Wendy Williams Opens Up About Her Battle With Graves Disease

Over the last 10 years, Wendy Williams’ popular daytime show has been known for discussing some of the entertainment industry’s hottest topics. But after she fainted live on the air during a show last October, her health became the most popular topic of them all.

In a new interview with Good Morning America, Williams’opened up about her battle with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease, which forced her to take a three week hiatus from the show.

“It was a perfect storm that had been brewing in my body…since late July,” Williams told GMA’s Amy Robach about fainting on air. Williams missed a series of appointments with her endocrinologist because the self-described workaholic felt like she couldn’t slow down and it was taking a serious toll on her body.

“My internist told me I am, if not the worst case of deficient vitamin D that she’s ever seen in her career,” she said. “I have vertigo, which I’ve had all my life and that was affecting my equilibrium. And it was just a mess going on inside of my body, but I’m saved.”

After finally meeting with her doctor in February, Williams was given a sobering bit of advice.

“I cried, and then I laughed. Are you out of your mind? It’s sweeps,” Williams told her doctor. “Do you want to be swept,” he answered back, putting things in perspective. According to Williams, advising her to take three weeks off from her show was “the best prescription ever.”

Williams said the experience taught her that she can no longer put herself last and she’s encouraging other women to take better care of themselves as well.

“We, as women, particularly if — we have families, you know, we’re taking care of children, we’re taking care of, you know, home, our husbands, we take care of everybody but ourselves,” she said. “No matter what the woman’s status is, it seems like we’re all in the same boat. I’m not doing that anymore.”

Williams returned to her popular daytime show on Monday.