Shocking Turn In Health For Celeb Chef Sandra Lee — 'My Doctor Called And Told Me I Had Breast Cancer'
May 12 2015, Published 10:49 a.m. ET
Celeb chef Sandra Lee revealed that she's battling breast cancer and is planning on undergoing a double mastectomy.
The 48-year-old TV personality told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America Tuesday that she received the life-changing news during a March 27 shoot for People magazine's Most Beautiful issue.
"I walked off the set, and 20 minutes later my doctor called and told me I had breast cancer," Lee said, adding she was "stunned" by the diagnosis.
"That's just how fast life turns -- it turns on a dime," she said.
Lee, who's been dating 57-year-old New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a decade, she said the politician has been "extremely supportive" in the wake of the life-changing news.
Lee said that her doctors performed a lumpectomy on her, after which they, along with her radiologist, advised her to get a double mastectomy.
"And so I said, 'OK. If I'm going to have a mastectomy, am I supposed to just get one done?' Both the radiologist and the doctor said, 'You're a ticking time bomb,'" she said. "And they both said, 'You need -- I would just get them both done.'"
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Lee said Cuomo will "be in the operating room with" her when she undergoes the procedure.
Lee stressed that regular checkups helped her discover the life-threatening condition, and that she's going to encourage friends and family to keep in the know about their health.
"I'm 48 years old," she said. "I've got -- I've got a couple years till 50 ... if I would have waited, I probably wouldn't even be sitting here.
The TV personality told People she plans "to spread the word about early detection" moving forward.