“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star NeNe Leakes is thankful to be alive. In a message she posted on her website, she wrote  “I’m thankful to be alive as the doctor advised me that most people don’t recognize the symptoms of blood clots and don’t go to the doctor and that’s when the big problems start happening.”

The Daily News reports that she was hospitalized after feeling short of breath and was diagnosed as having blood clots in her lung. NeNe has since been released and is now recovering at home.

NeNe took time while recovering to reassured her fans that she did not have a heart attack as earlier reported. Part of the statement posted by the 45-year-old Leakes read:

“Late last week I wasn’t feeling well and was feeling a little short of breath…I know my body and I know when I should be concerned so I went to the hospital to get checked out.”

“After some routine tests I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung,” she continued. “I’m told this happened to me because of the constant traveling around the country that I do for my job.”

She also posted a photo of her dressed in a hospital gown and lying in a hospital bed while hooked up to IV’s.  “My arms are hurting with these IV’s,” she tweeted Monday along with the photo. “I have been very sick for the past couple of days,” she continued. “But I wanted 2 Thank my tweetie pies.”

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My arms are hurting wit these IV’s #blessedtobealive… http://t.co/0IZYx6S9yl

— NeNe Leakes (@NeNeLeakes) November 18, 2013

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Nene Leakes is also the star of  I Dream Of Nene: The Wedding on Bravo

(photos via neneleakesofficial.com)