Toni Braxton shared that she’s lucky to be alive seven months after an emergency heart surgery for a blocked coronary artery. The singer, who’s been open about her battle with the autoimmune disease lupus erythematosus, says she lost track of her regimented preventive care, which includes regular blood and urine tests.

Braxton said she also experienced some chest pain. After dismissing the pain initially, she sought medical treatment. She told People Magazine,  “I kept putting it off thinking, ‘Oh, I’m fine. I’ll be okay.’ But my doctor was persistent, and I went to get tested in the last week of September. I did a specialized test, and they looked at my heart and saw some abnormalities. I found out that I needed a coronary stent. My left main coronary artery was 80 percent blocked. The doctors told me I could’ve had a massive heart attack, and I would not have survived.”

Braxton said of learning she had a more severe condition, “It was a traumatic moment for me. I was in shock. I remember that day because my chest was aching often, just hurting. And I thought I was just sad because, unfortunately, my sister Traci Braxton had just passed, and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really aching in my heart for my sister.’ And come to find out, of course, I was sad about my sister, but I also had underlying health issues. It was my body talking to me, telling me something’s not quite right.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the heart attack, known as a widowmaker, is one where you have a complete blockage in your heart’s most significant artery. The left anterior descending (LAD) artery sends oxygen-rich blood to your heart’s left ventricle. Braxton told People, “It was really a scary moment. Had I not gotten that test, my life would’ve been different.”

After the procedure, Braxton stayed in the hospital. While appearing on “Today,” Braxton shared that doctors had told her she was “touch and go” for a bit. The Grammy-award-winning singer said her goal is a “long life and old age,” emphasizing the importance of regular screenings, which she does every three months.

She joked, “I look at it like it was a blessing in disguise for me because now, putting off tests? Oh no, I will not put off tests. If all I have to do for my lupus and kidney health is pee in a cup, I can pee in a cup. How many times do you need me to pee? If all I have to do is get my arm pricked for some blood? Oh yes, I can do that. How many vials do you need?”

Admittedly, Braxton says not every day is perfect. She shared, “There are good days and bad days. I’m going, to be honest; sometimes, the bad days get me down. I’m not superwoman. I like to think I am. I like to feel like I’m that boss b—h all the time, but I’m also a human. When my body tells me to take it down and relax, I have to listen to it.”