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The Wood star Tamala Jones was at the height of her career when she suffered a traumatic brain aneurysm.
During a recent appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, Jones went into detail about the scary experience and offered an update on her well-being.
“I was born with it,” Jones, 48, told Tamron of the unprecedented health condition, according to ESSENCE. “I wasn’t expecting that, and no one else was. It was a headache that happened for two weeks straight. I was taking all the sinus medicine and Tylenol. [I] probably should of took an aspirin, and it kept going,”
A brain aneurysm can occur when a blood vessel in or around the brain becomes weak, bulging as a result. According to the Cleveland Clinic, most aneurysms are small and don’t cause issues. But a ruptured brain aneurysm can be life-threatening. A severe headache can be the first sign of a ruptured brain aneurysm. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, a stiff neck or blurred vision.
Jones was working on Season 4 of NBC’s For Your Love when her aneurysm occurred
“One morning, I woke up; I didn’t have any balance. I felt like I had to urinate really bad, and I stumbled to the toilet, nothing came out,” the actress recalled. “My head started hurting really bad, and then I hit the floor. When I got up, the right side of my body was numb.”
The star said she notified her boss about the startling health scare, but she was asked to come on set and film with medical supervision regardless. Jones drove to the set, but as she was driving, her right foot became “heavy.”
“I had to put my left foot on the brake and manually move this off the gas pedal. I drove to work, left foot, left hand,” the Booty Call alum added. Despite feeling unwell, she worked onset the entire day and went directly to the doctor a few days later.
“I got to the hospital, and the doctor was like, ‘I am in awe that you’re alive. Let alone worked a whole day,” she recalled.
Life has changed for the Castle star since her scary health diagnosis. The actress said she takes time to prioritize her health. She also urged viewers to listen to their bodies when something feels off.
“I feel great. I’m alive,” she said. “I’m still able to do what I love to do. I love this business. I love what we do. I love acting.”
