Kim Zolciak's stroke: Return to 'Dancing With the Stars' uncertain?
Kim Zolciak's participation in "Dancing With the Stars" (DWTS) may be in jeopardy after the contestant suffered a ministroke on Wednesday during a plane flight.
On Sept. 23, Kim Zolciak was flying home to Atlanta, Georgia from Los Angeles, California when she suddenly felt numb on the full left side of her body and was unable to speak. It was later found out that the "Dancing With the Stars" contestant had a ministroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), according to The Hollywood Life (THL).
While the health scare posed a potential interruption to Zolciak's DWTS stint, medical expert Bruce Lee said the star can come back to continue exhibiting her dancing prowess.
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"If Kim has been evaluated and put on blood thinners if need be, there is no reason she can't return to her regular routine," THL quotes Dr. Bruce Lee, M.D. "She could return to the strenuous activities involved with Dancing With The Stars if she gets the OK from her doctors."
Tony Dovolani, Zolciak's partner in DWTS, stayed by her side while she was at the hospital. The 37-year-old star assured her fans on Instagram that she is okay by posting a series of photos of her at the hospital.
In one photo posted on Friday, Zolciak announced that "things are looking up" but she needed to undergo one more medical procedure. She also thanked all the people who supported her during her medical ordeal, E! Online reports.
Dr. Lee explained that Zolciak could have an existing condition that caused blood clots to form, leading to the ministroke. If this is confirmed, she would have to take "blood thinners." Some conditions that could cause the formation of blood clots include taking of oral contraceptives and the existence of a large fibroid tumor.
For now, the root cause of Zolciak's ministroke remains undetermined. But the doctor suggests it could have occurred because the DWTS contestant was sitting for a long time aboard the plane, the report relays.
A person who sits immobile for a long period of time is prone to the formation of blood clots in the leg. The clot could have split into several pieces and one piece made its way to her brain. Therefore, Dr. Lee advised everyone on long-haul flights to always get up and move around once every hour.
