"The Real" co-host Jeannie Mai opened up on how "grateful for life" she is in an Instagram post celebrating her 42nd birthday.
Mai was forced to quit "Dancing with the Stars" in November for health reasons and underwent emergency surgery to remove an abscess blocking her airway.
In a post on her birthday on Tuesday, she reflected on what she's been through. "This year is unlike any other year I’ve ever celebrated my birthday," she wrote. "It was an awakening year, one that made me recognize what it means to be truly GRATEFUL. Grateful for the little things that soothe my soul and mind."
MORE: 'Dancing With the Stars' celebrity Jeannie Mai hospitalized, forced to leave showJeannie went on to say she spent the time recuperating and reconnecting with things she loved from her past, like favorite books, and actually printing photos on her phone.
"I’m grateful for the STRENGTH and resilience in my body after surgery, grateful to nourish it back to health, grateful for the healing love of my soulmate, Jay [her fiancee, the rapper Jeezy], and my family; and thankful for everyone here who has supported and encouraged me with such love and humor from around the world," Mai said before closing with, "But most of all— I am utterly grateful for life!"
MORE: Jeannie Mai's fiance says she is 'doing well' while recovering from emergency surgeryThe TV host revealed she was hospitalized in November after being diagnosed with epiglottitis, a potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition that can cause swelling and block airflow to the lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
