Yolanda Foster admits if it wasn't for her soon-to-be ex-husband David Foster, she might not be alive today.
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The 51-year-old The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 and she's been suffering from the chronic illness ever since.
"Last June, David woke up one morning and said, 'We are not doing any more treatments until you get a full body scan. That scan probably saved my life," Yolanda recalled in her Bravo blog Tuesday.
"Doctors found free-floating silicone under my left arm pit, under my right clavicle bone, and under my rib cage... None of these findings changed my late stage Lyme disease diagnosis, but it was a good explanation of why three years of hard work had not paid off yet. It was a big breakthrough in my case at a time that I was just existing. At that point I honestly was not sure how and if I was going to pull through."
David therefore saved her life and she's extremely grateful to him to this day, despite recent rumors the Grammy-winning producer thought she milked her disease for attention and sympathy. Rumors began circulating once David, 66, filed for divorce from Yolanda in early December and sources claimed the reality TV star's health crisis greatly contributed to the split.
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The latest episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which aired on Tuesday, featured Yolanda's co-stars questioning the validity of her debilitating condition.
"I am trying to watch the show with an open heart and no judgement of anyone in it as I choose to share my journey in order to bring awareness to Lyme disease and invisible chronic disease in general. I'm well aware that it opened up a storm of debate, but as long as we can speak with kindness and good intent, I believe that my quest for a cure will be rewarded one day," Yolanda explained in her blog.
"Only those who have experienced an invisible illness can identify with my journey. Losing my brain function and the ability to participate in life made me lose my identity. I had no choice but to buckle down, surrender, and connect to the deepest part of my soul. Only in solitude could I hear the little bit of my spirit that was still alive and willing to fight."
On a more pleasant note, Yolanda spent the holidays with her children Gigi, Bella and Anwar Hadid in Colorado.
"We had a beautiful, quiet, no gifting, no stress Christmas; we cooked, ate too much, and played lots of games," the former model shared. "Our family tradition of handwritten letters to each other is the one thing I keep close to my heart as there is no greater gift than feeling appreciated by your loved ones."
A lot changed for Yolanda in the last year, including what she calls "the worst six months" of her entire four-year journey starting at Christmas 2014. But with the lows comes the highs, and Yolanda is looking forward to a better, brighter New Year.
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"Whatever happened over these past couple of years, I am thankful for where it brought me; I'm exactly where I'm meant to be," Yolanda added in the blog. "Obviously I had hoped to share with you a more glamorous journey, but these are the cards life dealt me, and even though you see me struggle, you will never see me quit."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski