“I was like, ‘Really?’ I never thought of pneumonia as something that serious. In my mind I wasn’t that sick. I hope that this is a cautionary tale for people. You have to take the time to take care of yourself.”
As a result of her illness, the 63-year-old had to have her lungs drained twice and after undergoing chest therapy, Whoopi says she feels better although her progress is slow.
“I get winded going up stairs and I still can’t get on my treadmill,” she says. “Nobody wants to feel like they can’t do something, but your body says no sometimes. And that’s just fine. I never want to relapse so I’m okay taking the stairs easy. I don’t care about old-lady jokes. Bring them on!”