Abby Lee Miller had a triumphant moment this week during her appearance on The Doctors. The Dance Moms star stopped by the talk show for an update on her health, and thankfully, she was able to stand up out of her wheelchair. The audience followed suit, giving Miller a standing ovation.
Miller has been off of her feet for quite some time now. The reality star was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma last April, and was released from prison early to get emergency treatment. She had a successful surgery, and has been dedicated to physical therapy ever since.
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On The Doctors, Miller and her oncologist, Lawrence Piro, drove this point home. Piro described how dedicated she has been to the treatment. He explained that Miller was well-situated for physical therapy, since her spine was relatively stable and her tumor was removed quickly. This minimized the time her spine was under pressure, meaning she had a stronger chance of getting her regular movement back.
“I think that the most important ingredient for her recovery, and what is going to determine her possibilities for the future, is her own ability to work at rehab,” he said.
To that end, Piro explained, Miller had gotten a knee replacement three weeks before the interview, “so that that would stop being an impediment to standing, bearing weight and walking.”
“It would just buckle, and go down,” Miller chimed in.
Piro noted that most people spend weeks off of their feet following a knee replacement due to the pain of the operation. The other doctors on the show nodded along in agreement. However, in Miller’s case, she was too eager to get back on her feet. Piro thought that her dedication to physical therapy was a clear sign that she would put in the effort to make a full recovery.
Miller has reportedly been having four physical therapy sessions per day since her knee replacement. The big screen behind the hosts showed a picture of Miller in the treatment center, wearing a full-body harness to assist her in walking on the treadmill. However, Piro pointed out that she had not taken a single step “in public” since the operation.
“This is so scary,” Miller said as the doctors put a walker in front of her wheelchair. with hesitant steps, the reality star climbed to her feet, then took a few sure-footed steps across the stage. The audience slowly rose in applause, clapping emphatically at her triumph.
Miller’s interview was included on Tuesday’s episode of The Doctors. The show airs on weekdays at 3 a.m. ET on The CW.
