Getty Heather and Terry Dubrow,
Heather Dubrow’s quick thinking may have saved her husband Terry Dubrow’s life. In August 2023, “The Real Housewives of Orange County” star convinced her husband of 24 years to go to the hospital after he experienced concerning symptoms – and at first, he balked.
Terry, a plastic surgeon who is a star on the medical reality show “Botched,” ultimately listened to his wife’s instincts, got checked out, and came away with a serious diagnosis.
Here’s what you need to know:
Terry Dubrow’s Speech Slurred When He Was Out to Dinner With His Wife Heather
On August 8, 2023, Terry, 64, opened up to TMZ to reveal that he was out with his wife at The Ivy restaurant in Los Angeles when his speech began to slur. While the slurring quickly subsided, Heather insisted that they call an ambulance. But after paramedics arrived, Terry refused to go to the hospital and jumped out of the emergency vehicle to grab an Uber to go home.
The outlet also reported that Heather called some of her husband’s friends in the medical field who convinced him to have his Uber stop at the hospital. Doctors discovered that the “Botched” star experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) due to a clot that passed through a hole in his heart. The hole was a birth defect the plastic surgeon was unaware that he had.
Terry revealed that he underwent a procedure to repair the hole, thus avoiding more life-threatening complications that could have led to a stroke.
TMZ also shared a video that showed the Dubrows standing outside of The Ivy’s picket fence, with Heather appearing to be arguing with her husband. It is unclear if the video was shot while they were waiting for the ambulance.
On August 9, Heather captioned an Instagram photo of her with her husband with, “I love this man with my whole heart. I’m beyond grateful that Terry’s ok, this could have gone very differently. If you see someone having stroke-like symptoms get them to the Hospital. You have [five] hours to get them treatment.”
The RHOC star also thanked all of the doctors, nurses, and techs who helped them “during this very scary time. “
Terry also thanked his wife, writing, “Listen to your partner. What you perceive may be different than what they are observing. Seconds may mean the difference between life and death.”
The couple also shared the story on “Watch What Happens Live” on August 9, 2023.
Heather & Terry Dubrow Revealed How Their Marriage Survived Reality TV
The scary medical incident comes just one year after the Dubrows opened up about navigating reality TV and their real lives. In a 2022 interview with Page Six, Heather admitted that she and her husband had one “really bad year” in the thick of their reality TV fame and that it affected their marriage.
“I think it may have been the first year Terry was on ‘Botched,’ and so we weren’t together a lot because I was doing ‘Housewives,’” the RHOC star said. “And we weren’t communicating. There was just a lot going on and we had to have a real come-to-Jesus moment and sit down.”
The couple, who wed in 1999 and share four kids, agreed that they would not it was “not acceptable” to “get a divorce over being on TV,” so they fixed their communication and put a better focus on their marriage. Terry added that while he still has disagreements with his wife, they’ve learned how to fight. “And we have tons of respect for each other,” he added.
The Dubrows recently made headlines after leaving their Orange County digs to buy homes closer to Beverly Hills. In August 2023, the couple confirmed they purchased a 9,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by late film producer Dino De Laurentiis. Heather told Entertainment Tonight that she has a three-year plan to renovate the $16.1 million property.