HGTV's Tarek El Moussa Opens Up About Terrifying Health Complications Following Back Surgery
Tarek El Moussa
Tarek El Moussa is opening up about the many struggles in his past, including a back surgery that had major health complications.
The HGTV recounted his “uneventful" back surgery in his new book, Flip Your Life: How to Find Opportunity in Distress — in Real Estate, Business and Life. While the surgery seemed to go as expected, there was an issue created by a different, routine aspect of the procedure.
“The catheter they had inserted at the hospital caused my urethra to close up. It should have been checked before I was sent home, but it wasn’t. My urethra had swollen shut," he said.
Because of this, he ended up standing “against the wall in agony: I couldn’t produce anything. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get relief. I couldn’t go to the bathroom.”
Tarek attempted to go to sleep, but in the morning, he was "screaming," as he recalled, "It was obvious that my bladder was about to explode, which was something I hadn’t considered during the night."
"Realizing I could actually die, I grabbed my phone and called 911," the 42-year-old wrote. At the hospital, doctors found the urethra blockage and provided Tarek with the care he needed, but because of the health problem, he had to stay in the hospital for another week.
The back surgery and subsequent issue came after Tarek had already survived two different cancers, as he was diagnosed with both testicular and thyroid cancer in 2013. He previously shared how the ordeal and treatment affected his mental health and behavior, and looking back, Tarek admitted that he "wasn't the best human" during that time in his life.
Tarek was married to Christina Hall from 2009 to 2018, with whom he also starred in the real estate and renovation show Flip Or Flop. They share a son and daughter. In 2021, he got remarried to Heather Rae Young, and they welcomed a son in early 2023.
Next: Tarek El Moussa Finally Breaks Silence on What Ultimately Led to Christina Hall Divorce
