Celebrity News November 04, 2020
Health Update: How Abby Lee Miller Is Doing After Latest Back Surgery
Abby Lee Miller/Instagram
It was just two years ago that Abby Lee Miller underwent a lifesaving spinal surgery and was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma.
The “Dance Moms” star has come a long way since then. She's cancer-free, but has been using a wheelchair.
Abby, however, recently underwent another surgery, this time elective, to help alleviate pain, regain mobility, and walk again.
“Extra” caught up with Miller, along with Dr. Hooman Melamed and Dr. Christopher Boudakian, at the California Rehabilitation Institute.
After the seven-hour surgery with Dr. Melamed and treatment with Dr. Boudakian, Abby is doing amazingly well, considering her medical history.
Dr. Melamed explained, “Because she got all this chemo, her bone quality was not the best… I'm not going to lie; it was a very tough surgery to reconstruct, the nerve was extremely compressed, and you had to do a lot of lot of work, way more than you normally would.”
She's back on her feet now, and Dr. Boudakian shared, “She's really come a long way. It's really a testament to her strength and her will to get back on her feet… She is now able to stand from the chair and walk, what did you do, about 100, 150 feet?”
Abby replied, “150 feet today.”
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The goal is another three to six months of intensive therapy “until she can ditch the wheelchair,” Dr. Boudakian said.
Abby is ready to get back to work, saying, “I have a scripted show and two reality shows in the works right now. I probably wasn't supposed to say that, but I don't care. I want to get back to working with children again and I'm doing a project with older kids actually, no moms.”
Miller added, “I want to have more independence. I want to live my life. I want to be able to jump in the shower anytime I want, anytime I feel like it. That's a huge goal. People see me sitting in the chair, and I'm in makeup and hair and, 'Oh, she's doing great.' They don't really see what goes on behind closed doors. It's rough. Very rough.”
