Abby Lee Miller Is ‘Learning To Walk’ After ‘Horrible’ Post-Cancer Spinal Chord Surgery

Abby Lee Miller, 55, is learning to walk again after undergoing post-Cancer spinal surgery, but the Dance Moms star tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that she isn’t ready to hang in her dance shoes just yet!

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Abby Lee Miller, 55, has faced some serious issues with her health in the past couple of years. After beating cancer, the Dance Moms star has been bound to a wheel-chair and is learning to walk again. Speaking to HollywoodLife exclusively on Oct. 19 Abby Lee – who is currently teaching dance classes all over the world on Zoom and is also back on TV for season 3 of Amazon Prime Video’s Gown and Out in Beverly Hills starring Pol’ Atteu and Patrik Simpson – revealed some of the “horrible” trials she’s faced since undergoing spinal surgery in April 2018.

“[During COVID I had] another surgery on my spine — my lumbar region that was the original problem years ago — and that’s why I went to that doctor because my leg was going numb when I was driving in all this LA traffic so I knew something was wrong,” Abby Lee told HL, revealing she had Spondylolisthesis that was getting “worse and worse.” She then shared she had to go into “in-patient rehab” and then undergo restorative surgery.

Abby Lee Miller
Abby Lee Miller holds Patrik Simpson and Pol’ Atteu’s dog SnowWhite90210 at her dance company. (Patrik Simpson)

To make matters worse, Abby Lee noted that, while in Florida, she broke her leg in two places and had to go to the level one trauma unit, causing her doctor to prescribe “no weight bearing” on the leg for three months — setting her back even further.

Abby Lee Miller & Friends
Abby Lee Miller & friends at her dance company. (Patrik Simpson)

Currently, the former reality star said she’s “standing in place” and “marching” compared to “walking 150 steps with the walker,” which was her previous status before her second surgery and broken leg. Her plan? To get out of her wheelchair and walk again. “I need me to coach me,” she stated. “I need an Abby Lee person to whip my butt into shape and make me the best I can be.” For now, Abby Lee aims to be using her walker for her first steps “after the holidays” as a goal.

Of course the journey has been a “very emotional” one for the famed dance teacher, but she remains hopeful. “I need to get back to that 150 steps and standing without my hands and standing with brushing my teeth. I’m starting that now — all that stuff,” she shared.
Abby Lee Miller & friends
Abby Lee Miller, Patrik Simpson and Pol’ Atteu are all smiles at her dance company. (Patrik Simpson)

Perhaps Abby has gained the mental and emotional strength from her past health trials to undergo the current situation with some resilience. In addition to her spinal surgeries, she also had Burkitt lymphoma — a rare form of cancer. Thankfully, her cancer went into remission. “The cancer is completely gone,” she told PEOPLE in May 2019. “I’m more grateful. I’m thankful.”

Abby Lee just is shooting season 3 of Gown and Out in Beverly Hills for the HAPAwards Show. The series, which stars Pol’ Atteu and Patrik Simpson can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.