovered an infection in Amanza's blood that had caused "a great deal of infection to be spread to the bones" of her spine.
"It's called osteomyelitis," Amanza revealed.
"The good thing about all of this: I'm in the best hospital and quite possibly the world -- and every doctor and every nurse has been right on top of everything to get the answers that we need to get me to where I need to be, which is better."
Following her diagnosis, Amanza was treated with antibiotics.
ADVERTISEMENT
"They first thought [the infection] was a tumor because on an MRI, that's what it looks like. But the bad kind -- not the kind that's just infection," Amanza wrote. "Everyone was very scared, including myself."
On Amanza's tenth day in the hospital, she said, "I'm about to go into surgery to have portions of the infection removed from my spine that weren't getting any better by the antibiotics that I've been getting for 10 days now, every four hours intravenously."
Amanza confirmed in her post she's "still in pain" but remains "hopeful" about her eventual recovery.
"I'm hopeful that with the surgery, my back pain will diminish and the antibiotics -- that they will continue to give me intravenously through a pick line when I'm finally released in a few days -- will take care of the rest of the infection in my spine and I'll be back to [100 percent]," Amanza explained.
"Thank you to everyone at Cedar Sinai for taking such good care of me. This, too shall pass."
ADVERTISEMENT
Amanza has since received well wishes and prayers from her friends and real estate colleagues.
"You're so strong Mama, sending you so much love," wrote Kayla Cardona, who stars on Selling the OC.
Kayla's co-star Alexandra Jarvis also commented, "Praying for your complete recovery!"
Nicole Young, who joined the Selling Sunset cast for Season 6, wrote to Amanza, "Strongest woman I know! I love you and yes, this too shall pass. I cannot wait to see NOT in excruciating pain."
Amanza's hospitalization came just weeks after she had a benign biopsy and learned she's free of cancer.
ADVERTISEMENT
On Selling Sunset's sixth season, which was released May 19 on Netflix, Amanza had revealed that she was putting off the biopsy following an unusual scan of her uterus, according to Us Weekly.
But in May, Amanza assured her fans that she was doing great.
"I am happy to tell you that I am in fact, not only cancer free, but also possibly aging backwards and happier than I've been in forever!" Amanza wrote at the time.
"The results of my biopsy were benign! I will continue to be grateful for my health, and even more so now than ever!"
Netflix announced in June 2022 that Selling Sunset was being renewed for two more seasons, Seasons 6 and 7.
Amanza is expected to return for the series' seventh season, which began filming earlier this year and will likely premiere in November 2023, People reported.