D’Andra Simmons is battling breast cancer.
The “Real Housewives of Dallas” alum revealed her diagnosis on social media as she prepared to undergo surgery.
Simmons shared a picture of herself at the UTSW Simmons Cancer Center in Dallas, Texas, a place that holds special meaning for her.
“I didn’t think I would be the recipient of care at the UTSW Simmons Cancer Center my uncle Harold Simmons and his Foundation established almost 30 years ago, but now I have breast cancer,” she wrote.
“I am truly grateful to have such an excellent care team in place. I’m the 3rd woman on my mother’s side of the family to be diagnosed with breast cancer…that we know about,” she continued. “After today, I will add breast cancer survivor to a long list of life experiences.”
Simmons, 56, underwent three procedures and shared her experience via her Instagram Stories. She was accompanied by her husband, Jeremy Lock.
The first procedure she underwent she described as “seed localization.”
“They go in there and they put a marker in my breast where the tumor is,” she explained. “That way, when the surgeon goes in, they’ll know exactly where to take the tumor out.”
She then said they would be moving to another hospital to get her second procedure done.
“They light up the lymph nodes so the surgeon knows which ones to take out during surgery,” she shared. “So it’s three procedures today. It’s a busy, packed morning.”
Her last update was her on a hospital bed surrounded by Lock, her surgeon Deboroh Farr — whom she shared was a good friend of hers — and her mother, Dee Simmons.
“Almost ready to get this surgery started!” she wrote.
D’Andra starred in seasons 2-5 of “The Real Housewives of Dallas.” The show ended in 2021.
This isn’t the first time she’s been open about her health. In 2021, she told Page Six she was suffering long-term side effects from having COVID-19.
“I’m really scared about the fatigue because … I’m having a hard time sleeping,” she told us at the time. “So then if I don’t sleep, I can’t get the rest I need for healing. And also the body aches are lingering. As far as the memory loss, I haven’t had as much of that as my husband has, but that’s my biggest fear in the world, is losing my cognitive ability.”